Samurai action game Trek to Yomi sets out on May 5

Swordfighting in black and white

The Kurosawa-inspired Trek to Yomi has set a date. The samurai action game unsheathes the blade on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 5, 2022.

News of the date arrives alongside an extended gameplay video, where developer Leonard Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog showcase a 15-minute chunk of Trek to Yomi. Alongside the side-scrolling, sword-slicing action, there are some light environmental puzzles to solve too. Or at least, a tree to chop for a makeshift bridge.

The visual style is the big draw though, and Trek to Yomi looks pretty gorgeous in motion. The black-and-white look obviously brings Akira Kurosawa movies to mind, but the touches I like are the foreground and background movement. Things popping in and out and of the foreground, changing up the frame, look really cool as the player ventures through each area.

On the path of vengeance

Trek to Yomi will follow young swordsman Hiroki, voyaging on a quest after giving a vow to his dying master to avenge him. It looks like the focus is on the swordplay in combat, with both style and some streamlined swordfighting at the center.

Also confirmed today is that Trek to Yomi is coming to Game Pass. So if you’re still unsure about the monochromatic action but want to try it out, the Game Pass avenue is always open.

Trek to Yomi has been looking impressive since it was first revealed, especially thanks to its commitment to the style that Flying Wild Hog is working towards. Something about the way it flows from scene-to-scene, and the use of depth in a 2D frame, is a really cool look. Whether the melodrama and action comes together in the end, we’ll find out soon enough.

Trek to Yomi sets off on its journey for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 5, 2022.