If there is one thing that can be universally agreed on when it comes to Trek to Yomi from devleoper Flying Wild Hog is that it really nails the look it is aiming for. I can’t say I’m an expert on old Japanese samurai films but if they look as good as this game then it’s a genre I want to look into further.

Following the journey of a young warrior in the aftermath of his village’s destruction, the presentation here is top notch with the creative choice of a black and white film style really working well. Set pieces leverage the bright and dark areas effectively often making for striking moments that are certainly screenshot worthy. Audio is noteworthy too with all voice acting being in Japanese with subtitles to further commit to the source material it’s inspired by. I could see these aspects of the game being brought up in many “best of” discussions at the end of the year.

Despite its impressive visual trappings the game at its core is a scrolling beat em up with a few puzzles thrown in. Camera perspectives change to fit scenes but when combat kicks in its moves to a typical 2D brawler perspective, or close to it. Timing is the key factor in combat where the ability to parry and dodge are what will lead to success as many of your opponents are faster or more durable than you to start with. However it’s very easy to make a mistake in your timing and have it all go wrong quickly leading to death and a checkpoint restart. It’s likely a lot of players will find frustration with this aspect of the game too as it can impact a game’s flow.

Anyone looking to play something unique that looks like nothing else recently will be pleasantly surprised with Trek to Yomi. I really am a big fan of the presentation. The combat may be a bit challenging at times though and that could deter people from playing through which will be a shame.

Trek to Yomi is out on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Played on an Xbox Series X via Game Pass.