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“Trek to Yomi is unlike anything I have ever played, utterly gorgeous throughout, with a gripping story of revenge, loss, and honor all inspired by Japanese cinema, silent movies, and theatre.” 95/100 – Gaming Trend “it’s easily one of the best PC games of the year and deserving of our Editors' Choice award.” 4/5 – PC Magazine “a stylish, spiritual slice of samurai action” 4/5 – NME

About This Game

Mature content description.

The developers describe the content like this:

Trek to Yomi contains violent combat with blood and beheading.

System Requirements

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS *: Windows 7
• Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U / AMD Phenom II X4 965
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: GeForce MX150 (2048 VRAM) / Radeon R7 260X (2048 VRAM)
• Storage: 11 GB available space
• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Intel Core i7-4770S / AMD FX-9590
• Graphics: GeForce GTX 970 (4096 VRAM) / Radeon R9 390X (8192 VRAM)

Copyright 2022 Leonard Menchiari. All Rights Reserved.

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Trek to Yomi’s Incredible Presentation Out-Kurosawas Ghost of Tsushima

There’s a moment about 30 minutes into Trek to Yomi where I knew that the game preview had its hooks in me. After tragedy besets his village, our young swordsman Hiroki makes a vow to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It’s at this moment that the title card slams onto the screen, and we suddenly jump-cut forward years into the future to a time when Hiroki has grown into the kind of warrior who can make good on those promises. It’s a moment that caps off a really effective opening chapter and highlights the absolutely stellar presentation that’ll impress any fan of classic samurai films.

Published by Devolver Digital, Trek to Yomi grabbed me in its trailers with its black-and-white visuals, but I was even more impressed after playing through the opening few hours. The grainy filter, well-placed camera angles, great use of depth of field, smart cutaways, evocative music and sound design, and even the cadence with which the voice actors deliver their lines in Japanese lend a truly impressive filmic quality to the whole thing. The opening chapters do a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of legendary director Akira Kurosawa ’s works like Seven Samurai , Throne of Blood , Yojimbo , Hidden Fortress , and Rashomon .

While I loved my time with 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima , its much-touted Kurosawa Mode felt very much at odds with the core gameplay that Sucker Punch had created. While the black-and-white filter and modified sound effects left a neat first impression, it ultimately made combat difficult to read and stripped away some of the impressive color theory of the game’s open world. Given that Trek to Yomi was built with this presentation in mind from the ground up, it avoids a lot of those pitfalls. The presentation and gameplay were designed in tandem, leading to a much more fluid and natural experience.

That said, even Yomi ’s cinematic excellence comes with a few wrinkles, mainly from the legibility of certain interactable characters and items, as well as certain camera transitions that caused me to completely lose track of where my character was for a moment. This problem certainly isn’t unique to Trek to Yomi . In fact, I had oddly similar feelings recently while playing Horizon Forbidden West . Sony’s latest adventure is so good-looking and its world is so meticulously detailed that I often found it hard to decipher the environment and parce what was an item of interest I could collect, versus what was simply a part of the natural flora. I know that sounds like a pretty dumb problem to have, but we might be nearing a point where the extreme high fidelity of visuals could hinder a game’s readability.

That tangent aside, while the presentation of Trek to Yomi is reason enough to experience the game, its combat doesn’t quite reach the same heights, at least in its early hours for preview. The general flow of each area has you exploring by running left and right, though sometimes you can enter and exit the foreground and background. The opening stage is a village that you can run straight through, or you can take your time and explore off the main route to chat with NPCs and find areas tucked away with health, stamina, and weapon upgrades. I appreciate that I was rewarded for my curiosity and penchant for wandering off the beaten path.

Eventually combat kicks in, and that’s where Yomi stumbles a bit. Confrontations all occur on the x-axis, with a tap of the A button swapping which way your character is facing. You have the ability to block incoming attacks, parry with the right timing, and coordinate your own strikes as low, medium, and high, all while keeping your stamina meter in mind. However, given the 2D nature of the x-axis, even when I was confronted by a group of half a dozen bandits, they’d line up for the fight instead of simply surrounding me on all sides. While it certainly hearkened back to the classic movie trope, it didn’t really make for super thrilling encounters. That said, I’m happy that the game contains a multitude of difficulty options, meaning that players who are less versed or interested in combat can still tag along for the ride and experience the game’s wonderful sights and sounds.

