Interested in the endless cycle of life and death? Want to learn more about Japanese gods (kami)? Ever felt like embodying the spirit of a lonesome samurai? Great! You will fit right in when I gush about today’s awesome video game topic, Trek to Yomi! Choose the path of love, honor, or revenge in this black-and-white trek to the Japanese underworld. Find out more below in my Trek to Yomi Game Review, specifically on my Xbox Series X!
What is Trek to Yomi?
Trek to Yomi is about the journey of samurai warrior, Hiroki. Hiroki will evolve, from slaying men in the land of the living, to dissipating lost souls in the illusionary depths of the underworld. As Hiroki travels into the underworld, he is soon confronted with three separate paths. Which path does Hiroki choose? The sworn oath of love, the titular honor of the samurai, or the revenge of a passionate heart? Well, my friends and gamers, that’s all up to you!
Flying Wild Hog Gaming Studio
Trek of Yomi was developed by Polish gaming studio, Flying Wild Hog, and released May 5, 2022. Since Ghost of Tsushima was one of the greatest samurai games to hit the market back in 2020, it’s a little surprising that Trek of Yomi has been overshadowed this year. But this game is great! Flying Wild Hog were inspired by samurai movies during the 1940s. They wanted to incorporate the same atmosphere of past films into the story of Trek to Yomi. To do so, Flying Wild Hog fully immersed their game with only black-and-white visuals. I can’t put my finger on why, but I really love the removal of color. It’s similar to how Gorr was complimented so much by the Shadow Realm in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Trek to Yomi: COMBAT & FINISHERS
Samurai use both hands to wield a heavy weapon called a katana. This variation of a long sword has a slightly curved blade and is known as one of the sharpest blades in history. The katana is the main weapon Hiroki uses to slay men and demons. Players start Trek to Yomi with a basic combo, a downward strike combo, an upward strike combo, and a heavy attack. Rescuing villagers or defeating certain enemies will award Hiroki with more combo skills, like armor piercing damage and stun effects.
In addition to combos, Trek to Yomi provides Hiroki with a dodge roll and a block. Parrying an enemy attack will leave them open for a counterstrike. Hiroki unlocks finisher moves a little farther into the game. These are Trek to Yomi’s version of saying “Finish him!” Finishers are brutal and extremely satisfying to watch! Mastering combos that STUN enemies is the best tip I can provide if you are interested in playing the game yourself. This is because enemies who are stunned are left wide open for finishers.
Trek to Yomi: How Long to Beat & Replayability
Trek to Yomi is a short but sweet video game lasting up to 6 hours when played at an average pace. Although 6 hours is a short span for experienced players, Trek to Yomi encourages replayability as it has 3 different endings along with 2 secret endings to discover. An additional difficulty mode unlocks once beating Trek to Yomi’s story for the first time. Devil May Cry fans will know this mode all too well. Flying Wild Hog call this mode Kensei. Kensei cuts out the health bar for both the player and the enemy. Only one hit will result in death for all enemies and the player, so it’s honestly pretty fun!
Although Trek to Yomi is a fun experience by itself, gamers do have the benefit of these other awesome samurai games: Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, Ghost of Tsushima, and (technically) Metal Gear Revengeance. A new announcement trailer dropped a few days ago for [Yakuza] Like a Dragon: Ishin too!! I’m super excited for the future of samurai games, and I had more than my fair share of fun playing through Trek to Yomi. 200 oatmeal cookies awarded! Now let’s get back out there and game on!