Watching Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films is synonymous with enjoying John Wayne’s westerns, Jean-Luc Godard’s French films, and Alfred Hitchcock’s horror. While rigorously looking for something similar to satisfy one’s thirst for these classics, it’s always a pleasant surprise to find someone who gets it, especially when given in another medium. Tu Yomi is an example of this, with a love-filled art style and aesthetic that splashes everything Kurosawa has imagined across the screen, but this time allowing players to experience the story first hand. The developers have crafted the same vibe as the source material, but the gameplay could leave a lot to be desired, and the Nintendo Switch hardware is struggling to keep up with the beautiful visuals.
As a boy, Hiroki is still learning under his master at the dojo. Hiroki grows up with his master’s daughter, continues his training, and becomes a lone samurai against those who oppose this comfortable village. Hiroki must save the town, protect the girl, and seek revenge on the bandits who mercilessly killed so many. Trek and Yomi doesn’t try to break the mold with unconventional storytelling, but it succeeds in everything it tries to do.
Trek and Yomi’s cinematic nature is further complicated by its storytelling, but it’s the visuals that really make it worth watching. Utilizing a style reminiscent of the original Resident Evil game, with the camera sometimes set at odd angles to really capture the quality of the film, Trek to Yomi encourages players to see themselves in the film. Do everything you can to convince them that they are. From a horizontal scrolling perspective. This can lead to some instability in the controls, and the set distance can have a negative impact on the execution of gameplay features, but the game sacrifices those areas to keep the player as intended. Completely immerse yourself in the visual style.
What’s more, the black-and-white tones and cutscenes take things a step further, making every moment feel continuous from start to finish, as if the player is immersed in Hiroki’s place. and need a perfect Japanese voice actor.
This is where things change a bit, though, and Trek to Yomi’s Nintendo Switch port leaves a lot to be desired.Framerate and performance keep up with the combo-filled gameplay, but the visuals themselves are very Detailed environments fall short. Lighting changes from very bright to very dark are noticeably harder to play with on the Switch, while plants and objects have rough edges not found on other hardware. will be
The visuals hit the Nintendo Switch, but specifically, the gameplay is monotonous, regardless of which system you play. There is a combat system where parries and blocks are the protagonists. Through these, combos can be learned and used to make each encounter easier, but in the end, just hacking and slashing basic enemies is usually enough to get the job done. You can. This becomes even more apparent when you fold range-based weapons, with shurikens and bows at your disposal. Boss fights are far more interesting in terms of the fights themselves and the story behind them, but overall Trek to Yomi does what it takes to make it playable in a samurai movie. It’s not about being surprised by the system.
Following that line of thinking, the world itself is filled with story points to discover, but otherwise it’s mostly a simple, linear journey from point A to point B. Collectibles learn new combos or find some items. Traps can be found to facilitate upcoming battles, such as hanging logs that can be dropped on unsuspecting enemies. As such, it’s about finding the next shrine that acts as a save spot.
Trek to Yomi is a love letter to classic Japanese cinema. Fans of the genre will be totally immersed and giddy at being able to experience something like this. Even those with no prior knowledge can see it visually. Unfortunately, these visuals are best experienced on non-Nintendo Switch systems that only make the repetitive gameplay more apparent. ‘s storytelling, albeit clichéd, pushes Trek to Yomi into something worth experiencing, especially when the game can be beaten in the afternoon.