I have to reiterate that these are my preview impressions of Trek to Yomi after the opening few hours, because a recent combat trailer showcased a wide array of ranged weapons, finishing moves, and bosses in the form of mythological creatures that feel like they would all add some much-appreciated depth to the action. I’m eager to see how the combat evolves throughout the game, given that I’m already completely sold on its excellent presentation. And the news that it’s coming to Game Pass this spring alongside its release on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC means that it joins the recently released Tunic as another gorgeous indie added to the stellar service.

What to Know Before Getting Started with Trek to Yomi

Trek to Yomi's seemingly simplistic nature belies its challenges, and players would do well to come prepared if they wish to follow the samurai code.

Recent years have seen a surge in AAA samurai and kung-fu-themed games. From Ghost of Tsushima to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Sifu , gamers fond of the Eastern culture and martial arts can engross themselves in unique settings that span several centuries. Among the newest entries tackling the moral code of traditional Asian warriors is Trek to Yomi , developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital . While its main allure lies in the unusual visuals, there are several bits of information players should keep in mind before getting started.

Trek to Yomi fully embraces the advantages of a modernized 2D perspective while dabbling in occasional 3D free-roam aspects. Due to a predominantly single-plane view and fixed camera angles, the game might appear overly simplistic and predictable every so often. However, its true nature lies hidden behind an eye-catching cinematic presentation void of color and rich in stunning vistas. As Trek to Yomi 's seamless blend of intertwining gameplay sequences takes advantage of its monochrome delivery to boost the difficulty, players would do well to pay close attention to their surroundings at all times.

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Combat Does Not Revolve Around Hacking & Slashing

Much like the combat system found in Elden Ring , Trek to Yomi adds stamina to the equation. Because sprinting, attacking, and blocking consumes breath, players should keep an eye out for the stamina bar when engaging enemies. Being prudent opting out of one too many consecutive attacks will ensure that Hiroki has enough breath to make the most of his skill set without entering the disadvantageous state of exhaustion.

By choosing to parry rather than block, not only will the stamina bar remain scarcely affected, but Hiroki will also regain some health. While it might take some time to master the art of counterattack and how to time the parries correctly, the game gives visual cues via a glint on the opponent's blade. Finishing moves work similarly on regular enemies, allowing the players to restore even more of the protagonist's vigor upon their delivery. By and large, this type of attack is plausible after the adversaries have been stunned.

Mastering skills as they become available and learning combos early on will help immensely further down the line. While some skills and combos will allow Hiroki to send multiple adversaries to the next realm using a simple parry, others will deliver a swift death and help him ignore the incoming attacks or cut through the armor. As the story progresses, modifying the existing combos by pressing up or down on the controller will alter their efficacy, which will prove particularly useful in instances where speed outweighs strength and vice versa.

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The Way of the Sword Is Not the Only Means Forward

While the katana is a samurai's best friend, there is no reason to go overboard with melee attacks, as they will put Hiroki in an unfavorable position if his stamina depletes. Progressing through the story will unlock different ranged weapons, each with varying levels of speed and strength. Fortunately, the game ensures that various checkpoints and branching paths include some ammunition.

Depending on the situation at hand, the protagonist will benefit from ranged weapons more than he would from a head-on approach. For instance, Bo-Shurikens can help Hiroki gain the upper hand in battle, as they will stun the opponents and provide an opening for a follow-up melee attack. On the other hand, Ozutsu and Bow will allow him to take on multiple enemies at a distance and clear the path forward without any direct engagement.

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Exploration Is the Mother of All Upgrades

Despite the game's apparent linear structure, players should take every opportunity to canvass their surroundings. While the story places emphasis on the speedy delivery of Hiroki's wishes, chapters can only be explored once during a single playthrough. Since there is always one true path to the goal and revisiting past areas is not an option, intuition and previous experience will come in handy alongside collectibles that are numbered in an orderly fashion.

Though some branch-offs will provide alternate means for approaching adversaries, most will lead to lore-related collectibles and upgrades. As there are no traditional markers or UI indicators to alert the players of a nearby treasure, looking for a flashing prompt on the screen when Hiroki finds himself in the vicinity of a mysterious item will help locate its exact whereabouts. Equipped with a sense of playful exploration and a yearning for the mastery of samurai skills, the protagonist will come across health and stamina upgrades, ammunition, and even new combos when he decides to stray off the beaten path.

Trek to Yomi Review

This 2d odyssey absolutely nails the samurai aesthetic in a satisfying but modest adventure..

