It’s impressive just how well Trek to Yomi lands the Kurosawa-esque, black and white Samurai movie aesthetic. Gorgeous panoramas give way to detailed overhead shots, starkly outlined in monochrome. Our beleaguered protagonist cleanly cuts his opponents down after nimbly shrugging off their strikes. The presentation as a whole is exactly where it needs to be, presenting a dour, conflicted tale of one man’s journey to right his own wrong. But a game can’t be judged solely by its presentation, which is where Trek to Yomi stumbles and trips. It may have the look down pat, but the deeply repetitious gameplay and monotonous design left me begging for the credits.
Trek to Yomi begins with a child version of Hiroki, the game’s protagonist, training with his sensei. Their session is interrupted when a local bandit arrives to attack their village. Hiroki sets off to catch up to his master, only to see him and the bandit dispatching each other. The plot jumps forward s…
