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In fact, the most interesting character of all - Aiko - is sidelined completely. The game raises questions about the culturally ingrained sense of honour of Japan, the idea of living up to lofty expectations, who one should look after in their life, and what motivations one should have for doing so, but they aren't really explored in a meaningful way.ĭon't get me wrong, I love minimalist storytelling and the wonderfully sparse stories from the samurai media to which the game pays homage - but Trek to Yomi's own narrative is, unfortunately, a bit shallow and Hiroki is a cardboard cut-out samurai figure. Likewise, Hiroki has to consult his inner moral compass during a trippy time in Yomi - a twisting nightmare world that reflects upon Hiroki's reality - but it doesn't find footing on an emotional ladder.
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You will see villages fall and feel very sorry for all the screaming peasants, but there isn't any personal investment there - you simply don't have time. It blunts the developer's ability to create a meaningful empathetic relationship between player and character. The truncated length is a major strength in gameplay (more on that later), but it instils some narrative weaknesses. Ultimately, Trek to Yomi never manages to exceed well-trodden narrative paths over the course of its five-hour story. This is a classic revenge tale that will take you through the literal hell of Shinto theology and back. As a boy, Hiroki watches his people suffer after an attack - one that costs the life of his mentor Sanjuro, but deepens Hiroki's relationship with Sanjuro's daughter and skilled strategist, Aiko. You take on the role of Hiroki, a young samurai-in-training whose village comes under attack by a warlord called Kagerou during the Edo Period of Japanese history. The premise of the narrative has been done before, but it executes its broad narrative strokes well. Trek to Yomi is a katana-sharp experience that impresses with its flashy skills This is a fantastic little game with an abundance of style and character, with solid gameplay hooks that are only slightly let down by a simple story and restrained combat. I will probably do a bit of that too over the course of this review, but it is a testament to Trek to Yomi's style, pace, and gameplay that it manages to overcome the gravity of these distracting comparisons and become a video game that is very much Trek to Yomi. A film buff will point out the 50s and 60s Kurosawa influences it lovingly wears on the sleeves of its haori an aesthetically-charmed hipster will laud the monochrome scratched film reel art style it plumps for also, you just know the PlayStation lot is going to make a nod to Ghost of Tsushima. I don't mean to be presumptuous, but people are going to be throwing every samurai-related thing they know at Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog's new side-scrolling adventure. Trek to Yomi is going to find it hard to avoid comparisons. Kes reviews Hiroki's attempts to repel invaders on a voyage through the gruesome reality of the Edo period and the trippy shadow world of Yomi. Devolver Digital Xbox Game Pass Review Game review Action-Adventure Kes Eylers-Stephenson Trek to Yomi is a side-scrolling samurai adventure that plays out in black and white and will launch onto Game Pass.