If you’re a fan of classic samurai movies, there’s a lot to love about Trek to Yomi. It’s a katana-swiping side-scroller with a worthwhile story that does a magnificent job of distilling old school Japanese cinema into video game form. But while it never stopped blowing me away aesthetically, the things you’re actually doing in that beautiful world are less impressive, with overly simplistic combat and exploration that only begins to scratch its surface. Even so, Trek to Yomi’s stylish presentation makes up for many of its gameplay shortcomings, making this a memorable samurai tale I’m glad I played.

Trek to Yomi’s dedication to black and white samurai movies from the 20th century is apparent in literally every moment of it, from the look of its boot-up logos and main menu all the way to the closing credits. That includes everything from the artificial sparkle dotting the screen that makes it look like it’s playing from an old film reel, to the pacing and line delivery during cutscenes, to the references to historically accurate traditions and religious practices that play a central role in the story. It’s actually hard to overstate just how great it feels to move about in such a meticulously detailed adaptation of a film style I’ve always adored, and that movie magic is the best thing Trek to Yomi has to offer without a doubt.

Screens - Trek to Yomi

The story itself is your standard revenge quest featuring a stoic protagonist struggling to choose between his duty and his personal desires, complete with the good ol’ traumatic childhood massacre serving as its first chapter. It’s a cliche, to be sure, and if you’ve watched almost any vintage samurai movie then you’ll be able to see a lot of its events coming from a mile away. But with all the other ways Trek to Yomi pays homage to the classics that inspired it, an overly conventional story doesn’t end up being such a bad thing. Sometimes tropes become tropes for a good reason, and this familiar tale was like stepping into a warm bath filled with my favorite, samurai-scented candles. It isn’t entirely without its own twists and turns either, and on at least one occasion it did something I hadn’t anticipated – moments that went a long way toward redeeming the otherwise predictable plot.

You’ll spend most of this adventure ronin around and slicing your way through beautiful backdrops with a combat system that’s satisfying despite not having much to it. You’ve got light attacks, heavy attacks, a parry, and a few ranged weapons thrown in for good measure, but that’s about as deep as Trek to Yomi ever goes. Every now and again you’ll unlock a new attack combo or meet a new enemy type that requires you to mix up your strategy ever so slightly, but after less than an hour I had mastered most of the skills I needed to blow through armies of bandits and spectral samurai with unbridled ease. This was especially true once I unlocked the ability to easily stun enemies and finish them off with a bloody animation that also heals you, which you can use to bail yourself out of nearly every encounter the campaign throws at you.

It’s not that combat is ever bad, it’s just extremely simplistic and doesn’t evolve enough as you progress to keep things feeling fresh. It’s also very familiar to many other 2D action games, with no real hook or new idea to set itself apart from anything I haven’t already seen elsewhere. Most of the time, I found myself just enjoying the awesome sights and sounds while I barrelled through every enemy in my way (even on the hardest difficulty, mind you). It’s a good thing that the whole adventure only lasts six hours, because combat gets old in less than half that time, so at least it didn’t have much chance to overstay its welcome in a way that got frustrating.

Boss fights are an exception to the breezy combat though, as they usually introduce an enemy that can’t simply be decapitated in an instant. These spongey champions must be studied so you can devise a strategy for surviving their attacks and carefully counter them. Bosses accounted for the vast majority of my deaths throughout my playthroughs, since they’re one of the only parts that forced me to mix up my strategies. Even when I was getting slapped around helplessly, it was a blast figuring out how to best these dastardly warriors, but they’re so few and far between that they just made me wish more of the combat presented a similar challenge.

Trek to Yomi also dabbles in some light exploration and even a side quest or puzzle now and again, though it’s all extremely shallow stuff. Exploration usually amounts to a few samey optional rooms with a hidden collectible or an alternate path to get wherever you’re headed – sometimes you’ll even find a way to avoid a combat sequence altogether by triggering a neat environmental kill, such as dropping logs on some fools like a vengeful Ewok. It’s just too bad these ideas weren’t taken a little further as it’s currently all incredibly straightforward and opportunities for environmental kills almost never come up. Similarly, side quests usually amount to an optional area where you can slay a few extra baddies and grab some easy loot from a grateful survivor, while puzzles are little more than mind-numbingly easy chores like pushing an object or matching some symbols. As a result, these diversions all just feel like filler.

How do you feel about black and white games?

Trek to Yomi is a brief but captivating journey that’s like playing through a monochromatic Japanese movie, and that excellent presentation is enough to carry it even though it falls short in most other respects. Combat is one-note and easily mastered, and exploration and puzzles don’t have much to offer aside from a fleeting distraction. Thankfully, its relatively brief story was one that still drew me in enough to absolutely feel worth my time.

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Trek to Yomi review

In trek to yomi, the dog is more bark than bite., our verdict.

