Review: Trek to Yomi
Yomi is a concept that is so depressing, that it’s largely not followed in contemporary Japanese society, even among those that still observe the rituals of Shinto. It doesn’t matter what you do in your life, the mythology says you were sent to the land of darkness to rot for eternity. It’s no wonder the Japanese were quick to merge their indigenous religion with Buddhism.
Nonetheless, it’s central to the romanticized image of the Samurai, which I never really got. Sure, you sent your foes to Yomi, but you’re going to wind up there yourself. It doesn’t matter what a great swordsman you are, everyone is equal in the way they’re going to rot.
But, like Hades, it works from a mythological standpoint. Are you a bad enough dude to head to Yomi and back? Doomguy has a vacation home in Hell, which shows the theme still works, and that’s exactly what Trek to Yomi is about. Visiting the afterlife, I mean. Not Doomguy’s vacation home.
Trek to Yomi (PC [Reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)Developer: Leonard Menchiari, Flying Wild HogPublisher: Devolver DigitalReleased: May 5, 2022 MSRP: $19.99
It’s probably fairer to say that Trek to Yomi is about old post-war Samurai flicks. The whole game is presented in black and white with heavy film grain effects. Rather than just being a filter, however, Trek to Yomi takes great care in its use of shadow, contrast, and framing. You could play Ghost of Tsushima with a black-and-white filter slapped over top, but that just doesn’t have the same effect as a game that was built with it being central to its aesthetic.
It tells the story of Hiroki, a samurai whose sensei is, rather predictably, killed. Years later, history repeats itself and Hiroki’s village is again attacked by bandits,
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