Trek to Yomi

Trek to Yomi is a side-scrolling action game. There are two modes of melee attack; light attacks are fast but weak, and heavy attacks are slow but strong.[1] A well-timed block will break an enemy guard, giving players an opportunity to counter-attack.[2] Melee attacks can be combined with directional movements for actions such as thrusting a sword forward, or turning deftly to slash enemies attacking from behind. Players need to observe the combat stance of their opponents and react accordingly. For instance, the player should stab an enemy by thrusting forward if their opponent is prepared to block the player's attack by holding their sword horizontally.[3] The player character is equipped with a samurai katana. New weapons such as ozutsu, bo-shurikens, and ranged weapons such as bows and arrows would gradually unlock as the player progresses in the game.[4] While the game is set in the Edo period, it also features bosses, mythological creatures and other supernatural elements.[5] The player can also occasionally use various environmental hazards to kill their opponents, avoiding direct combat altogether.[6]

Gameplay regularly alternates between freeform exploration and side-scrolling combat sessions that utilize a fixed camera.[3] While the game is mostly a linear experience, its world features secret areas where players can find additional health and stamina upgrades, as well as bonus tools and weapons.[7] They would also discover shrines which replenish the player's health and stamina. Each shrine, however, can only be used once in a playthrough.[8] The player may also encounter other friendly non-playable characters who may give them clues as to where to go next.[9] While the game is designed to be a challenging experience, it also features a cinematic mode which lowers the game's difficulty level.[3] Once the player completes the game once, they will unlock an extra difficulty mode in which the player character would die immediately when they are hit.[8]

The idea for the game emerged when game director Leonard Menchiari was experimenting with black and white imagery using Unreal Engine. Publisher Devolver Digital then approached one of their long-term partners, Polish studio Flying Wild Hog, who was developing Devolverland Expo for the publisher at that time, about a game set in the Edo period.[lower-alpha 1] The studio was intruiged by the project and agreed to serve as the game's developer. Devolver Digital then brought Menchiari and Flying Wild Hog together and began the game's production.[8] The game was heavily inspired by classic samurai movies, especially those directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its 2D side-scrolling gameplay was influenced by silent movies from the 1920s to 1930s, in which "each scene is designed to look more like a magical moving theatre stage rather than a screen".[10] According to game director Marcin Kryszpin, Trek to Yomi was not designed to be a big game, and that the game should last around five hours.[8]

According to Menchiari, the game's story and themes were focused on two major components: historical Japan and Shinto mythology.[lower-alpha 2][10] As the game was set during Edo Japan, the team worked extensively to ensure that the game is historically accurate and authentic. The team consulted Aki Tabei Matsunaga, a Japanese historian who helped the team to translate and stylize the dialogue so that they are period appropriate.[8] The team also used the displays at the Edo-Tokyo Museum as the foundation for the design of various in-game assets.[10] The team collaborated with Emperia Sound and Music and composers Yoko Honda and Cody Matthew Johnson for the game's music. Japanese musical instruments that were found during the Edo period such as taiko drums and shamisen were used to record the game's original soundtracks. A Gagaku (traditional Japanese orchestra) were recruited to perform the game's music during the recording process.[12]

Devolver Digital officially announced the game during its showcase at E3 2021.[13] The game is set to be released for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Series S on May 5, 2022. The game would also be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers at launch.[14]

Notes

References

• Official website