A gorgeous game with frustrating combat and glitchy exploration, Trek to Yomi is the definition of style over substance.

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Trek to Yomi copies the style of Akira Kurosawa's iconic black and white samurai films: rice fields blowing in the wind, villages burning, a great black swirling vortex in hell. Okay, so Trek to Yomi goes to some places Kurosawa's films didn't. But the path there is littered with glitches, and I only stuck it out through the finicky, floaty combat to see where my samurai's descent into madness would lead him.

What is it? A 2D side-scrolling game in which you assume the role of a vengeful samurai. Expect to pay: $19.99 Developer: Flying Wild Hog Publisher: Devolver Digital Reviewed on: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5600U CPU @ 2.60GHz, 2.59 GHz Multiplayer: No Link: Steam

After his town is ransacked by bandits, protagonist Hiroki must decide whether to remain bound to his duty, protect his loved ones, or seek revenge. It's classic samurai stuff, but the story is well-told, as Hiroki faces his personal demons (also, literal demons) and I got to make decisions that influenced exactly how this samurai tragedy would end. All of the Japanese voice actors give raw performances, and Hiroki's actor in particular manages to convey his downward spiral into anger and regret.

I like Trek to Yomi's supernatural elements, too. Hiroki straddles the line between life and death as he journeys through literal hell for the latter half of the game. It reminds me of the supernatural elements of Uncharted 1 and 2, monsters and ghostly apparitions catching me off guard in what I thought was a more grounded world. They add an intriguing mysticism without being overbearing.

Unfortunately combat is weightless and repetitive, and most of the trek in Trek to Yomi is spent swinging a sword. I spent most of the game repeating the same combos, occasionally parrying enemy attacks to create openings. I had a limited supply of long-range weapons like shurikens and arrows and picked up some new sword skills along the way, like a flurry of quick strikes and a piercing thrust through armored enemies. All of them ended up feeling irrelevant when the same parry and slash routines could kill essentially every normal enemy.

I was constantly frustrated by how hard it was to tell when I'd parried an attack. The visual feedback is scant, and the vocal cue is so clipped that I could never consistently capitalize on the opening I'd made. Combat feels sloppy elsewhere too: sometimes I could see my sword slashes clearly connect with an enemy and get no reaction. Are they hiding their hitboxes inside their bodies, somehow? (If so that's one samurai technique I never learned.) Even when I did land a clean hit I didn’t feel any sort of impact unless my opponent staggered back, which was consistently difficult to trigger.

I might have forgiven some of Yomi's design misdemeanors were it not for the progress-blocking glitches

The controls and wooden animation just can't live up to the fluidity of the film duels Trek to Yomi so badly wants to emulate. After dispatching an enemy I'd hit R to turn around and face the one behind me—and nothing would happen. I’d have to mash it multiple times to get Hiroki to register the action, and the seconds I wasted with my back turned caused me to lose HP and sometimes die.

Dodging is inconsistent as well: Sometimes I’d be able to roll behind an enemy, while other times it’d be just like rolling right into a brick wall.

Enemy variety isn’t Trek to Yomi’s strong suit, either. At first you’ll be fighting bandits, and then supernatural creatures and ghostly apparitions. These enemies use the same exact character models throughout the entire game. Bosses are a rare break from the monotony and were the only enemies that challenged me to do more than mash out the same combos. One boss had me constantly adjusting my positioning on the battlefield. If I stayed too close to one side of the stage, its wind attack could blow me off and it’d be an instant game over.

Exploration mostly follows linear paths from story beat to story beat. At times easy puzzles stood in my way, but solving them was trivial because they all used the same design. 

Outside of combat a fixed camera with 3D movement lets you explore for collectibles and upgrades, such as stamina and health increases. Often you’ll come across two paths: one that advances the story, and another that leads to some sort of collectible or upgrade. The issue here is that sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which. 

Wanting to find as many upgrades as I could to make Hiroki better in combat, I’d choose one path and stick with it, hoping to find what I’m looking for. But if I chose the critical path I'd end up dropping down from a ledge that wouldn't let me back up. Trek to Yomi is generous with save points before and after nearly every encounter, so restarting from a checkpoint is usually an easy option. But it's strange and counterintuitive to have to savescum just to explore those alternate paths.

I might have forgiven some of Yomi's design misdemeanors were it not for the progress-blocking glitches. Sometimes I’d clip through the floor after jumping down from a ledge. Other times my character would vanish into the air after falling through a collapsing roof, nowhere to be found. I’d have to restart from a checkpoint to try again or close the game and relaunch it.

