Katana ZERO

Easily one of the absolute dopest sountracks to go with a video game ever. i love the VHS style pause screen so much. you can tell that the people who made this game ARE lifelong gamers. every little detail thats gone into this game is so well thought out you can help but to become immersed in the story theyve created! fantastic work

I came across this game from it's soundtrack "Panoramic Feeling", listend to it on loop when i was watching the sunset, i was intrigued by where it is from and made a mental note to buy it.
i came for the music and stayed for the story and while i am not a big fan of this sort of gameplay i somehow still had a great time, and the story is amazing to an extent that i became attached to the characters.

Katana ZERO is an awsome game and i am waiting for any dlc to come out!

Played it in one go, don't regret it. Definitely will come back for the other endings

Amazing game, nice art music and story.
High hotline Miami vibes but very unique at the same time.

Good game (if you ignore the existence of hard mode which is just straight up bullshit)

A Bloody Good Time

This game is fucking sick. Fast, action-packed, intense, and increasingly difficult - but never unbearable. You feel like a total badass, and the plot actually supports the gameplay. Every death, every reset, every frustrating defeat makes you wonder what Zero actually has to go through mentally. The trauma and frustration he has to endure is unimaginable.

The storytelling? Absolutely phenomenal. The game drip-feeds information while keeping you constantly confused and lost, just like the protagonist. The medium and types of communication the game uses to express the world and its lore are really unique and interesting. Everything is all over the place at the start, but by the end, things start piecing together and making sense. I really appreciated the pacing - there was just enough room to theorise and piece things together while still getting a steady flow of new details.

The design and attention to detail are insane too. The art direction is fantastic, and the world-building is top-tier. The music is sick too, each level has its own beat, perfectly setting the tone and vibes.

It’s just pure fun. Fast, stylish, brutal, and incredibly satisfying. The only downside is the “To Be Continued” ending, which leaves some plot points unresolved. It wasn’t enough to hurt my experience though, but I’m definitely left wanting more.

Highly recommend this one.

Personal Overall Experience: Amazing – 9/10

A simple action game that manages to deliver an engaging story through bite sized moments and little drops of conversation, without breaking the pacing.

The combat eases you in with an accessible slow motion ability (Chronos), but choosing to forego it and play in real time can feel rewarding in its own right.

Getting good enough to deflect bullets without slowing time is why I consider this game the textbook definition of "easy to pick up, hard to master".

BEST GAME IN THE WORLD, okay okay im over exageratting but its a really good game! 100% reccomend it the music is good the characters are good the colors then game play its all so amazing and everyone deserves to play this game AT LEAST once !!! ;b

Great game with amazing design and gameplay

Played blindly and unlocked 2 endings (chose death first, got the ending... then chose to live right after) which was a total rollercoaster of a ride. The game had neat things to offer such as:
> Subaru-esque ability (which is a new thing for me to experience)
> "annoying little girl"
> drugs
> banger OSTs
> RUSSIAN (tho i can hardly read the letters since I keep forgetting which is which XD)
> Slow Time
> choices that affects your progress
> t h e r a p i s t

The story was also a very good one... UNTIL I GOT FUCKING BLUEBALLED WITH A CLIFFHANGER ENDING (like wtf??!!!)
What happened to the little girl?
How do I save her?
Why is there "TO BE CONTINUED" in the end screen?
Is there a DLC?
Is the story even complete

Like come on, dude!!! I made the right choice, only to be blueballed with a cliffhanger... cyka

anyways 9/10

Replayable? There's a potential in there ngl

great game smooth game play and nice story

Please continue the story! The music, the pixel art style, and the game play are perfect, and the story!!! I need a continuation, with how it ended. I'm full of greed I want more! come back it's been two years!!!

fun gameplay and dialogue + interesting story. The lore ties in with ingame mechanics which is cool

The gold medal achievement seems intimidating at first but once u start practicing each level and getting better and better it becomes addictive. Make sure to disable hit pause

The music and visual aesthetic were phenomenl. the visual story telling was well done and the gameplay was really engaging. I look forward to the upcoming DLC to see where the story continues to go.

