Trek to Yomi Reviews
Flying Wild Hog's latest action game is a visual stunner, but the combat is repetitive.
Trek to Yomi's excellent visual quality and sound production are enough for you to recall classic black-and-white film. But maybe they put too much effort into the visual side. Gameplay itself feels so plain and simple. The fast-paced combats are interesting in itself but barely changes. And the collectables are not attractive enough.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Trek to Yomi, however, is one game very well captured by its trailers. They ask the prospective player, “Do you want to journey through a beautifully realized action-game homage to the chambara samurai films of the 1950s and 60s?” And if your answer to that question after viewing one of the many trailers out now is “Yes” …well, there you go.
Even with criticisms regarding combat, Trek to Yomi is far from a bad place. It’s apparent that Flying Wild Hog took this game as a labor of love, putting so much heart and character into it. Anyone that enjoys the samurai film genre, Japanese history, or less traditional games, in general, would be wise to give this a shot. I played this game on Xbox Series S via Game Pass, though it is available on other platforms. It can also be completed in anywhere from 5 to 6 hours, meaning that it won’t overstay its welcome. If you have an afternoon to spare, after reading our Trek to Yomi review, steel yourself and set forth on a journey you may never forget.
Trek to Yomi is a 2.5D hack 'n' slash that will take us to feudal Japan in a story of samurais, love, revenge and duty. All this with a cinematographic treatment of the filmmaker Akira Kurosawa that is reflected in the game with an impressive audiovisual section. The gameplay, however, does not reach the same levels of quality, and it is possible that we will notice some repetition at times, although the game is still remarkable.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Trek to Yomi is an incredibly beautiful tribute to old school Samurai movies, with some gorgeous cinematography, but unfortunately held back by an uneven and sometimes wonky combat system.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Trek to Yomi is a beautiful game that gives you a truly cinematic experience. While short-lived, it is worth playing through the game to gain the experience of being a Samurai back during an era where they were prominent.
As cliche and tropey as these types of revengeful samurai stories are and it is quite that in the beginning, once you peel the initial layer off it is actually quite a different story. In saying that, don’t we just love a traditional samurai story, especially with a mythological twist when presented in a classic Japanese arthouse style? You can’t help but eat it up over and over again as you bathe in these Japanese cultural elements all married together.
"Trek to Yomis’ love for the genre and cinematic ambition is its best feature and shines a light on its flaws. This is a tale of honor and blood that is worth experiencing."
Trek to Yomi is a reverent homage to Kurosawa and samurai cinema that, while effortlessly stylish, only attempts to get weird with it on a superficial level.
Having previously gobbled up the great Ghost of Tsushima, I was eager to find another love letter to Kurosawa in Trek to Yomi. On an aesthetic level, my expectations were completely blown out of the water — the famed filmmaker has been honored like never before. When it comes to gameplay, I’m completely satisfied, my desire for another Way of the Samurai fulfilled, but I can see someone who skipped this era of gaming less enthused. If samurai games of yesteryear were your thing, Trek to Yomi is absolutely worth side-scroll slicing your way through the belly of the underworld for.
This isn’t Ghost of Tsushima but it isn’t supposed to be – it’s a different, but enjoyable experience and one well worth experiencing if you’re a Samurai Cinema fan or looking for a new Samurai-themed sword-wielding adventure.
Trek to Yomi is arguably one of the most beautifully staged games this year. While the fighting is simple and repetitive, it’s very difficult to master some of the harder difficulties. Like the main character, the player will need to find their balance as they venture forward, encountering all the demons and monsters that this game has to offer.
If you love the history of the Samurai or enjoy the black and white films of the 1950s. Then Trek To Yomi is an absolute must-play. With the cinematic delivery of its narrative, in a short and concise amount of time. Combined with challenging and rewarding combat, Flying Wild Hog has delivered on potentially one of the best indie titles of 2022.
A cinematic experience that is spectacular visually, Trek to Yomi falters when it comes to keeping a straight story, with the combat being both a friend and foe.
Visually, Trek To Yomi is a cinematic samurai action game like nothing else, while playing it is one of the blandest action games of the year.
Trek to Yomi is a fitting tribute to a cinematic genre in video game form. Movie fans will be happy to see beautiful photography and stunning scenery. Action game fans, on the other hand, have solid gameplay at their disposal, despite minor flaws in the mechanics, with a fair degree of challenge and a seductive replay factor.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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 setpieces are held back by the combat. For a substantial part of the game, swordfights feel stale. Especially with little use for combos which are given a big emphasis via unlocks. If the combat was given the attention that every other facet of this game got, Trek to Yomi would have been a big contender for my Game of the Year.
It’s a fascinating game that has a little more of a brain compared to its peers, but it is admittedly missing a wow factor or compelling hook to really drive the experience home
Trek to Yomi’s gameplay woes — as well as the stunning lack of a chapter select feature — drag the experience down and mean that its swordplay is not nearly as sharp as its presentation.