A few times enemy encounters simply wouldn’t activate, and enemies that were supposed to spawn just didn’t—including the final boss. I had to relaunch the game every time I died and wanted to fight it again because otherwise, the arena would be empty.

For all its visual grandeur, Trek to Yomi isn't much fun. It tries to tell a story worthy of a samurai drama, but the combat never graduates from the boring part of a sword training montage: it's just the same moves, over and over again.

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Trek to Yomi Review: Going Full Kurosawa Mode

The PS4 blockbuster Ghost of Tsushima featured an optional black and white filter called “Kurosawa Mode.” The desaturated visuals and film grain brought to mind the early samurai epics of the eponymous and legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. If you liked this idea but found the execution shallow and lackluster ( like some critics ), Trek to Yomi will satisfy your need for authentic Kurosawa inspired aesthetics.

You may, however, be slightly disappointed by a tale that doesn’t hold up to the standards of the master storyteller. 

One look at Trek to Yomi and you will see why the black and white art style is so immediately striking. Devolver Digital’s latest release is a collaboration between game designer Leonard Menchiari and Polish studio Flying Wild Hog. The 2.5D samurai action game is set in the Edo period of Japan. The attempt at authenticity in its presentation makes Trek to Yomi an ambitious title worth playing, despite its narrative and mechanical shortcomings. 

Trek To Yomi Review: Going Full Kurosawa Mode

From the get-go,  Trek to Yomi commits to authenticity. It’s not simply just the black and white look or the optional film grain filter. Loading up the start menu, each English menu option is listed alongside a Japanese kanji. Furthermore, there is no English dub, which means no opting in or out of a Japanese language track. You must play in Japanese with your choice of subtitles. 

The score was composed using instruments exclusively from this period of Japanese history. Sound is perhaps the area where Trek to Yomi best captures an element from Kurosawa’s films as serene woodwinds echo throughout the quiet moments and intensifying drums can be heard as you transition from exploration into combat. 

The dichotomy between the action and the light puzzle and exploration bits is key to explaining what kind of game Trek to Yomi actually is. Broken up into linear chapters, you play through the life of samurai Hiroki, who begins as a young learner in the tutorial section before the game jumps to his adult life.

One fateful day, his village is raided by bandits and his sensei’s daughter (and Hiroki’s love interest) Aiko is captured. On a revenge and rescue mission, you slash your way through a bloody story full of samurai tropes. 

The perspective of Trek to Yomi is from a fixed camera that follows Hiroki during the action but remains static during non-combat sections. While not in combat, you can move Hiroki in 3D. Objects like ammunition and upgrades shine with a silver twinkle. (Those two things can’t help but remind me of classic Resident Evil , especially the 2002 remake).

The way these shots mimic film make every single moment feel hand-crafted and meticulously framed. Trek to Yomi makes its most direct references to Kurosawa by using shot compositions that harken back to Seven Samurai and the classics of the genre. The result is a gorgeous game that feels cinematic in every step, not just during cutscenes. 

Trek to Yomi ’s combat rewards defensive play and reaction. You are fragile, especially early on, and going in aggro will get you killed quickly. Instead, enemies force you to block frequently, manage your stamina bar appropriately, master parry timing perfectly. It isn’t as punishing as Ninja Gaiden Black or Sekiro , but even on Bushido (medium) difficulty, Trek to Yomi will test your timing and ability to pull off combos.

Combat is most akin to a 2D take on Devil May Cry ; it’s a system that requires quick button presses and fighting-game levels of precision to pull off some of the more deadly moves. There is a satisfying depth here that reveals itself as you gain abilities. 

As you progress, Hiroki learns more sword skills and finds a handful of ranged weapons, like shurikens and a bow, that have limited ammo you can pick up. The ranged weapons are more like “get out of jail free cards” that stagger enemies mid-combo. The more powerful ones do decent damage, but ammunition is limited enough that you have to use them strategically during the more overwhelming encounters.

Alternatively, you can save your ammo to make quicker work of the bosses, none of which feel especially long or complicated. This works in the game’s favor, though. A boss might destroy you three or four times in a row, but it doesn’t take long to pick up on their weaknesses. When you finally achieve victory, it is extremely rewarding to be able to take one down in 30 seconds.

The majority of the combat, though, is sword based. As you progress, you gradually unlock more offensive and defensive skills. Many of these are unlocked after mandatory battles, but some are hidden away behind optional or secret paths where you can also find health and stamina upgrades. If you are trying to seek out every single sword skill, though, you might be in for a frustrating time.  

