Why You NEED To Play Trek To Yomi | Trek To Yomi Review

Welcome to our review of Trek to Yomi, a brand new side-scrolling action adventure game from Devolver Digital. Heavily inspired by Japanese cinema as well as traditional Shinto beliefs, we'll tell you everything you need to know before you play. We cover the game's visuals and sound, story and gameplay. Watch our Weird West review:    • Watch This BEFORE You Play Weird West | We...   #TrekToYomi #Review #VideoGames SUBSCRIBE & JOIN THE SHARK TANK! 🦈 - https://bit.ly/2VDaxT2 UDS (Upside Down Shark) is the home of alternative pop culture. Focusing on video games, movies, TV shows and more, expect reviews, features, video essays and more on this channel, hosted by Tom, Craig, Dobbie, Neale and Drew. Founded in 2017, we champion DIY talent, independent creators and promote the things we're passionate about. Check out our channel dedicated to music:    / @udsmusic1151   Listen to our weekly entertainment news podcast - UDS Radio: https://upsidedownshark.com/category/... Listen to our podcast where we rank every episode of The Simpsons - Simpsons Showdown: https://upsidedownshark.com/category/... Email: [email protected] upsidedownshark.com Transcript Hey how’s it going guys! This is Tom from UDS and welcome to our review of Trek to Yomi, a brand new side-scrolling action adventure game from publishers Devolver Digital and developers Flying Wild Hog. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know before you play, but before I do, don’t forget to hit subscribe for more on all things gaming every single week. And just for fun, why not drop a shark emoji in the comments too. I feel like I say it every other week, but Devolver Digital have been absolutely knocking it out of the park lately. The past couple of years have seen a slew of great releases, highlighting the cream of the indie crop and giving them the platform they deserve. They’ve even started this year strong with the exceptional Weird West (which you can find our review of on the channel), and they’re looking to keep the good run going with Trek to Yomi. Ostensibly a side-scrolling action adventure game, you play as Hiroki - a young samurai hell-bent on revenge after the loss of his home. Heavily inspired by Japanese cinema as well as traditional Shinto beliefs, will Trek to Yomi live up to its early hype? Watch on to find out… I couldn’t start anywhere other than with the game’s aesthetics, which might be an all-timer. Visually, it evokes the spirit of filmmakers like Kirusawa, employing a black and white minimalism with just a hint of film grain. The changing camera perspectives only augment this cinematic appeal, making you feel like you’re part of a grand period epic. But if the bedrock of the world is Kirusawa, the action is more Tikashi Miike. It can be incredibly brutal, with monochromatic blood squirting everywhere, but even this has a sense of elegance. If you already have a reverence for these types of film, this game is unabashed, unadulterated fan-service, and I’m absolutely here for it. I chose to use the word ‘aesthetics’ earlier, rather than diving straight into the visuals as it would do a disservice to the game’s audio, which is equally as impressive. Every, from the crackle of fire to the snikt of swords leaving sheaths helps to add to the atmosphere, as does the at times haunting score. This is definitely one to play with headphones or a good sound system, if you can. But before you start thinking Trek to Yomi is all style over substance, we have to talk quickly about its excellent story. At its heart it’s a revenge tale, as Hiroki and his ancestors travel to hell and back to get their justice. Although great work has gone into keeping everything authentic to Edo Japan, there’s an element of the supernatural too, which helps it to stand out from other recent games set during this time period. After all, Yomi refers to the land of the dead (or literally "world of darkness"). These fantastical elements are all grounded by some great voice acting and character work. The Japanese dialogue with English subtitles helps to keep you immersed in the world the developers have created. You’ll really feel the stoic struggle that Hiroki is forced to embark on, and the roughly 5 hours of the campaign fly by. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to go back in and try to uncover every secret just to keep the adventure going. It feels strange to leave the actual gameplay to the end, because it’s still really good, it’s just the packaging around it is so outstanding, it sort of feels weaker by comparison. You’ll go through phases where things might feel patient and meditative, allowing you to soak in the scenery as you traverse the various landscapes. But these quieter moments make the action feel all the more frenetic...