Inspired by the iconic films of Akira Kurosawa,
independent developer Leonard Menchiari set out to make a samurai game
that emulates the look and feel of classic cinema,
teaming up with Devolver Digital and the team at Flying Wild Hog to make it happen.
The result of this collaboration is Trek to Yomi,
a smaller, somber tale about duty and vengeance.
The trek begins in the past,
with young Hiroki receiving sword training from his master, Sanjuro.
The lesson is soon interrupted when word spreads that his village is under a full-scale attack.
Rushing to protect his loved ones,
Hiroki encounters the bandit leader, but not before tragedy strikes.
Years later, he vows to seek revenge and protect the villagers from future incursions.
The story is competently told, but doesn’t dive deep enough into Hiroki’s emotions
past basic concepts of loyalty and revenge.
Optional collectibles provide additional backstory, but
extra layers to his struggle
would have enhanced the journey past the simple premise.
Trek to Yomi’s combat is simple with an emphasis on lethality.
A few hits with the katana will eliminate most foes,
while armored enemies can take a little extra punishment.
Likewise, it’s essential to avoid taking damage yourself as you can only sustain a few hits.
You can roll to bypass ranged attacks
or parry as a risky, but effective way to create an opening.
Each action reduces stamina,
so if you’re not careful, you can overextend yourself and become a sitting duck for enemy blows.
In addition to sword strikes, a few ranged weapons can be used
to take out pesky foes.
Bo-shuriken can be quickly thrown to interrupt encroaching enemies
while a bow and arrow can pick them off from greater distances.
There’s also a gun that fires devastating blasts,
but it takes a considerable amount of time to reload and ammo is somewhat rare,
encouraging careful management and exploration.
Despite these extra tools and systems aiming for a more methodical approach,
the best way to deal with basically every enemy is to stagger them with a three-hit combo
and follow up with an execution.
This combo is incredibly efficient and powerful, diminishing the need for other techniques.
There is a hard difficulty,
as well as a one-hit kill difficulty that unlocks after completing the game,
which makes parrying and blocking more essential.
However, a few extra enemy types to mix up combat strategies
would help stave off the familiar routine.
There are a handful of bosses sprinkled in through the course of the five to seven hour quest,
although the same tactics usually apply to taking them down.
At least the spectacle of these fights is a nice reward for carving your way through each stage.
Levels are multi-layered during exploration, with opportunities to explore when out of combat.
Homes and side paths yield collectibles that provide context for the story
as well as health and stamina upgrades, extra ammo,
and unlockable techniques.
Characters sometimes offer snippets of dialogue to bring each zone to life
while some light puzzle solving further helps break up the pace.
The environments lose their charm the further you progress, however,
as the bustling, lived-in stages you encounter early on eventually give way to caves and rocks.
The developers have clearly noted their inspiration from Akira Kurosawa
and have leaned into the historical aesthetic.
Exploring environments from fixed camera angles offers shifting perspectives,
wide, sweeping views, and shots framed in ways that leave a cinematic impact.
The black and white visuals help convey a feeling of isolation and loneliness
while making it feel like you’re staring into the past.
Trek to Yomi doesn’t offer anything essential,
but it scratches a very specific itch.
Edo Era Japan is an entertaining setting,
and the lethal sword duels are engaging albeit basic.
A few extra enemy types
and further insight into Hiroki’s struggle could have elevated Trek to Yomi to greater heights,
but it’s still a fun diversion for those looking to clash swords.
Final score: 7 out of 10.
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