Trek to Yomi

Trek to Yomi absolutely nails the samurai aesthetic in a satisfying but modest adventure.

Trek to Yomi oozes style by evoking the legendary samurai flicks of Akira Kurosawa, but its stilted combat lacks the substance to make this a classic in itself.

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

In its visuals and audio, Trek to Yomi nails its brief to create an Akira Kurosawa-inspired samurai adventure. Its interactive elements, however, along with its story, are all too ordinary and rarely combine to heighten the atmosphere or create suspense. Worth a try for the sightseeing perhaps, but don't expect it to cut deep.

Trek to Yomi looks and feels noticeably outdated for such an aesthetically pleasing game. And its archaic gameplay can’t be completely covered up by its artistic black-and-white filter. Trek to Yomi tried to reach the heights of lauded Japanese filmmaking, but unfortunately, it falls almost as flat as its 2D combat plane.

This grainy, gore-soaked katana caper slowly morphs into a compelling meditation on vengeance

Available on Xbox Game Pass, “Trek to Yomi” is a no-brainer download for anyone wanting a simple yet cinematic action game that harks back to classic PC adventures and 2D blade-action titles. At a $20 asking price, it’s a more debatable purchase, especially considering the short clear time. But at the end of the trek, I didn’t regret a minute of it, once I got over the fact that the combat was never going to be the real hook. It’s a gorgeous visual feast, and once I started it, I found it hard to look away.

A samurai side-scroller with striking visuals and a compelling story of revenge, let down a little by enemies that get very samey, very quickly.

Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

Trek to Yomi is a decent samurai action game, elevated greatly by its superb presentation. Clocking in at only a few hours, this is a brief but ultimately satisfying tale, stitched together by some simple but very effective environmental design, and a combat system that rewards careful play. It's not quite side-scrolling Ghost of Tsushima, but it is an impressively atmospheric love letter to samurai cinema.