Atari has shared a new gameplay trailer for its side-scrolling Metroidvania adventure Yars Rising, which is in development for Nintendo Switch.
WayForward is behind this “decidedly modern chapter in the storyline of Yars’ Revenge,” which was the best-selling first-party game for the Atari 2600.
You play as the young hacker Emi Kimura, who has been hired by a mysterious patron to infiltrate Qotech. With a balance of stealth and combat gameplay, to succeed you must run, jump, sneak and hack your way through challenges on her journey to learn the truth about the shadowy corporation’s closely guarded secret and uncover her inexplicable bond to a far-off alien race.
“With Yars Rising, we set out to honor one of Atari’s most enduring franchises, while creating some new rules and breaking old ones, just like Yars’ Revenge did,” explains WayForward director James Montagna. “We’re delighted to unveil the first look at gameplay, introducing fans to Emi and teasing what’s in store when it releases later this year.”
Atari chairman and CEO Wade Rosen adds: “Since the day I joined Atari, creating a new Yars game has been a dream of mine. I’m thrilled that we had the opportunity to collaborate with WayForward, one of my favorite studios, on this ambitious project. The new story that Wayforward has created for Yars Rising is going to excite fans and introduce a new generation to the Yars universe through WayForward’s unique creative lens.”
The publisher has outlined the game’s key features, which include:
- Otherworldly Abilities: Emi must jump, blast, and sneak her way past waves of robotic and alien enemies. Her latent powers are revealed as she progresses, granting her wild augments and biohacks to reach inaccessible areas.
- Stealth Traversal: Emi can’t always shoot or jump her way out of a jam — tense sections of stealth gameplay force her to skillfully duck into the shadows to hide from relentless security bots.
- Sci-fi Intrigue: A seemingly bottomless mystery takes Emi from drab office buildings into underground labs, and even to the farthest reaches of space as she uncovers the dark truth behind the Qotech corporation. A sprawling, interconnected map allows for hours upon hours of gameplay.
- Genre Mash-Ups: A Metroidvania at its core, Yars Rising progresses the story with a series of hacking minigames paying homage to the original Yars’ Revenge, along with other levels and boss battles that take Emi far and beyond her “normal” adventure, like fight scenes and turn-based battles.
Yars Rising will be released digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide in late 2024.
