Trek to Yomi is completely grayscale. Ominous music fills the mist-shrouded ornately designed village. The written option is accompanied by a Japanese translation.
The game starts in a dojo where you, a boy, are training with a master. This makes the tutorial structure fun. Still, you burst into action very quickly as your master is called in to deal with bandits and you rush after him.
Practice your newly learned skills by battling invading bandits. It’s clear here what sets Trek to Yomi apart from many other action games. Instead of scrolling through his set two-dimensional map, the scene shifts each time you reach a new stage. The camera angle changes to give you a complete view of every scene you enter. It’s like watching a movie.
The focus is not always on action. Instead, it fights around a broader scene that doesn’t pull any punches in its depiction of violence. Survivors cry beside their dead loved ones and the remains of burning homes. When fighting bandits, both your sword and theirs interact with the world around you, occasionally breaking pots, as well as knocking over fences and breaking planks from bridges.
It’s a brutal reminder of your role in the carnage. You are forced to face the enormous human cost of the game.There may be revenge and duty, but there is no pleasure in killing.
The thief informs you that your destiny lies with Yomi.
A confrontation with the bandit leader results in the loss of your master, but in the end the invaders leave – your sword leaves a terrible cut on his face. I pledge to protect
After that, the trek to Yomi will take you many years forward into your adulthood when your home is once again threatened. Move. Your journey isn’t over yet, even if you’ve faced bandits wounded in childhood. You continue your journey through a mysterious world haunted by the ghosts of those you killed or failed to protect. You are faced with the question of what is really important to you, whether it is revenge, love, or your duty.
The story is wonderfully told. The cutscenes are well designed and flow beautifully in and out of the gameplay. All dialogue is recorded in Japanese and subtitles enhance the atmosphere of the film.
The action has 3 difficulty levels. Definitely worth playing once with the simplest setting so you can focus on the story. The action is fairly straightforward swordplay, collecting various block and attack combos. It also features a fatigue state that exhausts you every time you block an attack. This adds an extra layer of strategy as you have to account for recovery time for each of your opponent’s moves.
Gain additional skills or stamina periodically. They usually occur after important battles, but are otherwise not tied to the development of any particular experience. Respawn when paused.
There are also puzzle elements, less frequently, but they divide the game so it’s not all hacking and slashing. Even the enemies you fight come in a variety of fighting styles, with a good balance between those who jump into battle and those who take a moment for deep dialogue.
Trek to Yomi combines a lot of fun gameplay with a truly amazing approach to design and a tragic haunting story. Combined, this makes for an addictive game that will stay with you long after you complete it.
