Yars Rising

Although it doesn't bring many innovative advances to the genre, Yars Rising is a competent metroidvania. The title is permeated by a good narrative, firm and growing mechanics, a beautiful 2.5D visual, a good sound composition between music, voices and effects, as well as a good dose of nostalgia.

Yars Rising delivers a fine platforming experience mixed with some retro Atari elements.

Blending the old and the new, Yars Rising is an enjoyable metroidvania that sees you exploring the mysterious QoTech facility. With a strong range of skills to learn, playing as protagonist Emi is a lot of fun — but the game is let down by its retro hacking levels that are frustrating enough to mar the entire experience.

Yars Rising takes a old favourite and twists into an odd beast. Whilst framing it as a search action game makes for a more substantial experience, the presentation doesn't blend successfully and I find Emi to be an annoying character. The traversal and combat feels okay with only the bosses providing a genuine challenge. The hacking challenges have an impressive variety but it's a small part of a larger, less interesting package.

Yars Rising is a game of missed potential. An interesting idea and a unique spin on remakes ultimately undermined by poor execution. Everything on offer here is done much better in many other games. And the few highlights the game features have nothing to do with actually playing it. Look up the character designs online and listen to the soundtrack on YouTube, and you'll have experienced the best Yars Rising has to offer.