Trek to Yomi

Trek to Yomi is, for me, just shy of a veritable masterpiece. Looking at it purely subjectively, I think this game is bloody brilliant, and certainly one of the finest non-AAA games I have played in a long time. Rich combat, striking visuals, a gritty narrative, and dynamic audio experiences blend together to make this game a true stand out of 2022 so far. Unfortunately, I feel the hyper-stylised tone and fixed Japanese language setting may prove a turn off for some and cause this game to be overlooked. However, if you have even a passing interest in Japanese culture, cinema, or just plain solid gameplay, then I implore you to give Trek to Yomi a look.

This samurai action-adventure embraces its contextual tone with a uniquely stellar presentation, a well-paced story, compelling positional and timing-based combat, and a cinematic flair that ties everything together. In all honesty, it's impressive how this game managed to richly condense such an experience within roughly 5 hours. I do wish that some boss fights were more challenging and that Aoki was given more focus, but those points don't take away from how enjoyable, and impactful Trek to Yomi was.

Trek to Yomi is Flying Wild Hog’s best game. Unlike Shadow Warrior 3, the studio’s first title in 2022 that was a huge step backward, Trek to Yomi is aimed at a niche audience. It’s short, violent, and poetic. The one-hit kill Kensei mode that’s unlocked after finishing the game for the first time also adds more replay value for the game while creating the potential for attracting hardcore gamers and speedrunners. The game can be enjoyed by many, but a very small group of people will hold on to it for a very long time. That’s why Trek to Yomi has the chance to become a cult title.

Actually playing Trek to Yomi is not as much fun as just looking at it. Combat turns the game's 3D world into 2D, forcing you to fight on a single axis. You can move left or right, rotate to collide with enemies, attack or block, and that's pretty much it. Those expecting a super-difficult task might be disappointed, but with the developers going down the path of getting attention rather than creating a new Sifu and Devolver Digital doing the publishing duties, it's certainly going to be an interesting project nonetheless. I think Wild Flying Hog has done an excellent job of helping the player go from a beginner swordsman to an experienced samurai.

Trek to Yomi is a well-made game, and, in some aspects, even great. If you like this type of adventure and a focus on the artistic style, as well as the samurai atmosphere, go for it! I really hope Trek to Yomi sells well since I'd like to see more.

Taken as a whole, Trek to Yomi is an impressive homage to classic Japanese action films. It looks and sounds incredible, with art direction and music that are impeccably authentic to both history and cinema. As an action game, Trek to Yomi is engaging but a bit lacking in variety and depth, with controls and animations less polished than its visuals. Trek to Yomi is a fascinating and altogether unique experience, worth playing if you're a fan of great samurai films or simply enjoy new variations on the action game formula.

People looking for a short and intense samurai game should check out Trek to Yomi. It's quick, fun, and makes you truly feel like a samurai.

An outstanding reinvention of Samurai Cinema and a stunning adventure in its own right, Trek to Yomi is a rare joy and one that shouldn't be missed.

Trek to Yomi is a solid and well-executed trip to a black-and-white tale of swords and souls, where a simple but satisfying gameplay is paired with a charming narrative that offers three different endings. Enemy and setting variety could be better, but overall this is a game worthy of your time.

Achievement hunters and completionists may find Trek to Yomi more daunting with its multiple playthrough requirements and the cursed decision to forego a chapter select feature. The majority of the game's challenges come from completing boss encounters without taking any damage, and failing to do so means rerunning the entire campaign or manipulating cloud saves to try again, which simply feels like forced padding of otherwise solid gameplay.

Trek to Yomi makes a great first impression. The black and white, combined with the first uses of the combat system, suggests an experience that will allow players to step into the sandals of a samurai. The story might not be extraordinary but there’s enough sentiment in it to keep players engaged. But combat quickly reveals itself to be repetitive, with little need to experiment or to use all the combos. And the presentation does not enhance the gameplay, even if it delivers good screenshots. Trek to Yomi has some good ideas but never uses them to their full potential, which is a shame given its initial promise.

The major aspects of Trek to Yomi that will stick with the player are the combat, the atmosphere, and the world design. All three of these key features will drive the player to continue playing and enhance the gameplay. One example would be how exploration can reveal alternate ways to defeat groups of enemies. These moments are few and far between, but their inclusion is a nice reward for players who choose to explore the map. It's one of many smaller pieces of gameplay that makes the overall experience stand out among other indie titles.

If you want a rather great combat system with a gorgeous aesthetic then give Trek to Yomi a try, but don’t expect a game that’s going to last dozens of hours. It has a story to tell, and that story is not very long.

Trek could have stayed entirely in the land of the living and still be a surprise hit of a game. It’s gone well beyond that though and cemented its place as one of the greats. The side-scrolling genre has become a place for artful indies to exist but it’s been a while since a game like Trek made gamers take notice; and they definitely should.

Trek to Yomi is a game you should try at some point, no matter what kind of game you prefer. It may not impress with its combat system and linear gameplay structure, but both its flawless cinematics and unparalleled atmosphere are enough to make it memorable.

Featuring outstanding cinematic presentation, first-rate voice performances, and superb sound design, Trek to Yomi wraps Akira Kurosawa-like flair around its fun, side-scrolling samurai battles.

Trek To Yomi will set you back the price of a cinema ticket, but guarantees more spectacle than you’ll find in most big-screen ventures. A killer combination of stylish swordfights and thought-provoking storytelling, Trek To Yomi should be high on your list of games to play this year.

While it could stand to be longer, if only to deliver more when it come to some of its more ambitious elements, Trek to Yomi is an amazing action game that makes terrific use of its cinematic presentation, using Kurosawa vibes to impact both the gameplay and visuals in clever ways.

Trek to Yomi is presented like a very different type of video game experience and that's largely attributed to its presentation. Flying Wild Hog went into this project with the goal of making a playable samurai film and they've capably accomplished that objective.

In the end, while Trek to Yomi is a small and deliberately limited affair, its taut structure and evocative visuals carry it well through its short lifespan.

For a small independent game without much pretension, Trek to Yomi does it with all the honors. The fights are maybe a bit basic and the journey is a bit short, but the replayability it offers allows to extend the experience, and its aesthetics is just great. If you like Kurosawa's cinema, the Edo period and the bushido code, it should definitely delight you.

Trek to Yomi is a good game. He wisely mixes action combat and exploration. Too bad for some ingenuity that often makes it not very user friendly and which all seem to derive more from inexperience than from lack of time. If you are a lover of Japanese folklore and culture you will still have something to eat.

Trek to Yomi raises the bar high for historical accuracy. It's clear how hard the developers worked to make this game feel like an act of love and admiration for the Edo period of Japan. However, the well-written story, great voice acting, and beautiful set pieces are held back by the combat.