Each level hides 5-10 collectibles that give historical context but don’t have any gameplay impact. When you go down an optional path, any number of items could be awaiting at the end. You never really know if you are going to get a health upgrade, new skill, or just a collectible. I can see how some players might find this exciting, but poorly communicating the difference between the path forward and the side paths is an issue. 

It’s not always clear which path is the one forward and when you progress far enough along the main path to reach the next required combat scenario, there is no going back. You can load your last checkpoint if you realize you missed something in time, but there is no chapter restart and no post-game chapter select.

Once you beat Trek to Yomi , you are booted to the main menu and have to start over. The lack of a chapter select or New Game+ mode means most players probably won’t have an incentive to play again. I ended up short a handful of skills by the end of my 7-hour play time and was left wishing I could easily go back in and track down the ones I missed. Perhaps they would have made those last couple hours feel less tedious.

That’s because the difficulty (and monotony) begins to increase near the end of Trek to Yomi . In the last couple of hours, each encounter starts to feel like the last, only harder and longer. It doesn’t help that the game is more or less a linear path of encounters. There are a handful of environmental puzzles that essentially boil down to the world’s easiest game of Memory , a last-minute inclusion to break up the pacing. Just not a fun one. 

More disappointing than these puzzles, though, is the story. Trek to Yomi ’s first half is an extremely by-the-book tale of a samurai whose village gets invaded. His life destroyed, he goes on a quest that blurs the line between honor and vengeance. You don’t get much of a feel for Hiroki or Aiko as characters beyond the archetypal roles they fill.

This is due in part to the writing, which feels like a disjointed translation. Many of the subtitles sound unnatural in the way an old anime dub would. Thankfully, the story takes an unexpected turn about halfway through. 

I won’t give it away, but suffice to say the second half of Trek to Yomi allows the artists to stretch their creative limbs. For a game with such strong visual design already, this feels like a well-considered choice that leans into its strengths. The lack of any emotional attachment to the characters still muted my connection to the world, though. By the time credits rolled, I still didn’t find myself particularly invested in the characters, despite the visual splendor. 

Trek to Yomi Review — The Bottom Line

• Stunning visual and audio design.
• Fundamentals of combat are satisfying. 
• Makes great use of fixed camera angles.
• Characters are boring archetypes. 
• A bit repetitive in the back half. 
• Puzzles are beyond basic and feel tossed in for variety.  
• No chapter select or New Game Plus.

Trek to Yomi is a masterclass in presentation. The striking, period-appropriate style and impressive use of fixed camera angles make each screen engrossing, pushing you to see what’s next. The writing doesn’t live up to the nuanced expectation set by styling the game after the works of Kurosawa, and some of the chapters are a bit long in the tooth, but Trek to Yomi is still worth playing for any fan of 2D action or the samurai genre. 

[Note: Devolver Digital provided the copy of  Trek to Yomi   used for this review.]

Trek to Yomi

Originally posted by Rongkong Coma : Colors? Why? Especially the black/white makes the game special. Otherwise it would look like all those games out there. Not special anymore. By the way ... watching the old Samurai-Movies of the 70s on Amazon at the moment because of the game. :-D Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

Originally posted by Supahz : Your contention that color would make this "just plain better" is perhaps valid for you, but not everyone, and ignores entire art styles, schools and genres. Color is different, not objectively better.

Originally posted by HeyApple : When will they release the promised patch that will enable colors in the game?

Originally posted by bizarre : because color makes it look more vibrant and just plain better. Theres a reason why tvs converted to color over time...

Originally posted by bizarre : Originally posted by Rongkong Coma : Colors? Why? Especially the black/white makes the game special. Otherwise it would look like all those games out there. Not special anymore. By the way ... watching the old Samurai-Movies of the 70s on Amazon at the moment because of the game. :-D Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

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DTG Reviews

Search this blog, how to play trek to yomi (tty) in color.

Many players are wondering if it is possible to play Trek to Yomi (TTY) in color, well, the answer is no.

The creators of the game, Flying Wild have decided that the game will be black and white only. Given this choice, it seems very unlikely that TTY will see a color filter added in the next few months.

The TTY is available to play for free on PC and Xbox consoles if you are a Game Pass PC, Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.

