<Game Reviews>

If someone told me even a year ago that they would turn my most loved game from childhood into a Cyberpunk Magical Girl Metroidvania, and that I would like it, I would've scoffed. Loudly. (It would've been the "Cyberpunk Magical Girl" part that got me. I actually enjoy Metroidvanias.) Yet, that's exactly what they did over at WayForward. All too often, older IPs getting used in modern times means a loss of what made those IPs special in the first place, as if the choice is between keeping that original appeal and having a good game/movie/etc. Understandably, the fans of the original work tend to be displeased as a result. In an age where hearing anything involving an older IP is more likely to inspire dread than excitement, WayForward managed to have their cake and let me have mine too.

Some background here...

Yars' Revenge came out in 1982 for the Atari 2600. The game came with its own comic laying out the story, the first video game to do so. It told of the Yars, a race descended from houseflies sent into space and transformed by the radiation of the planet their ship crashed into, battling to save their civilization in the Razak system from the evil Qotile.

The gameplay was simple: collect energy (called Trons) to power up the Zorlon Cannon, then fire it off to destroy the Qotile. "Simple", of course, doesn't mean "easy"! You had to break through a shield either by nibbling on it (to get energy) or firing your energy missiles. Once you had a path open to Qotile, and you had enough Trons (no visible counter in those days, so you either guessed or made sure you overshot the goal), you sent your Yar bolting to the other side of the screen to activate the Zorlon Cannon (the only weapon that could do anything to the Qotile), then aimed it (using the Yar's own body) and fired. If it connected, then you win and move on to the next level. If it didn't, then you do it all again. If you're out of Shield to nibble, you could fly through the Qotile while it's sitting in place and get enough Trons for a single firing of the Zorlon Cannon.

Not that hard, you say? How about having a Destroyer Missile following you around? If you're not careful, it can take the hit from your Zorlon Cannon, putting you back at square one trying to destroy the Qotile, and it'll just respawn and come after you again. How about that a Qotile can turn into a Swirl that flies right at you? In later levels not only does the Destroyer Missile speed up, the Swirl also speeds up, it fires instantly, and can even turn twice to try and get you. By the way, your Yar dies in one hit. That's from anything, mind you: from the Swirl, from the Destroyer Missile, or even from your own Zorlon Cannon (so get out of the way after you fire!) Oh, and the controls were a joystick (giant by today's standards and not as effortless to operate) and a single button.

I spent alot of my gaming time on Yars' Revenge on the Ultimate Yars settings. I could dodge the Swirls. I could time my Zorlon Cannon to take them out in mid-air (even with the turns). The Destroyer Missile was of little consequence to me. I could keep going indefinitely, or until I unknowingly triggered the "Ghost of Yars", whichever came first. (This was back before the internet was much of a thing.) I had the most fun on that game.

Fast forward to 2025.

I heard about this game called "Yars Rising" that was released in September of 2024, and my first concern was what its story does to the original. The good news is, it's not a remake or a reboot. I would hesitate to call it a sequel, though I suppose it could be seen that way. I see it more as a companion piece. Rather than replacing the story of Yars' Revenge or continuing it per se, Rising walks alongside it. It takes the necessary notes of the original conflict and ties it into a separate new story with its own cast of characters. That story does eventually tie in more closely with the Yars, but even after the protagonist has defeated her designated enemies, there's still plenty of room for the Yars' own heroism to continue to shine.

I had my concerns as I went through the game. Even while having fun, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yes, there are "chosen one" elements, but I didn't feel like I had to scrap the entire history of the original game to enjoy this one. Yes, the supposedly "Yar-ish" words used were standard cheesy faux-alien vocabulary that could've been omitted altogether, but it feeds into the largely irreverent tone. Even so, it doesn't make a mockery of Revenge. It has fun with the idea of Earthlings being drawn into the conflict in the Razak system. The story isn't deep or complex, but it doesn't need to be.

So how about that heroine? How does she fit into this tale of mutant houseflies battling for their very lives? 23-year old Emi "Yar" Kimura gets a job at Qotech (see what they did there?), but really she's a hacker who's been hired to look into some shady dealings. Things go south from there, and Emi has to use her avatar "Yar" to hack into the Qotech terminals. Along the way she finds herself in a larger struggle. Thanks to the tattoo of a Yar on her wrist (looking exactly like the old Atari sprite), she gains special powers along the way to battle the enemy minions. How did she get that tattoo? Why does she get special powers? Play the game to find out :}

Rising operates how one would expect for a metroidvania: explore the map, collect powerups, defeat bosses, go deeper into the maze and explore some more. There's a map to help if you get lost or need to remember where you're heading, but the maze isn't terribly complex. Powerups display as a Yar on the map (never would've guessed, eh?). Blocked areas show as red. Once you get a new ability, it's generally worth revisiting them to see if you can now overcome the obstacle.

Some obstacles, like certain jumps, might take a couple of tries to get a feel for them, but the game is rather forgiving for falling into a hole: you'll take some damage and start back near where you fell, so long as you haven't let your HP get too low. None of it felt impossible, though, so don't give up.

