새 소식
WayForward is taking a new approach to video game preservation with Yars Rising
C
Charlie Wacholz
But since its explosive success on the 2600, the Yars franchise has remained largely dormant. Aside from a few remakes that worked minor tweaks into the original’s formula and a fan-made sequel that Atari eventually canonized in an Atari Flashback release in the aughts, the series hasn’t changed much over the last 43 years.
That is, of course, until WayForward had the opportunity to pitch Atari on making a Metroidvania set in the “Yarniverse,” as creator Warshaw calls it (who famously hid his initials HSW in the notorious Atari game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial). Emphasizing stealth and story, this exploration platformer is completely different from the original’s space shooter setup. I asked game director James Montagna about how Yars Rising will pay its respect to the original without just retreading the same old ground. He told me this: "We wanted to reinvent Yars as something unexpected in a way that ties into the original’s story, but also something that felt consistent with the original’s legacy. We’ve included tons of Easter eggs and things that fans of the original will appreciate.”
That reinvention includes using the original game itself within Yars Rising. Less of an tribute and more of a central mechanic, players will need to play a re-tooled and fully remade version of the original Yars’ Revenge to hack and open certain doors. Of course, WayForward added its own spin on this.
“We view it as two concurrent games, with hacking mechanics playing alongside the Metroidvania aspects rather than treating it as a mini-game,” said Montagna. He even teased potential crossover moments with other Atari games: “Some longer hacking sequences even incorporate aspects and references to other classic Atari games to create something new altogether.”
This approach to video game preservation speaks to something more powerful than embracing hollow nostalgia. By today’s standards, most 2600 games—even the best ones—are difficult to approach and pick up. Many of these games use a vocabulary that contemporary gamers aren’t as likely to understand compared to the relatively frictionless, polished experiences we see today, so rehashing what’s been done before won’t bring in or educate new people. Spinning what worked about Yars into something new altogether—especially as a studio whose Metroidvania chops speak for themselves—is sure to pay dividends.
WayForward and Atari are still keeping a lot of things close to their collective chest, especially about how we’ll see Metroidvania progression take shape in Rising. However, the developers did hint that the hacking mechanic will tie into that. For example, Montagna specifically mentioned this: “When you experience a power in the hacking terminal, you can then bring that ability into the world and run around with it.” Using the hacking mechanics and Metroidvania exploration as symbiotic gameplay loops that feed into one another might turn some people off, but to me it represents a distinct and creative take on such a storied genre—one that doesn’t get this kind of shot in the arm very often.
When you combine the usual exploration with light stealth mechanics and what sounded like RPG-adjacent systems, WayForward could be on its way to producing an incredibly rich, deep entry in the genre that stands in a category all its own. Of course, it's worth noting that those RPG systems are based on a very vague hint Montagna gave me, so who knows what the final game might look like.
Adding to that maverick streak, Yars Rising won’t be the atmospherically grim, haunting experience you’d expect from other sci-fi Metroidvanias like Axiom Verge or Metroid Dread. Instead, its soundtrack was inspired by the eclectic, poppy, and funky sounds of Katamari Damacy and Jet Set Radio. Because the game’s set in a futuristic city and draws inspiration from sci-fi and cyberpunk stories, its vibe had to match. So WayForward decided to focus on a musical flavor that’s influenced by current trends like vaporwave and the city pop revival. Montagna told me that this soundtrack is WayForward’s most ambitious yet, with a highly varied list of artists making songs for Rising’s OST.
I came away from our chat (and brief hands-off demo of Yars Rising) extremely excited to see what WayForward’s team of Metroidvania vets have in store for us. You can look forward to hacking mega corporations, jamming out to future funk bangers, and saving the world when Yars Rising comes to the Epic Games Store later this year.