Trek to Yomi is available from Thursday, May 5 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

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Trek to Yomi review – a tropey but reverent tribute to Japanese cinema

Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5, PC; Flying Wild Hog/ Devolver Digital This grainy, gore-soaked katana caper slowly morphs into a compelling meditation on vengeance

E ven in the prologue, Trek to Yomi features more samurai cliches than you can chuck a katana at. Three subsequent levels of joyless brutality made me believe that this was going to be an exercise in gratuitous gore. Yet after a lot of monochromatic murder and speeches about duty, honour and bloodshed, it slowly morphs into something more compelling (though also hardly under-explored in Japanese cinema): a meditation on the inherent selfishness of vengeance.

Sporting a try-hard, Kurosawa -inspired black and white aesthetic – complete with filmic grain – this game’s influences are not so much worn on its sleeve as embroidered into the entire kimono. Still, credit where credit’s due – solid Japanese voice talent helps this Polish/American collab feel more authentic. Trek to Yomi inevitably lives in the shadow of 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima , US studio Sucker Punch’s similarly reverent tribute to samurai cinema. Where Ghost breaks up the bloodshed with jovial jaunts chasing foxes across its open world or solving people’s problems, Yomi is a slash-happy side-scroller that doubles down on brutality, channelling the manga series Lone Wolf and Cub’s sadistic spirit.

A disarmingly gentle introduction has you sprinting through a bustling feudal-era town, overhearing the grumbling townsfolk. Predictably, the peace doesn’t last. Protagonist Hiroki’s katana spills its first drop of blood around the 20-minute mark, and your blade’s thirst never seems to be quenched. Swordplay is more tactical and involved than it looks, letting you control the direction of slashes, combining parries with stance changes and light and heavy attacks. From testing your mettle against heavily armoured behemoths, to dispatching merceries under a hail of arrows, there’s just enough variety in duels to keep you slashing away and unlocking new blade skills to up the body count.

Just as slaying samey bandits begins to lose its sheen, a fatal encounter sees a guilt-wracked, bloodstained Hiroki banished to Yomi – purgatory – where he slices his way through his literal demons. Leaving the generic feudal villages and terrified townsfolk behind, unsettling cries, warping environments and scuttling undead become the new normal, and that’s when this katana caper finds its footing. Yomi’s portrayal of consequences and remorse isn’t going to win awards for subtlety, but gives you a reason to see this journey through.

A smattering of puzzles and the occasional chase scene offer some respite from slaughter. Taking the time to turn down branching paths rewards the player’s curiosity, too, whether that’s with crucial ammo for ranged weapons, hidden story collectibles, or coveted health and stamina upgrades. The checkpointing, however, has led to some of the most swear-inducing moments I’ve ever experienced in a game; their entirely inconsistent placement is baffling. Infuriatingly, after barely surviving multiple intense combat sections, there is often no save point, and you end up replaying the same skirmishes over and over. Other times they’re generously placed after a single, not even particularly challenging encounter.

But despite its repetitions and frustrations, I warmed to this grainy, gore-soaked journey after the tedious early hours. Thanks to a smattering of player choices, the game offers just enough player agency to make you feel involved in the narrative, too, giving Trek to Yomi’s surrealist slaughter a sense of purpose. There’s a strong argument that a Japanese-made attempt at this genre would come closer to doing the samurai fantasy justice, but as with the many Japanese takes on virtual America, there’s a schlocky charm to Yomi’s tropey inauthenticity nonetheless.

Trek to Yomi is out now; £15.99

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Trek To Yomi Gets Extended Gameplay Video Along With Release Date

Trek to Yomi arrives on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on May 5.

The wait is almost over. Trek to Yomi has received an extended gameplay trailer that reveals the game's opening level and ends with a release date of May 5.

The 15-minute extended trailer shows what appears to be the second level of Trek To Yomi, according to what our own George Foster saw in his preview . After the first section where the player is introduced to our budding swordsman, Hiroki is seen defending his village from an incursion of bandits. The bandits set fire to the village and kill many of its residents before Hiroki arrives to save the day.

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Although it seems in the trailer, the day isn't savable. Kidnapped village elders are all slain as Hiroki faces off against a bandit leader, although clearly not THE bandit leader. The rest of the story is a classic tale of revenge as Hiroki sets off to find the true leader of the gang that destroyed his home and killed his sensei.

In case this wasn't immediately obvious, Trek to Yomi takes a page out of Ghost of Tsushima's book and presents itself with the same aesthetic as classic samurai films, even down to the black-and-white color scheme. What Trek to Yomi lacks in color palette it makes up for in lighting and camera angles, as you can see from the trailer. At times, Hiroki's duels are fought in shadow making him appear like a black void, while at other times the flash of lightning shows raindrops dancing from the end of Hiroki's blade.

And of course, there's plenty of swordplay and evildoers getting their heads chopped off. Y’know, in case you’re more into the simple stuff rather than the artistic camera shots.

