Guest contributor, Lex from Ember Heart Media

Get ready to dive into a brand-new adventure as Atari and WayForward just dropped the first gameplay trailer for Yars Rising. Shown to us at IGN Live 2024, this game is shaping up to be an epic blend of stealth and old-school arcade action, perfect for summertime fun!

A Fresh Take on a Classic

If you like anime, Metroidvania’s or just good old fashioned light hearted fun, this is the game for you! In a vibrant cyberpunk world, you play as Emi Kimura. Emi is a young hacker on a mission to infiltrate the shady Qotech corporation.

Things get wild fast, with robots to blast, lasers to dodge, and complex systems to hack. The trailer shows off the game’s slick anime-inspired characters, a pumping, catchy soundtrack, and tons of sneaky and action-packed gameplay. Yars Rising looks to be just what the doctor ordered!

With easy to view graphics, clean controls, and an invigorating soundtrack, Yars Rising is the type of game you can just escape in for a few hours. Could this be Atari’s triumphant return? Well, we don’t have long to find out as the game’s demo is coming out tomorrow (June 10th) as part of Steam’s Summer Fest!

Gameplay Features

James Montagna, the Director at WayForward, shared how they wanted to keep the spirit of the original Yars’ Revenge while adding cool new elements. “With Yars Rising, we set out to honour one of Atari’s most enduring franchises, while creating some new rules and breaking old ones, just like Yars’ Revenge did”.

In Yars Rising, you’ll run, jump, sneak, and hack your way through different challenges. Emi gets new abilities as she progresses, letting her access previously unreachable areas in true Metroidvania style! Plus, the game has mini-games that throw way back to the original Atari 2600 classic. Could you possibly want more?

Teaming Up with WayForward

Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari, is beyond excited about working with WayForward. “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 favourite studios, on this ambitious project,” he said. This partnership is all about mixing Atari’s legendary history with WayForward’s awesome storytelling. It’s like a dream pairing come true!

So What’s Next?

Yars Rising is set to launch later this year in 2024 on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox Series X. If you can’t wait to try it, don’t forget the demo will be available from June 10th during the Steam Next Fest, which runs from June 10 to 17. Get ready to return to and experience Yars like never before!