Trek to Yomi is the highly anticipated side-scrolling samurai adventure from Flying Wild Hog. I won’t give much away in terms of story because you’ll want to go into this game knowing as little as possible. That said, Trek to Yomi is set during the ancient Edo period of Japan. You play as Hiroki and when tragedy strikes your village, you embark on a quest for justice. However, can Hiroki tell the difference between justice and revenge?

After watching all the pre-release trailers, it may feel like a lazy comparison, but Trek to Yomi gave me Ghost of Tsushima vibes initially. To be fair, other than being a samurai, that’s pretty much where the comparisons end. This is a samurai game and if anything, Trek to Yomi is inspired by the Samurai Cinema aka “Chanbara” of yesteryear.

trek to yomi review

Credit: Flying Wild Hog/Devolver Digital

Visually, Trek to Yomi is stunning. It’s presented in a vintage black and white, almost noir. The screen pops and crackles like an old cinema movie. Trek to Yomi, at least visually, is not like any game that I’ve played. If I was going to draw some comparisons, it would be between Limbo and Little Nightmares. The perspective may be 2.5D, but if you’re eagle-eyed, there’s a lot going on in the foreground and background of Trek to Yomi. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a hint to what may lie ahead.

Trek to Yomi is a side-scrolling action game. At quick glance, it might be easy to call it a hack and slash. However, if you go into this game hacking and slashing away, then you will die in no time. Trek to Yomi is all about the perfect block, dodge, and attack. Timing is an absolute key and various enemies will bring their own challenges, so you will have to adjust accordingly.

The gameplay is changeling, but in a quite fulfilling way, especially when you learn an enemy’s rhythm. Gameplay can also be quite challenging, not quite to the level of FromSoftware, but your patience will be tested on more than one occasion.

trek to yomi review

Credit: Flying Wild Hog/Devolver Digital

As you progress in the game you will find upgrades to your health and stamina. You can die very easily in this game, so a lot of the game is about learning when to attack. Having an increased health bar will also help, as will the stamina. Akin to FromSoftware titles, as you run and block, your stamina will deplete.

If it depletes entirely during a battle, you will leave yourself exposed and you will likely die. By defeating enemies, some will also provide you Kunai’s, bow & arrows and more. Exploring can also lead to some environmental opportunities to take out multiple enemies. So, it’s not just secrets and upgrades that will reward you for your exploration.

The audio in Trek to Yomi is simply sublime. The language is in native Japanese, which all adds to its atmosphere and vibe. So, with that in mind, you will need to get used to reading subtitles. However, the voice acting is that good, its form of storytelling more than pays off. Likewise, the environment sounds amazing. Hearing the wind blow through the trees, the subtle sound of a wind chime and the clash of the steel samurai sword. Trek to Yomi sounds all that more amazing when wearing a headset.

In conclusion, Trek to Yomi isn’t without its flaws. It might be fair to say that going by how wonderful this game looked in the pre-release trailers, my expectations may have been a little high. That being said, Trek to Yomi is an absolute blast that provides plenty of memorable moments throughout its 4-5 hours main story. Trek to Yomi may be as frustrating as it is rewarding, but it will still be the best £16/$20 you’ll spend this year.