Trek to Yomi Reviews
Trek to Yomi absolutely nails the samurai aesthetic in a satisfying but modest adventure.
A gorgeous game with frustrating combat and glitchy exploration, Trek to Yomi is the definition of style over substance.
In its visuals and audio, Trek to Yomi nails its brief to create an Akira Kurosawa-inspired samurai adventure. Its interactive elements, however, along with its story, are all too ordinary and rarely combine to heighten the atmosphere or create suspense. Worth a try for the sightseeing perhaps, but don't expect it to cut deep.
The attempts to mirror the cinema of Akira Kurosawa work on a visual level but the story and gameplay are so empty and repetitive this barely works as a homage, let alone an engaging game in its own right.
Trek to Yomi looks and feels noticeably outdated for such an aesthetically pleasing game. And its archaic gameplay can’t be completely covered up by its artistic black-and-white filter. Trek to Yomi tried to reach the heights of lauded Japanese filmmaking, but unfortunately, it falls almost as flat as its 2D combat plane.
Trek to Yomi oozes style by evoking the legendary samurai flicks of Akira Kurosawa, but its stilted combat lacks the substance to make this a classic in itself.
Trek to Yomi is a fun enough five hours for the money. I wasn’t expecting Ghost of Tsushima for $19.99, so I wasn’t disappointed with what I got. However, I’m a big weeb, love Kurosawa, and think katanas are cool. I’m not sure if those unfamiliar with the design principle behind the game will understand where it’s coming from. It might serve as a gateway drug to Japanese cinema for some, but I think many people will just be wondering why it’s in black and white instead of color. Overall, it’s like a samurai with a dull sword: flashy, but lacking the razor edge needed to cut its way through the shadow of its contemporaries.
Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
The rigorous black and white style, and the combat system based on "parries" and counterattacks make Trek To Yomi the closest experience to "playing" a samurai movie. It's short, but replayable.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Trek to Yomi is a game that really does evoke the style of Kurosawa films, with a good story and good characters. However, it is let down by a combat system that can feel clunky and unresponsive against enemies that are a little too straightforward to defeat. If you enjoy sidescrollers and samurai then it may be worth spending the few hours it takes to play through it.
Fans of Kurosawa films or of Japanese samurai movies in general will dig Trek to Yomi. Anyone with even a passing curiosity for this genre should absolutely check this out. Trek to Yomi aims high and proves to be as sharp as Hiroki's blade.
Aesthetically well-finished but not always effective in its gameplay, Trek to Yomi is an adventure on the whole interesting and worth playing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Menchiari and the Polish division of Flying Wild Hog manage to offer a very personal experience, a tribute to the samurai cinema of the last century that will delight all those who enjoyed films like Yojimbo at the time and that could well work as a sequel to Rashômon.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Trek to Yomi has given us a good samurai experience, both in terms of elaborate style of play and even the artistic orientation provided by the game and the reliance on black and white to highlight how harsh the Samurai era is in Japan.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Trek to Yomi is a likeable game that doesn't outstay its welcome. If the visuals on Switch were better, it would be an easy one to recommend.
Not that this is something that has to be endured. The underworld may be outglowed by the freaky fogs above, but so what?
A samurai side-scroller with striking visuals and a compelling story of revenge, let down a little by enemies that get very samey, very quickly.
Trek to Yomi is a beautifully crafted experience. From your first steps into the game's world to your last players will be constantly enthralled by the tense combat, tightly written story, and exquisite art direction. It is rare that a game is released that thoroughly wows you with its graphics, atmosphere, and creativity and Trek to Yomi succeeds in all three departments. It is an experience that I highly recommend to all players.
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.