As Emi makes her way through Qotech Tower (and beyond), there are four types of terminals to interact with: terminals to open doors, provide Augments (new powers), provide Biohacks (upgrades to existing powers), and save. The save terminals are the only of the four Emi doesn't have to hack, and they also heal, so it's a good idea to check the map for nearby save terminals when Emi is low on HP. Both Augment and Save terminals are unique in appearance, so you won't mistake when you come across those. The door and Biohack terminals look pretty similar in design, but the terminal screen color will tell you the difference: orange for a door and blue for a Biohack.

The larger rainbow-colored terminals provide Augments. The first you'll get is Zorlon Shot, your basic attack. There are other powers just as fun and just as useful, like the ability to "nibble," primarily used on barriers but it can be used on enemies too for small damage and to generate healing and missile restoration globes. The Augments are generally insect themed, and either are or can be presumed to be based on the Yars' own abilities.

Biohacks are boosts to Emi: either her abilities, her Yar avatar, or her HP/missile capacity. She can't have every boost active at once, so you have to balance them on the "Biohacks" menu. Her loadout is a series of blocks shaped like (say it with me!) a Yar from the original game. Each Biohack takes up a different number of blocks as well as different shapes. You can shift around and rotate them to fit in as many as possible, so do your best to squeeze in what'll help most. You're not locked into anything permanently, so you can trade Biohacks around as you need to. All of the biohacks for the minigame Yar are one block each, so if you're having difficulty getting through one, you can trade the Yar boosts in by substituting for a larger Biohack that boosts Emi, then trade it back right after. Emi's first Biohack (she gets it automatically) gives you song artist and title on the screen when the music changes. You can trade it out when you get full on other blocks, but you might as well keep it equipped until then.

Each terminal hack is a timed minigame. Several are various versions of Yars' Revenge, many use Revenge's assets with a twist (larger Qotile, different sized neutral zones, etc.), and some are more like if Revenge invaded other classic games (like Centipede and Missile Command). Failed hacks cost Emi HP, so keep an eye on that before you start and after you lose. As long as you start at full HP, you can afford to fail several times before you have to worry. Most weren't too difficult once I knew what to do, but there were some that took a few tries. The timer was rarely a factor in failing the hack, so don't sweat it too much in normal difficulty. All in all, it's a wild ride and I was all in for each and every one of those minigames. If you enjoy them too, you can play them again from the main menu under "Emi's Hacklist" once you've beaten them in-game.

It's not just the minigames that make reference to the early days of video games. A few of the bosses hearken back to Atari games, and there's a pun in there that I'm ashamed to admit I didn't catch until it was slapping me in the face as fully as one can get without the literal slap. I have to wonder if I missed any others, but that's what replays are for, and if you want a greater challenge, there's a Pro mode once you've beaten the normal difficulty. For those who enjoy going through again with different costume options, Pro mode gives you that chance for Emi; but cinematics won't change based on the outfit.

The music and sounds set the mood for this cyberpunk world, and I have no complaints about either. The songs are very catchy and alot of fun to listen to while traversing the zones. Some even utilize the old school Revenge sounds. The first time I heard a Swirl powering up, I tried to figure out where the attack was coming from. When I realized it was the music, I had a good laugh. The *plink* of Trionic Nibble making contact properly invokes the image of nibbling away at the target.

It's not a long or difficult game on normal difficulty. I beat it in about 8 hours full clear. Pro mode is more difficult (of course), with upped damage from everything (including failed hacks), so if you desire more challenge, it's there. Most enemies are defeated pretty easily, and only a couple of types require extra steps (knowing a weak spot, nibbling away a barrier). There are some sentinel-type enemies to watch out for that don't take damage, but they're not terribly smart or difficult to get around. For the most part they function as an annoyance when they're alone, or as a timing puzzle where there's multiple.

If I had to pick something to quibble about, it would be the lack of an angled attack for the Zorlon Shot. It's not a game breaker, but getting some enemies would be easier with it. I enjoyed the concept behind Trionic Nibble, but while there were plenty of excuses to use it, I didn't think there were enough reasons. Other than a couple of mobs, one boss, and a few barriers, it was relegated to a support role. My greater disappointment, however, was the dearth of bosses. As fun as they were to fight, in between it felt a little empty at times. Another two or maybe three would've filled the game out nicely.

It's worth a playthrough if you're looking for something light and fun, or if you have a love for the old Atari days. If that's what you're after, the hacking minigames are probably where most of your fun is going to come from. That doesn't mean you won't enjoy the references scattered throughout the main game though. The use of both the Yar and Qotile sprites in the game were fitting and really let me bask in my Atari youth. All of the old school callbacks really hit good in the nostalgia.

Overall, Yars Rising left me with a positive experience. I got to relive fond memories of my early gaming years while seeing a new story, and both the old and the new were allowed to shine.

NOTE: It's Yars' Revenge (plural possessive), but Yars Rising (plural). There is also a different game, called Yar's Revenge (singular possessive) that came out in 2011 from Killspace Entertainment. That one's more of a reboot and is a shooter-on-rails.