A fair number of games provide the virtual experience of being a samurai. The popularity of this genre, of course, owes a lot to media centred on Japan’s equivalent to European knights. Manga, anime, their Western cousins and, of course, movies (especially those of iconic filmmaker Akira Kurosawa) have all stoked fascination in this principle-driven, and highly skilled, warrior class, which maintained order in pre-Modern Japan.

It’s just that, apart for moments of obvious tribute, no game has taken the next step in samurai-focused wish fulfilment: letting players feel like they are actually in a classic samurai movie. Finally realising that dream is new PC and console game Trek to Yomi.

Published by Devolver Digital, and stemming from a collaboration between game/creative director Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog (the Polish studio behind the rebooted Shadow Warrior series), Trek to Yomi is all-in in terms of delivering a Kurosawa-style samurai game, with a dollop of the supernatural for extra flavour.

Key to establishing this impression is the game’s striking visual style. Trek to Yomi is entirely in grainy black and white, and frequently simulates film reel imperfections like scratches, specks and burns. Even the title screen resembles Japanese movie credits from the 1950s and 60s. Further enhancing the big screen feel is the game’s artistic framing of every scene. A fixed camera approach – which never once impedes gameplay, and really needs commending for that – ensures that every stage delivers maximum visual impact. While Trek to Yomi is best described as a side scroller, it rarely feels that structurally rigid thanks to the frequently changing camera angles, and dazzling wide shot settings.

In fact, if you can say that Trek to Yomi excels at anything, it’s that the game manages to feel cinematic without leaning heavily on motion capture and cut scenes. Assassin’s Creed, and dozens of other movie-style adventures, please take note.

A key component of any cinematic experience is story, but in the case of Trek to Yomi, narrative isn’t one of its strengths. The plot serves more as a foundation on which to mix up the game locations, and flex its aesthetic muscle.

For the record, Trek to Yomi (which is entirely in subtitled Japanese, with an optional English dub) centres on young swordsman Hiroki, who is sworn to protect his town and loved ones. When he sets out to help a neighbouring village against bandit attack, tragedy strikes, and Hiroki must venture though the Shinto underworld of Yomi – a dark and torment-filled realm – to redeem himself, and keep his vow.

This same relentlessly dour and nightmarish journey forces Hiroki to assess his driving principles. This actually leads to three different endings – plus one secret early conclusion. The former are based on player decisions at key points in the game, while the latter stems from combat prowess.

On that note, combat is unquestionably the biggest part of Trek to Yomi. After all, what would a samurai game be without high-stakes, savage swordplay? And Trek to Yomi is here to tick off multiple fan wants. That said, the game does feature some feather-light puzzle solving, and encourages players to veer off the main path to look for stamina and health upgrades, ranged weapon ammo, and collectibles. With a thinly sketched story and characters, the collectibles are a welcome inclusion, as they deepen understanding of life in the Edo period, unpack the Shinto faith and local folklore, and explain more of Hiroki’s murky backstory.

It’s a pity that these gameplay components – particularly the puzzle aspect – are so superficially included, because the dominant combat aspect is not particularly complex, and only intermittently gratifying.

There have clearly been attempts to make combat deeper, it must be noted. Progress through the game unlocks ranged attack options like shurikens and bow-and-arrow to mix up your battle options. At the same time, you gain new katana combos that help you overcome tougher enemies. Until the fifth chapter, however, you can mostly button mash and block your way through every fight, even on Normal difficulty.

It’s at this point that the challenge scales up substantially, and you may find yourself adjusting game difficulty at will to get through the tougher stretches between shrine checkpoints. Some of these sections are punishing, but they also deliver a strong sense of accomplishment if you’re able to beat them, and the blade-wielding mobs that often surround you.

As a sidenote, Trek to Yomi’s Easy setting is very easy, to the point that ranged weaponry isn’t even needed. However, this mode does give more breathing room to pull off the most satisfying moves with fluidity and flair. These same commands tend to feel clunky and obstructed at higher levels.

Everything said, Trek to Yomi knows not to overstay its welcome. Depending on your difficulty level and skill with a blade, the game offers a 4- to 7-hour experience. While its gameplay and story tend to lean to the shallow and repetitive, Trek to Yomi’s greatest pleasures lie elsewhere – and they’re significant enough to help you overlook its flaws. In addition to its cinematic visual stylings, there’s the faithfulness to the historical setting, plus excellent sound design and a moody score featuring traditional instruments such as the shamisen and taiko drums. Like Hiroki, you’re driven to keep pushing through this stunning world, obstacles be damned.

Trek to Yomi is one of those rare cases where a game isn’t too badly hurt by being more style over substance. It’s just that if it had managed to find that balance between its various disparate elements – the same struggle faced by its protagonist – it would have been a masterpiece. As it stands, it’s a treat for the eyes and ears, but falls short in other areas.

Released 2 May, Trek to Yomi is out now for PS4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, as well as PC. You can also play it with subscription service Xbox Game Pass.


Trek to Yomi review

Trek to Yomi is very much a case of style over substance, but strangely that doesn’t hurt the game too much. It stands out as one of the most visually striking games of 2022 to date, with its stunning aesthetic and world creation engaging players, and compensating for shallowness in gameplay and story. Bonus points for smartly not overstaying its welcome, keeping its sombre adventure compact and digestible.

 7.5
Trek to Yomi was reviewed on Xbox Series X