Trek to Yomi

[h2]Overall: 6/10[/h2] [h3]Story:[/h3] I actually really like the story. It's not the most groundbreaking narrative premise on paper, as it begins with a fairly straightforward revenge/vengeance plot, but it's the way this game executes that premise that really makes it stand out. The narrative feels incredibly grounded, raw, and emotionally provocative, all while using its simple foundation to explore much deeper themes like purpose, loss, and personal identity. While the relatively short runtime keeps the overall exploration of Shinto mythology and samurai philosophy pretty concise and tightly focused, I appreciated how effectively it uses that limited scope to develop Hiroki's character. The way [spoiler]his descent into/journey through Yomi serves as a physical manifestation of his internal torment, forcing him to confront the phantoms of his regrets, the consequences of his failures, and even the memory of his deceased master, is a captivating turn in the story that believably forces Hiroki to self-reflect.[/spoiler] I also feel like the narrative's examination of the psychological burden associated with living under the samurai code is particularly compelling. Rather than [spoiler]presenting a single correct path, the story constantly challenges Hiroki, and thus YOU, with competing ideals and expectations, forcing you to genuinely weigh three conflicting feudal values against one another. I felt like this moral ambiguity gave the narrative a surprising amount of depth and created meaningful opportunities for reflection long after the credits rolled. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe the multiple philosophical paths and endings[/spoiler] would warrant this game a great deal of replayability, if not for one massively problematic aspect that unfortunately undermines that potential. [h3]Gameplay:[/h3] That massively problematic aspect I just mentioned ended up being almost the entirety of the gameplay experience, or more specifically, the combat. I went in already aware of the negative reputation surrounding the gameplay, but I still tried to keep my expectations tempered and approach it with an open mind. Still, as early as Chapter 2, I realized I blatantly wasn't enjoying the combat, and despite gradually unlocking new combos/different ranged attacks throughout the game, encounters quickly began to feel repetitive. Now, I can find repetitive combat tolerable if the core mechanics are satisfying enough to carry the rest of the gameplay, but more often than not I felt like the combat here was, at best, boring and, at worst, incredibly frustrating. The earlier chapters aren't particularly egregious, but as the narrative progresses, the combat feels increasingly clunky, unresponsive, and poorly balanced. Even after getting comfortable with the parry system and learning enemy attack patterns, something about the overall feel of combat never truly clicked. Successful encounters rarely feel rewarding, and even if you're playing well, attacks often seem oddly stiff, lacking both impact and weight. The unfortunate reality is that even if you meet this game on its own terms, the combat still struggles to provide the sense of satisfaction that should come from mastering its mechanics. Instead, it often feels like you're fighting against the controls and overall design as much as you're fighting the enemies themselves, and that is the [b]SOLE[/b] reason I can't recommend this game in good conscious, despite otherwise bright spots. [h3]World:[/h3] I appreciated the world a lot. Not because of its depth or complexity, but rather because of the atmosphere it successfully creates through its variety of memorable set-pieces. This game constantly places you in interesting locations, whether it's [spoiler]a peaceful village, a war-torn battlefield, a burning settlement, or the supernatural landscapes of Yomi itself,[/spoiler] and each environment does a great job of reinforcing the narrative's somber/reflective tones. Level design wise, each chapter is essentially a long, scripted corridor that guides you along a singular route to progress the narrative, with occasional paths that deviate from the main route straight to a collectable. Under normal circumstances, this level of linearity might bother me, but I honestly didn't mind it here. In a 2.5D sidescroller, I think it's perfectly valid for the environment to serve primarily as an immersive backdrop rather than a complex space designed around exploration. Trek to Yomi gives you just enough optional interactions, secrets, and environmental details to appreciate its world without constantly making you feel like there should be more to discover. It's not a metroidvania, after all, and I never felt like the experience was diminished by it being a more focused, cinematic approach. [h3]Visuals:[/h3] Trek to Yomi's visuals are easily the biggest highlight of the entire game. Not necessarily because of its raw graphical fidelity (although the game certainly looks very good for it's size and scope) but because of its incredibly captivating cinematic direction. While I'm not personally familiar enough with classic Kurosawa films to comment on how accurately the game pays homage to those inspirations, what I can say is that, as a casual player who appreciates strong cinematography, this game is absolutely stunning. Every scene has a clear emphasis on composition and visual storytelling that consistently elevates even the simplest moments. Additionally, as someone who usually isn't the biggest fan of fixed camera angles but also doesn't outright hate them, I actually found myself really appreciating the artistic purpose they serve here. By locking the camera into carefully selected perspectives, this game allows you to fully absorb how the foreground silhouettes, mid-ground action, and seemingly dense background details are layered together to create atmosphere and reinforce the mood of each location. The black-and-white presentation, dramatic lighting, and frequent use of environmental framing makes almost every scene look like a moving photograph. It's one of the few games where I found myself motivated by both the narrative AND art direction to see the game through to the end despite very mediocre gameplay. [h3]Music/Sound Design:[/h3] The music/sound design is an aspect of this game that is much more subtle than the visuals or narrative, but it still plays its role exceptionally well because of how effectively it values suspense, texture, and era-appropriate instruments. The OST was never a standout component that left me rushing to look up tracks afterward, but it did consistently succeed at establishing narrative tension and enhancing the overwhelming sense of immersion that's already present through the cinematic presentation. Additionally, while I don't speak Japanese and can't really comment on the accuracy of the dialogue delivery, the performances themselves are clearly filled with genuine emotion, particularly Hiroki's. His voice actor conveys a tremendous amount of pain, determination, and vulnerability throughout the story, making it even easier to empathize with his hardships even during moments where dialogue is kept relatively sparse. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the English voice acting. I'm personally someone who believes games set in non-English countries should generally be played in the native language of their setting anyway, but that feeling was compounded significantly with this game because the English dub is straight up bad. The performances often came across as passionless, wooden, and strangely detached from the events unfolding on screen, which is especially jarring when compared directly to the intensity and conviction that Hiroki's Japanese voice actor brings to the role. If you end up picking this game up anyway, I would at least strongly recommend experiencing it in Japanese if you want the performances to complement the narrative rather than detract from it.