Trek to Yomi is set to hit PlayStation 4, 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on May 5. It'll also come to Game Pass on day one , so subscribers don't even need to worry about pre-ordering.

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Trek To Yomi: The 6 Biggest Fixes The Game Needs

A charming samurai-themed indie game, Trek to Yomi could still use a few important fixes to improve its gameplay experience.

Trek to Yomi does what it set out to do. It's a 2D action game set up like an old Akira Kurosawa samurai film. The game is in black and white and even has filters over it to make it look more dated and grainy than it really is.

RELATED: Trek to Yomi: How Long to Beat & How Many Chapters

The aesthetic and gameplay for Trek to Yomi works well for an indie game. However, the reviews are not that high. It's currently sitting around the 70s as far as aggregate scores go. That's not bad but things could be better. All is not lost yet. The developer has time to fix some issues with the game to make it the best samurai game possible.

6 Photo Mode

Trek to Yomi should get a Photo Mode. Must 2D games like this don’t receive something as fancy as a Photo Mode in their setups. It’s not unheard of in a 2D game though. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gave players the option to pause the game and rotate the camera.

They could even zoom in on characters . This feature has led to some amazing fan uploads online. Being able to pause the action in Trek to Yomi to capture the perfect slice would be fantastic. Being able to adjust the lens would be good too. For example, players could get an additional one or two camera angles to zoom in on the action.

5 Add English And Fix The Subtitles

Trek to Yomi is a samurai game set in Japan. The whole aesthetic is trying to harken back to classic samurai films. That is seemingly why there was no English language option available at launch. It would be nice if an English track got added into the game with a patch though. For some, they prefer dubs over subs anyway.

RELATED: The Best And Worst Things About Trek To Yomi

If the developer doesn’t want to change the language then there is something else about the audio that needs adjusting. The subtitle colors cannot be changed. The text is white which means it can be difficult to see in certain scenes. White on white isn’t a good look. There are two options they could do to fix this. One, adjust the color to the other default in films, yellow. Two, put the subtitles in the black bars.

4 Color Alterations

Video games have changed a lot over the past couple of years. Developers are more keenly aware that all types of gamers play their titles. That’s why accessibility options started to rise. For the colorblind, there is usually a way for players to adjust colors. Games are also addressing difficulty more by adding in assist features like ways to turn down damage received.

Trek to Yomi has neither of these options. However, there are four difficulty modes so the game doesn’t need a full list of assists. What it could use is a way to highlight certain things in the environment with color. Like the subtitle effect, adding in more color would help players see better. For example, they could put in an option to highlight health upgrade nodes. Sometimes these upgrades can be hard to see otherwise.

3 Travel Down Ladders Faster

This is a small request but one that could help Trek to Yomi out. Players cannot slide down ladders. That is a function that has graced more games than one could count. It’s as natural to see in a game as is running or reloading. It’s hard to imagine a game without those functions in the modern age. The idea sounds horrific but even horror games ideally have this feature implemented.

Trek to Yomi is missing this mechanic though. There are rarely any huge ladders players will have to climb for more than a few seconds. Still, for some players, it’s not about speed. It’s about the fun factor. Yelling “wheeee” while sliding down a ladder can be therapeutic.

2 Add A Map

This missing mechanic is even more bizarre than the lack of a ladder sliding ability. There is no map in the game. Trek to Yomi is not a Metroidvania . It may behave like one at times but it is a more linear adventure without a way to backtrack.

RELATED: Beginner Tips For Trek To Yomi

Players will upgrade their character via items they find in the environment. They can upgrade health, as previously mentioned, along with stamina and ammo slots for their various weapons. There is a bow, for example, that can hold more arrows once upgraded. Without a map, it’s hard to tell which direction is the main objective and which way is the side path. Sometimes it is obvious while other times players can be tricked. A map is sorely needed.

1 Tweaking Conversations

There is something else about the subtitles that are off besides the coloring. There is an option to skip scenes entirely in Trek to Yomi. When players choose this option, the game will look like it is fast-forwarding through a movie. This goes along with the old-school aesthetic.

There is no way to skip through dialogue like one can do in a typical RPG . Sometimes players can read faster in a game and may wish to speed through conversations instead of waiting for the scene to play out naturally. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to experience the story. That’s why the skip button is an extreme choice. There should be an option for something in-between skipping and not doing anything at all in Trek to Yomi .

Trek to Yomi was released on May 5, 2022, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Trek to Yomi: All Collectibles and Upgrades in Chapter 1