We've been champing at the bit for Trek to Yomi -- a game presented in the style of a jidaigeki samurai film, not at all unlike those of Akira Kurosawa or Teinosuke Kinugasa from yesteryear. Here, that homage plays out as an old-school-styled hand and slash, but does its representative charm outplay its play?

Here's a snippet:

You can decapitate enemies, and against a moonlit backdrop with your avatar silhouetted and their blood spraying, the scene is presented in a stunning and brutal way. But any other enemies around you that saw that don’t care, and just come at you. A fear system, even if just aesthetic, wouldn’t have gone astray (think Ghost of Tsushima), or something more tangible where you could reward a player who’d been untouchable and perfect in their offensive and defensive skills. It also would have made contextual sense, but instead you just sort of slice and dice your way through the game, with your progress never really reflected outside of story -- the world doesn’t really react to you, unless you trigger a vignette or the like, and it’s a hugely missed opportunity.

Click here for our full Trek to Yomi review.

Boy, the reviews for this game are going to be a flex-fest to see who knows classic samurai cinema and Japanese folklore and mythology best. I know I'll do my part, but on the whole, it'll almost be as interesting as the game itself. Almost.

Truth is, this Kurasawa love-letter (see, it begins) looks to be setting itself up as something unique in the space, and another potential win for Devolver Digital as a publisher of fine and rare things.

Today's trailer, which accompanies news of the game's May 5 release date for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|SGame Pass from launch day, is an extended gameplay look at the early game, with more than 15 minutes to gawk at.

Check it out embedded below.