Video Game / Trek to Yomi

“It is said that those who have attained balance can see all the years to come. But those who have lost all balance cannot see even an instant ahead. You must start small, boy. Concentrate. Glimpse the moments that await you. Know your path before you take it. Breathe in. Breathe out. Open your mind. Still your thoughts, young Hiroki. A Samurai knows this.”

— Sanjuro

Trek to Yomi is a 2022 Jidaigeki action game developed by Polish studio Flying Wild Hog (makers of Shadow Warrior (2013) and its sequels) and published by Devolver Digital. It was released on May 5, 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Microsoft Windows.

Set during Japan's Edo Period, an orphaned boy named Hiroki learns the way of bushido under the tutelage of the wise Master Sanjuro. When a vicious gang of outlaws led by the sadistic Kagerou attack the village Sanjuro is tasked with defending, the aging samurai falls in battle, prompting Hiroki to take up his sword much earlier than expected. Years later, Hiroki has grown to a man and married Sanjuro's daughter Aiko, and the village is thriving under their leadership. Then Kagerou inexplicably returns, and tragedy strikes.

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Trek to Yomi contains examples of the following tropes:

• Artistic License – Religion: The people of Japan show a conspicuous lack of Buddhist beliefs and a devotion to pure Shinto that wasn't really common at the time the game is set.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Kagerou encounters Hiroki for the second time, he does not remember their first encounter.
  Hiroki: How can this be?
  Kagerou: I take it we have met.
  Hiroki: I gave you your scar. Then I saw you die.
  Kagerou: This village has a habit of failing to keep me in the grave.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Kagerou is a sociopathic Blood Knight who denounces honor as "a crutch for the weak" and describes himself as a master of fear.
• Combat Pragmatist: You can choose, upon obtaining such weapons, to fight swordsmen with Ozatsu, Bo-Shuriken or arrows.
• "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Hiroki blames himself for Kagerou's raid on his village, stating that it wouldn't have happened had he chosen to stay instead of going to fight in Kamikawamura.
• Deliberately Monochrome: The black and white visuals, coupled with the Japanese-only dialogue, are a Shout-Out to the early work of Akira Kurosawa, particularly his collaborations with Toshiro Mifune from The '50s.
• Evil Is Hammy: Akio Ōtsuka chews a lot of scenery as Kagerou.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Akio Otsuka gives Kagerou an imposing baritone.
• Finishing Move: Upon leaving opponents in a stunned state, you can kill them this way. Useful for recovering some health.
• Good Is Not Soft: Hiroki is The Hero, but like most Samurai, he tends to use lethal force on his opponents.
  Hiroki: A killer such as you deserves no mercy.
• Hand Cannon: Hiroki gains an ozutsu, a flintlock hand cannon, in Chapter 4. Killing 3 enemies in one shot gives the "Big Bertha" achievement/trophy.
• Made of Iron: While garden variety mooks can fall to a single sword strike (at least on the Kabuki difficulty level), armored and undead opponents can tank a lot of hits before they go down.
• Multiple Endings: The game has three endings, dependant on the path you choose to walk after beating the penultimate boss.
  • Love: After defeating Kagerou, Hiroki returns to Yomi to spend eternity with Aiko.
  • Duty: After defeating Kagerou, Hiroki upholds the vow he made to Sanjuro to be the village's protector in this life and the next, even if it means he will never see Aiko again. An older Hiroki is shown training his own apprentice, just as Sanjuro once trained him.
  • Hatred: Consumed by his anger and bloodlust, Hiroki dons Kagerou's armor and takes command of what's left of his army, becoming a brutal warlord no different from Kagerou himself.
• Mutual Kill: The duel between Sanjuro and Kagerou leaves both men fatally wounded. Only one of them stays dead, though.
• My Death Is Only The Beginning: Sadatame drops quite the bombshell after Hiroki kills him.
  "While you were playing your games here, my master made for your village. Think of all those you love. All those you left unprotected."
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Hiroki rushes off to Kamikawamura to fight Sadatame, partially motivated by glory seeking, leaving his own village undefended when it needed his protection the most.
• Old Master: Sanjuro, who is wise and still a capable fighter despite his advanced age.
  "It is said that those who have attained balance can see all the years to come. But those who have lost all balance cannot see even an instant ahead. You must start small, boy. Concentrate. Glimpse the moments that await you. Know your path before you take it."
• Self-Made Orphan: Kagerou killed his own father when he was a boy.
  "A katana, in the hands of one so young. Younger even than I was, when I slew my own father."
• She Is Not My Girlfriend: In the beginning, a merchant blatantly class Aiko Hiroki's girl. The boy's reaction is to stumble upon his words to deny it. Aiko giggles at how his face got red after hearing what the merchant said.

• The Sociopath: Kagerou checks a lot of the boxes: Lack of Empathy, devoid of conscience, exaggerated sense of self-importance, and lack of impulse control.
• Spin Attack: Hiroki has a spin attack to take down enemies that try to sneak up behind him.
• Together in Death: The "Love" ending has Hiroki and Aiko staying together in Yomi as spirits.

• Would Hurt a Child: Kagerou first tries to kill Hiroki when he was only a boy, and is implied to have murdered some of the children in the village.
  Sanjuro: There is no honor in killing children.
  Kagerou: Honor is a crutch for the weak and fearful.

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