Atari Revitalizes a Crown Jewel of the 80s Arcade Era with Berzerk

Recharged, Available Now on PC and Consoles

Escape a Futuristic Maze Filled with Ruthless Robots, all While the Sinister Smile of Evil Otto Portends Your Demise

NEW YORK, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atari — one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — is delighted to announce the launch of its latest retro-charged reimagining of a beloved gaming classic, Berzerk: Recharged. Available now on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, Berzerk: Recharged challenges arcade enthusiasts to fight their way through levels of deadly mazes filled with waves of menacing, vocal robots, blasters trained on any human they sense, all while avoiding evil incarnate: the smiling, bouncing terror known as Evil Otto.

Watch the Berzerk: Recharged launch trailer here:
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Trapped in a cybernetic synth-wave death maze, players will take blasters in hand and shoot their way through waves of snarky, vocal robots that are devoting their processing power towards one vicious goal: YOUR DOOM. Berzerk is fondly remembered as one of the first arcade games to use speech synthesis, and Berzerk: Recharged keeps the trash-talk going. The robots, with no concept of mercy, have sinister, text-to-speech monologues running through their OS, so players will have to endure “kill the humanoid” and the taunting barb, “Chicken, fight like a robot!” as they fight to survive.

Regarded as one of the prized gems in gaming’s arcade heyday, the original Berzerk was a top-down multidirectional shooter where players battled onslaughts of armed robots within an unending, electrified labyrinth. The standout feature of the original Berzerk was Evil Otto, a menacingly persistent, bouncing smiley face who relentlessly pursued players. Unlike his counterparts Inky, Blinky, and Clyde, Evil Otto doesn't turn tail, can pass through walls, and is impervious to destruction...and he knows it. Now, Otto has returned, bringing along updated, vibrant visuals, responsive twin-stick controls, and a fresh synth soundtrack by acclaimed composer Megan McDuffee.

Key Features of Berzerk: Recharged Include:

• Challenge Accepted: Survive an endless maze of random rooms that get progressively harder the further you get. As intensity ramps up, the increasing difficulty is reflected in the robots’ changing color schemes.
  
• A-Maze-Ing Levels to Tackle: Shoot through 20 hand-crafted mazes that deliver unique gameplay challenges, each with different layouts to test your mettle
  
• Pumped Power-Ups: Pick up weapon modifiers, including a spread-shot, big shot, or a series-staple railgun. There are also player modifiers for speeding up, shield, and placeable mines to use against your rude and relentless enemies!