Trek to Yomi Review (hesiod1983)
On Track of Kurosawa's Legacy
Trek to Yomi is not just a game, but a cinematic experience that pays tribute Akiro Kurosawa. And it does that in an amazing fashion! You will like (or even love) this game, if you like cinematic adventures like Balckthorne, Oddworl: Abe's Exoddus or eastern themed games like Ghost of Tsushima, Ninja Gaiden or Sifu.
Pros
+A strong story that not only delivers tropes you might look for, when eyeing this gem, but that takes you by surprise when you least expect it – without being over the top or cheesy! And that is a huge accomplishement for a genre that tends to be predictable.
+Another plus is the replayability: there seem to be different endings you can achieve.
+A great score that doesn't get in the way and just underlines what is happening, making things more believable; also, the Japanese voice acting is marvelous (you will have to play with subtitles, though, if you want to know what's going on storywise)
+It's just incredible how colourful a world, that is black and white, can be. I'm serious: The dark tone not only feeds the atmosphere, but works so well with the visuals. Kudos to the developers!
Cons
-you will only like the story, if you are willing to engage in an old-school style of chanbara or martial arts film. And that might not be everybody's cup o' tea.
-there is one core point of the game, that made me feel miserable and almost made me quit: the combat!
I understand that mastering a katana is hard work. But in a game, that is supposed to be immersive and wants you to play a fluent story, a quite complicated combo-heavy combat machanic just doesn't feel right. Not only does the game not let you practice said combos, but they are not actually intuitive either. But mayba I'm just bad, I dunno …
-strongly tied to that point is the timing of the parry. I couldn't figure it out until the very end of the game. And that is bad on the double, because the combat system relies so heavily on that very same parry. You will be frustrated a lot because of that.
7/10 for gamers
9/10 for fans of good (and also bad) chanbara
My Last Two Cents
Trek to Yomi is great game, that manages to be great, although it has a giant flaw with its combat: The frustration you will feel – and believe me: You will! – might be the reason, you will just stop playing. But then you will miss out on one of the best told stories in video game history, insane moments of a journey straight to he**, and a unique experience no other game can deliver.