14 DAY TRIAL // With two enemies in front and one at my back, I choose to roll backward, rotate, slash at the guy threatening my blind side, then parry his own attack and kill him. This means I lose one slice of health to the other pair. But I quickly spin around and go into parry stance, watching their attack preparation. A glint on the sword shows one’s intentions, which allows me to parry and then kill him while stunned. The other bandit rushes into his own attack but there’s no way one enemy can get past my defense.
Trek to Yomi is developed by Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog, with Devolver Digital in charge of publishing duties. The game is set to arrive in 2022 on the PC, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox series X and S, and older devices from Sony and Microsoft.
The story setup is concise and effective: Hiroki is a young swordsman who swears to protect his village and the people living in it as bandits attack it. As he grows up he once again needs to deal with ruffians and bigger threats, all while living the life of a ronin.
Mechanically, Trek to Yomi is a side-scrolling brawler. Hiroki has the usual movement options, a light and heavy attack, a roll, and a parry. He needs to carefully combine all to defend himself and then deal with enemies. A limited amount of stamina and health are his limits. Combos and good reflexes are the best ways to get through a screen without dying.
Combat is fast and deadly. I like it but, on Bushido, I never felt I needed much in the way of tactics. Keep the guard up, parry at the right moment, cut everyone down. Only when facing a boss did I think about combos and their effects.
Trek to Yomi opts for a black-and-white look that manages to trigger some nostalgia for classic samurai movies and doesn’t subtract from the gameplay. I don’t love the weird angles the camera uses during some fights. The soundtrack is suited to the overall style of the game but mostly stays in the background, while the sounds of swords slashing through bodies are almost alarmingly well done.
Conclusion
The game’s presentation is mostly a gimmick that does not affect gameplay. I enjoy the sepia tones and grain filter, but it might not appeal to gamers over long periods. Trek to Yomi is interesting and the full launch will show how well its various components work together.
Preview code provided by the developer.
