Yars Rising release date confirmed for September

Atari and developer WayForward has confirmed the release date for sci-fi Metroidvania Yars Rising, and it’s coming in September.

Specifically, Yars Rising is coming to Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam (and Epic Games Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, and PlayStation 5 on September 10th, 2024. Yars Rising is a new 2D Metroivania game set in the Yars universe of futuristic cyberpunk, and pre-orders for PS5 and Nintendo Switch versions are now available on the official site.

Check out the gameplay trailer, below:

In Yars Rising, players take control of Emi Kimura, a young hacker who’s been hired by a mysterious entity to infiltrate the shadowy Qotech corporation. Run, jump, sneak, and hack your way through challenges and retro-inspired mini-games to unravel layers of intrigue in this vast sci-fi mystery. Embark on Emi’s journey to decipher the mystery of the corporation’s closely guarded secret and uncover her inexplicable bond to a far-off alien race.

In true Metroidvania fashion, Emi grows in power throughout her adventure, allowing her to retrace her steps and reach previously inaccessible and secret areas. Her evolving hacking skills are critical to solving stimulating minigames that reference the innovative gameplay from the Atari 2600 title Yars’ Revenge. Emi will also face challenging boss battles at the end of each level, each with its own unique quirks utilizing all of her diverse skills.

Here’s some of the key features from the press release:

• 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 Bender: 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 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, and PC on September 10th.