Yars Rising

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 80 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • story
Yars Rising Game Cover
Taking elements from the best MetroidVanias, retro shooters, and anime series, Yars Rising delivers a truly immersive experience with mass appeal.
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"Yars Rising" is a single-player platformer game with excellent mechanics that offers an expansive mystery to solve. As Emi Kimura, a young hacker, players infiltrate the shadowy QoTech corporation, evading obstacles, and using hacking skills to solve minigames. Emi's growing powers enable access to previously unreachable areas, creating a non-linear exploration experience referencing the classic game, "Yars' Revenge." The game boasts exceptional music, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews
music32 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Great voice acting and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Engaging hacking mini-games that creatively incorporate elements from classic Atari games, providing a unique twist to the gameplay.
  • Charming art style and character design, along with a fun and quirky protagonist that adds personality to the game.
  • The game suffers from frequent loading screens that disrupt the flow of gameplay, especially during backtracking.
  • Some players find the dialogue and humor to be cringy or overly quirky, which can detract from the experience.
  • The final boss and some gameplay mechanics, such as the dash ability, are criticized for being poorly designed or lacking depth.
  • music63 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the fantastic and catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. It features a variety of styles, including city pop and retrowave, and is noted for its ability to blend seamlessly into gameplay, making it enjoyable even as background music. While some players mentioned minor issues, such as frequent music changes during loading screens, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout element, with many expressing a desire to purchase it separately.

    • “A decent metroidvania elevated by the incredible soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal too, just listen to it; it can easily become background work music for you.”
    • “The music is amazing! The soundtrack is easily one of the best parts!”
    • “It's entirely unnecessary and ends the game on a really sour note, when the rest of Yars Rising is a very okay metroidvania that lacks juice and exploration but makes it up with style, a smooth difficulty curve, and a banging soundtrack.”
    • “My only gripe about the music is that it changes when you hit a loading screen, which is pretty often, so it's rare to hear more than 30-40 seconds of a song at a time.”
    • “Only downside is the price seems a bit steep; I don't know how long the game will be, but for $30 I feel like we should at least be getting the game and OST as a bundle.”
  • gameplay43 mentions

    The gameplay in "Yars Rising" is a blend of traditional metroidvania mechanics and unique hacking minigames inspired by the classic Atari title, Yars' Revenge. While the core gameplay is generally satisfying and accessible, some players find it lacks innovation and can feel repetitive due to familiar environments and design flaws typical of the genre. Overall, the game offers a solid experience with enjoyable mechanics, though it may not redefine the metroidvania genre.

    • “Yars Rising is a pretty good metroidvania and adds a little bit on top of the typical gameplay from games in the genre.”
    • “Hacking is a huge part of the gameplay and is what really sets Yars Rising apart from most other metroidvanias.”
    • “The gameplay is great, fun metroidvania and those are my favorite genre.”
    • “The main game is kinda lacking in the gameplay part (I mean, it could be better, but still passes), but very accomplished in aesthetics and music (I also like intentionally cringy voice acting).”
    • “And while it's a competent metroid-inspired game on the whole, it seems to have followed the roots of the genre closely enough to inherit most of the genre's worst design flaws and very few of the mechanical upgrades and refinements that have been seen from indie metroid/vanias in the past two decades.”
    • “Gameplay is where I felt the game lets itself down a bit.”
  • story26 mentions

    The game's story is primarily focused and engaging, with players appreciating its ability to maintain interest without unnecessary backtracking. While the narrative initially seems disconnected from the original Yars' Revenge, it gradually ties back to it, though some found the pacing inconsistent due to self-referential humor. Overall, the story is described as fun and well-voiced, serving its purpose in character development and player motivation, despite some critiques of its simplicity and linearity.

