The artistry on display inTrek to Yomiis an impressive feat for developer Flying Wild Hog that doesn’t overstay its welcome across the short and simple experience. However, some issues do appear across the game’scollection of chaptersthat do hold it back.
Many of these issues come from limited puzzle and enemy designs, although the shorter length of the game keeps any ofTrek to Yomi’s problems from becoming glaring detractions. That being said, the combat still shines bright enough across an initial playthrough to keep players satisfied right up until the end of the game.
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To begin on the strongest positiveTrek to Yomihas going for it, the combat shines with a unique twist on both side-scrolling fighting and samurai dueling. The biggest gimmick of the combat comes from how the player faces enemies, requiring a specific button input to turn around to anyone approaching from behind. This adds a layer to combat thatbeginners need to master quicklyif they want to make it through each chapter and the boss fights that cap off each level.
The addition of combat skills that can expand the player’s toolkit with combos and ranged abilities continues to add depth to gameplay across an entire playthrough. Without traditional RPG-style levels, these skills, along with thehealth and stamina upgrades, go a long way to giveTrek to Yomia sense of progression. It makes for a compelling combat system that only continues to evolve from chapter to chapter as new enemies are thrown at the player in each level.
On the other end of combat, the enemy variety is surprisingly vast for such a short title. After the first two chapters, it can be easy to write off the combat as simply including a repetitive set of katana-wielding bandits, but the remaining experience takes a sharp turn along with the story. The introduction of blighted enemies and spirits in the mid-game pump some much-needed variety into the selection of combatants, with new variants appearing as mini-bosses before reappearing again and again.
While the actual selection of enemies is pleasantly varied, the dozens of combat encounters per chapter can quickly make even this expansive bestiary feel shallow. This is one of the fewproblemsTrek to Yomistruggles withas the player is tasked with dispatching a lot of enemies across a single playthrough. The problem comes from the way that combat encounters start to feel monotonous by the end of each chapter.
One final part of combat that is open for criticism would beTrek to Yomi’s stuns and finishers. These can be the key to easily dispatching some of the more difficult enemies, with mastery of this mechanic helping players speed through many encounters. The critique here is that one combo found early in the game can quickly stun and is easily exploitable to instantly kill tougher enemies and breeze past combat. It’s an otherwise fantastic addition to the depth of combat that can unfortunately turn into the only tool that players need to get through the entire game.
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To continue with the parts ofTrek to Yomithat are lacking, many of the puzzles are simple enough to feel unnecessary. A few amount to as little as pushing a cart out of the way and then quickly moving on to the next screen. Other puzzles involve finding glyphs and lining them up on a grid, but even these are unimpressive and easily completed. These specific puzzles can also be brute-forced with little effort, although that is definitely a question of player choice.
Outside the moment-to-moment gameplay,Trek to Yomi’s stylized atmospherestands out as another one of its stronger aspects. The inspiration of classic samurai films, such as the works of Akira Kurosawa, is expressed from the surface level and all the way down into the deeper aspects of the presentation. This is expressed not only from the black and white visuals, but also through the flavor added to this depiction of Yomi and the artifacts that can be collected throughout.
In addition to the blending of the supernatural and classical styling of Japanese film history, the atmosphere is strengthened by the impressive cinematography. It’s an aspect that isn’t often explored in games outside of cutscenes, but the way thatTrek to Yomileans into its genreturns individual screens into sprawling shots. The effect lets some screens act as part explorable world and part establishing shot for the impressively built locations leading up to Yomi.
These visuals themselves are unfortunately in service of a lackluster story, with a few choices here and there to allow the player to shape their ending the way they would like. However, the simple tale of revenge is told in a straightforward way with a few twists that are somewhat predictable. Beyond some changes to the final scenes, the endings don’t really change much about the overall experience. That being said, the story isn’t exactly the leading draw forTrek to Yomi’s inspired world design. So, lacking a powerful story doesn’t mark too strongly against the rest of the game.
The major aspects ofTrek to Yomithat 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.
Trek to Yomiis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review.
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As a vow to his dying Master, the young swordsman Hiroki is sworn to protect his town and the people he loves against all threats. Faced with tragedy and bound to duty, the lone samurai must voyage beyond life and death to confront himself and decide his path forward.Cinematic PresentationBreathtaking camera angles and striking visuals in the spirit of classic samurai film create a true cinematic experience in Trek to Yomi.Stylish CombatEngage vicious swordsmen and supernatural beings with a streamlined combat system based around the traditional weapons of the samurai.Mythic StorytellingExperience an enthralling story of Hiroki during his fall against the forces of evil and heroic return to make good on his failed promise to save the people he swore to protect.Thrilling SoundtrackThe thrilling action and somber moments are set against a memorable score designed to feel authentic to the time and place of feudal Japan.
