TREK TO YOMI: Our review
Trek to Yomi is the new action game developed by Flying Wild Hog and Leonard Menchiari. A project that definitely winks at Akira Kurosawa‘s filmography.
An incredible cinematic adventure that transports players to a Japan oppressed by violent and bloody wars.
Our aim is to guide Hiroki: a young Samurai who has sworn to protect his people at all costs, entering a dark path between life and death.
Grow and fight like a Samurai
The narrative immediately puts us in the shoes of the young Hiroki, raised and trained by his sensei to become a valiant Samurai.
A sudden attack by the brigands surprises the population and the young warrior finds himself fighting against the ferocious assailants.
Despite the incredible skill and technique demonstrated on the battlefield, the attack of the brigands is successful and the sensei loses his life.
The sudden growth of Hiroki brings hope and desire for revenge: the Samurai plan a sudden attack, with the intent to avenge their people.
Just at that moment the leader of the brigands exploits Hiroki’s absence to devastate the village, carrying out a real massacre of innocents.
The protagonist will subsequently be killed, following the raging way of the Yomi: a dark path between life and death.
Attention to details
In Trek to Yomi it’s impossible not to notice the care that the developers have dedicated to every little detail.
The settings and the style recall the works of Akira Kurosawa, traditions that reemerge in this black and white video game with perfectly balanced shades.
The narrative is undoubtedly the backbone, surrounded by an incredible characterization of the characters.
I appreciated the choice of including deeply impacting choices and different endings, in order to induce the player to restart the adventure.
A special mention to the sound sector: I was literally kidnapped by every mood expressed by the various characters.
Honor and revenge
Trek to Yomi‘s gameplay is fun and highly addictive and stands out for two main phases: exploration and combat system.
The combat with the katana is varied and uses numerous techniques and styles that the player will have the opportunity to recover in the form of scrolls.
Among the ranged weapons it is important to use a bow and arquebus, useful for thinning out numerous groups of enemies and weakening armored warriors.
During the clashes the camera progresses to horizontal scrolling, while during the exploratory phases it tries to give more freedom to the player.
Exploration is also the key to obtaining the ampoules needed to improve Hiroki’s health and stamina.
The collectibles are varied and interesting, aimed at revealing the Japanese culture and myth thanks to accurate descriptions.
I consider revisable (perhaps with a future patch) the dodging and counterattack mechanics which, most of the time, do not respond correctly to commands.
The final verdict
Despite some shortcomings on some gameplay choices and on the narrative structure, Trek to Yomi is a fully enjoyable video game.
The strong inspiration from Japanese culture and mythology make it a strongly inspired and fascinating product with a solid, linear and profound narrative.
The gameplay is entertaining and is currently imperfect, but it managed to convince me both for its style and for the brutality of the clashes.
I reiterate the excellent work done on the sound sector, which makes the settings and atmospheres incredibly truthful and painful.
TREK TO YOMI
8/10