    • “The story has so far kept me engaged even if I'm not finished with the game, which was not something I was expecting.”
    • “The story is fun, voice acting is really well done, and it doesn't get stale.”
    • “Good story that keeps flowing and just when you think it's over - it still keeps going!”
    • “A completely baffling decision that destroys the story's quick pace.”
    • “The story itself is fine, but the game spends the first half deprecating itself by pointing out how weird or annoying certain things are--lasers are its favorite target--that when it decides that it wants to try taking itself seriously in the last act it's already trained me not to even bother getting engaged.”
    • “It's a shame because the game visually looks solid, and the music is full of bangers, and there's a lot of effort put into the story with all the voice acting (sometimes a bit too much), but as a metroidvania fan it was very generic, generally linear, full of loading screens, and it just failed to grab me.”
  • graphics24 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant and charming art style, which effectively captures a neo-retro-futuristic anime aesthetic. While some reviewers noted a slight generic quality to the visuals, the overall presentation, including well-executed 2.5D design and engaging cutscenes, contributes to a polished and immersive experience. The combination of appealing character and environment designs, along with excellent voice acting and a fitting soundtrack, enhances the game's visual appeal.

    • “I think the visuals are nice, and there are some comic/manga panel style cutscenes that really look good!”
    • “The visuals are great, the art style is poppy and eye-catching, and it's fun to see games like this voice acted; it's always a nice treat.”
    • “I'm not at all an anime person and have never seen the appeal, but I've really fallen in love with the vibrant and bold visuals that this game uses to present itself, from the character and environment design to the overall UI design.”
    • “Maybe the graphical style is a little bit lacking... it's hard to say what's wrong with it though... like the graphics really fit the vibe, but they seem a little bit generic... but it's really hard for me to come up with constructive criticism.”
    • “I will admit, the graphics made me think of Mighty No.”
    • “This aesthetic is going for a specific kind of neo-retro-futuristic anime-esque cyberpunk sort of world; you can tell if you'll vibe with it from the trailer footage.”
  • humor12 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the quirky dialogue and character design typical of WayForward, while others find it cringeworthy and overly reliant on tired tropes. Many reviews highlight moments of targeted humor that resonate, but the main character's attempts at wit often fall flat, leading to a perception of forced sarcasm. Overall, the humor may appeal to some, but it risks alienating those who find it repetitive and unoriginal.

    • “It really has a nice mix of both styles of gameplay, and the fabulously hilarious dialogue and character design that is standard for WayForward.”
    • “All in all, it's a solid 9/10 if you like a good 'metroidvania' and that signature hilarious WayForward dialogue and characters.”
    • “Also, there was more than one time where I looked at the name of a boss and screamed and was so excited for the dumb but very targeted humor.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of the hacking minigames and the need for backtracking. Suggestions for improvement include adding build slots for easier augment management, as switching them late in the game can become cumbersome. Overall, the grind can detract from the enjoyment of the action platforming experience.

    • “This is an action platformer interrupted by old-school shoot-em-up styled hacking minigames that grow increasingly tedious.”
    • “The twist is these hacking minigames that are cute at first, but after 80 minutes in, I feel like I have done 100 and they are so slow and tedious.”
    • “All this backtracking can get tedious.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for its wholesome graphics and engaging voice acting, creating an emotionally uplifting experience. While the city pop soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, some players feel that the emotional impact could be improved with better accessibility and gameplay adjustments. Overall, it is seen as a commendable effort to revitalize the franchise.

  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is highlighted for its engaging blend of gameplay styles, complemented by humorous dialogue and distinctive character design typical of WayForward's work.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having their own unique backstory and growth throughout the game.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve based on the choices I make, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “The dialogue is not only hilarious but also adds depth to the characters, making them feel more relatable and memorable.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers enhanced replayability compared to older titles, with users noting its improved playability despite personal limitations like motion sickness.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The voice acting, while somewhat cheesy, aligns well with the intended atmosphere of the game, enhancing the overall experience rather than detracting from it.

    • “The voice acting is a little cheesy, but it seems to fit the atmosphere they were going for, so I won't hold it against the game.”
    • “The voice acting is a little cheesy, but seems to fit the atmosphere they were going for, so I won't count it against the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
6-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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