Trek To Yomi
Ever wanted to be in a Kurosawa film? Look no further than Trek to Yomi, a 2D side scrolling action game from developer Flying Wild Hog. It’s black and white, Edo Japan-inspired aesthetics jump off the screen and bring players one step closer to fulfilling their samurai dreams. Beyond the look of that dream, though, is only a mostly responsive fighting system that doesn’t quite hold up on its highest difficulty setting. Along with a no-frills revenge tale that just manages to muster some excitement from its supernatural endgame.
After a slick opening cinematic, hinting at us ultimately overcoming some sort of great evil, Trek to Yomi begins in a dojo. Players take on the role of Hiroki, a young boy who wants to grow up and be a great samurai someday. As Hiroki, players take instruction from their sure-to-eventually-be-murdered master, Sanjuro. This tutorial level is quick and accessible, as there is only one attack button, one counter, one block, and three combos to practice. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the rest of this onset plays out as you would expect.
The village alarm sounds, sending master Sanjuro off to investigate and leaving Hiroki alone with his childhood love interest: Sanjuro’s daughter, Aiko. This is where Yomi chooses to open up exploration as Hiroki and Aiko saunter through their village-home, letting players get familiar with a multitude of fixed isometric camera angles. This cinematic motif is, by far, the game’s most successful venture. Every time you cross the edge of the screen a new scene springs to life, each one in a different frame and painting a fresh picture. The sensation of literally playing a movie really takes hold in these opening minutes. It’s an absolute thrill. It was enthralling getting to see all the villagers going about their daily routines, unaware of the impending danger, as cherry blossoms blew in the breeze. It all certainly helped forgive how easy it was to see what came next.
After meandering through the village, Hiroki and Aiko inevitably find out that their home is under attack. A nameless brigade of bandits has blown into town and are here to destroy all that they hold dear. Players will have to dive right into combat as young Hiroki must stand alone against the entire invading force. Easy work for a child, right? Yup, because the game taught you the basics and that’s all you’ll need to slash and slaughter your way to the group’s leader.
Parry an attack and counterattack, that’s Trek to Yomi in a nutshell. The gameplay loop begins in earnest during this invasion and it's hard to put down. Slicing through enemies is brutal; blood flies and opponents roar in guttural defeat. Since invaders can be killed with one slash, players will master the ebb and flow of Yomi’s combat in no time. The game, for the most part, telegraphs incoming moves using a glint of light, which flashes off enemy blades. As soon as their sword pulls back, you’ll see it. One click of a button and Hiroki will parry the strike, leaving adversaries open for a deadly counter, and another, and another.
Don’t get too cavalier, though. Trek to Yomi is quick to put players in their place. Death comes at you fast if you’re not paying attention. Thankfully, Flying Wild Hog doesn’t want to punish its players. Checkpoints are everywhere throughout the entirety of the game, helping to ensure players won’t lose their progress no matter how many times they decide to catch a sword using their face. Death feels fair in this game…most of the time.
Nearly all enemy attacks respond to the parry system, meaning that if you get hit, it’s usually your own fault. Unfortunately, as the game presses on and combat becomes more hectic, the parry system can often leave players wide open as some counters fail to respond to your button inputs. This is especially true on later sections of the game and on higher difficulty settings. I lost track of how many times I’d used the same timing, the same button inputs on the same enemy types, but got different results. Things get truly maddening on Yomi’s higher “Ronin” difficulty where enemies are twice as strong and death comes twice as fast. Sticking to the normal “Bushido” setting will save players a lot of frustration.
Trek to Yomi doesn’t grow much beyond this gameplay loop. Each chapter has three or four similar enemy types, all of which can be killed using early-game combos. The ability to “finish” an opponent is a nice touch, however. Stagger your target using the right attack combination and it will leave them open to a flashy one-button execution. Chests are pierced and heads are sent rolling in sweeps of gore, as enemy after enemy can be dispatched in quick succession. This is the peak of Yomi’s entertainment value, and the developer clearly wanted players to gravitate towards this style of play. Every finisher you accomplish heals you. It is, in fact, the only way to heal yourself without reaching a checkpoint or finding a secret health upgrade, making it the easiest way to guarantee survival.
The developer’s strategy backfires a bit towards the end game, though. The farther players progress, the harder it is to stay alive. Trek to Yomi may expand your arsenal, but the increased threat to your life makes it highly unlikely that you’ll utilize these other combat options as none of them can heal you. This was, again, especially true on a more challenging difficulty. Players will become heavily reliant on the same move sets. There is never much reason to stray beyond the necessary combinations used to stagger opponents, finish them, and heal. With this in mind, Yomi doesn’t overstay its welcome. Reaching the final boss only takes about four hours on basic difficulty. Even still, by the game’s end, I had grown weary of the monotonous patterns it took to get us there.
A few changes in scenery certainly help stave off boredom, however. Yomi dabbles in gothic horror, where undead charge with meat cleavers in hand. It also touches on ethereal strangeness, where there are suddenly sleeping dragons and floating palaces with shifting walls. Sadly, no matter where you are, you’ll still be cutting down baddies using many of the same combos you learned as young Hiroki. A half-hearted attempt at puzzles also shows up two thirds through the game, but their inane data-entry nature serves more as a hindrance than an additive to your adventure.
Trek to Yomi delights in its cinematic promise and delivers on danger and vengeance. Its mild grievances are worth working through, though the repetitive quality of its combat wears thin over time. But, that time is more jubilant than wasted. Its story feels like a rerun, but its spectacle is best seen in theaters. You’ll play this game to be a samurai, but you’ll likely leave your sword sheathed once your journey is complete.
VERDICT: Worth Playing Once
