Yars Rising Reviews
A collection of fun hacking minigames attached to a bland metroidvania.
Yars Rising keeps the spirit of its inspiration alive through the robust old-school challenges of a hacking game, but as a 2D Metroidvania it all falls a bit flat. Great controls, fun ability progression, and a killer soundtrack can't elevate the game past the limitations of its straightforward level design.
Yars Rising is an ambitious interpretation of a classic Atari 2600 game that resoundingly succeeds in appealing to both newcomers and veterans alike. The Metroidvania structure is good enough on its own, but when combined with the awesome Yars' Revenge-inspired hacking minigames, you've got an experience that feels wholly unique while being great fun from start to finish. Some of the characters may prove to be a bit irritating, and the final boss is a massive letdown for us, but overall this is a great effort from WayForward.
Yars Rising is a decent enough adventure, but it feels like a very odd way to revive Atari's legendary franchise.
Yars Rising blends metroidvania and retro with mixed results. Appealing graphics and nostalgic tributes don't offset basic level design and repetitive mechanics. A decent adventure that fails to leave a mark, suitable for genre fans seeking an accessible but uninnovative experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I hope that Yars Rising serves as a blueprint for Atari moving forward. Heck, I hope any publisher struggling to keep a series as old as Yars fresh is paying attention. Yars Rising is a loving ode to the past that reveres its source material enough to confidently expand on it rather than give it an easy refresh. It takes the original franchise’s worldbuilding seriously and finds a way to twist every morsel of it into a larger adventure that’s worthy of the Yars name. Sometimes the best way to keep the past alive is to let it evolve into something new. Precious nostalgia is an anchor, and Yars Rising flies free without that tying it down.
Yars: Rising is an ambitious spiritual sequel to Yars' Revenge, and will give you a challenge; Wayforward and Atari worked their magic all through this one. Not so much in enemy variation, but Emi keeps the combat exciting and fun, and the hacks are that old Atari 2600 difficulty. Samus and Megaman would be proud. You will be too.
When it isn’t tipping its hat to Yars’ Revenge, the game offers only simplistic platforming.
Yars Rising is a terrific platformer. It features satisfying puzzles, shooting elements, a fast-paced and humorus story, along with a clever integration of a classic Atari game. Apart from some annoying loading screens, this is absolutely a game worth checking out.
A neat anime-style metroidvania with some well-realised ideas, Yars Rising is a smart homage to an '80s Atari arcade classic, and a perfectly fine way to while away a good few hours.
Yars Rising creatively blends retro Atari gameplay with platforming. I love the way the game controls and plays, and the artful presentation is brimming with color and life, but its persistent load screens and a lack of fast travel are annoying.
The final product doesn't do much to elevate the Yars franchise, due to an excessively flippant tone, an over-reliance on unsatisfying stealth and hacking mechanics, and generally straightforward, unsurprising gameplay. The controls are solid, the power-ups are interesting, and the exploration is rewarding, but that's not quite enough to save the game from mediocrity.
The grab-bag remixes of Yar’s Revenge are surprising and not knowing what is coming next keeps the gameplay engaging, even if Emi’s stealth mechanics are as basic as possible. At the very least, WayForward took an old Atari game that nobody cared about and did something new and interesting with it.
As much as it plays it safe and doesn't bring many innovative advances to the genre, Yars Rising is a competent metroidvania. The title is permeated by a good narrative seasoning, firm and soaring mechanics, a beautiful 2.5D visual, a beautiful sound composition between music, voices and effects, as well as well-behaved nostalgic pinches.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Taking elements from the best MetroidVanias, retro shooters, and anime series, Yars Rising delivers a truly immersive experience with mass appeal.
I don't care what anyone else thinks; I absolutely love Yars Rising. With its clever Atari game references, awesome characters, fun hacking challenges, catchy music, and the fact that it feels like a Mega Man Metroidvania, it's a game specifically made for folks like me. 👾
I’d definitely recommend giving Yars Rising a go, especially if you enjoy Metroidvania style games in general. It won’t be the best one you’ve played in the genre, but it’s a good time throughout despite some annoying sequences that slow down the action.
Yars Rising combines modern and retro sensibilities into a fun and quirky package. It's both a solid new Metroidvania and a great celebration of Atari classics.
Yars Rising is a creative take on a classic that not only incorporates it into the game but expands upon it with an unexpected genre alongside a charming main character and solid storyline.