Loved this game, gameplay is tight and fun. Music is filled with beautiful synths to suit the vibe. I felt like I had actual agency in making decisions by completing the achievements, and some of the secret bosses and items were really fun to find. The art direction is grungy and filled with surreal imagery to suit the vibe of a drug addict protagonist. The story is cute too, I still don't fully understand it, but that understanding and development of the story might come with future games. This game is an easy 8/10 for me, worth the cheaper price for sure. (I might have more to say after doing the time trial, and hard mode, we'll see.)

Update: I tried hard mode, and it's just not fun? It's more of a slog than the base game. I feel like the harder enemies and greater amount of enemies just really crowds the screen and causes the enemies to gang up on you to punish. I had to do sections several times over and died over a hundred times on the SECOND level. So sufficed to say I'm not doing hard mode, BUT I'll probably do the time trial mode at some point, I think I'll enjoy it MUCH more than the hard mode. I understand the point of the mode is to be difficult, but when the base game's mechanics are already difficult enough in the later stages, I think the buffed up the difficulty on the levels just a bit too much.

Challenging and fun gameplay. Story is interesting too.

Very goood game with great combat and art. Music is fire and the story is insane.

Amazing game , the gameplay is fun, I wish you could play as character 15 for longer or in secret stages, the story needs to be continued either in DLC or a sequel.

I REALLY enjoyed the game while it lasted, it has beautiful visuals, an interesting story, and pretty good gameplay, but I can't justify the price for three hours of gameplay until a hard cut-off cliffhanger. I was really disappointed to see how the game ended, and I can't tell if the promised content updates will ever be released. I will change this review if the update is ever released and it makes it worth the price, but for now I'm requesting a refund (I don't know if I will get one because I have 3.5 or so hours of playtime)

Good story, fast action with time slowing ability، one-hit death mechanism with quick scene rewind/replay. The gameplay is short but fun. Definitely recommended but preferred to be bought on sale.

This game was an awesome surprise from the very start. Gorgeous and fluid pixel art, crazy gameplay, gory, stylish, interesting narrative choices and also great characters. So far this has been one of the best indie games I've EVER played. And it only keeps getting better!!!

10/10

This game is a masterpiece. I ADMIRE the songs used in this game. the gameplay is smooth, the storyline is mindblowingly good. the style is a 10 out of 10. I enjoyed and played it multiple times. just hoping the DLC comes out quickly

The indie devs nailed the aesthetic on this. One of the coolest games I've played.
I'm really looking forward to the rest of the plot once it's released!

brake-neck speeds for pixel style speedrunning gamers and not to mention great psychological story and a beautiful art style

One of the most stunning short indie games I have ever played. This game is a masterpiece: the gameplay stays fun long after the five hours of playtime, and the story feels more like a well-written movie. I also like that the ending and many pieces are left to interpretation, I feel like it fits the narrative from the viewpoint of the main character, who is left as confused as the player. Last but not least, the art in this game is phenomenal. I'll be eagerly waiting for a sequel!

love the art. love the story. the gameplay i found a little hard. but it was a challenge and a ton of fun. pixel art for the win!

It's tough, but fair. Art and level design, music, sound, humour, replayability, petting the cat - it's all excellent. If you like games like Hollow Knight and Nine Sols, then playing Katana ZERO is a no-brainer.

This game is incredible. It's a little short or I could even call it unfinished considering the ending. But overall, it has a great story and combat. It could use some work though, this game has much room to expand. I wish the devs wouldn't just drop the whole game and get on with their lives. We need a continuation. Please. I don't want another Silksong situation.

Easily the best game I've played this year. Holy shit. I don't even know what to say, that was AMAZING. Gameplay, storytelling. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GAME is extremely well done.

Playing Katana Zero was both really fun and frustrating for me. I first played it on NSW years back, and got around to 100%-ing it recently. The game itself looks awesome and runs great. It has its own soundtrack, beautifully animated pixel art, and a level of attention-to-detail that rivals anything I've ever played. The game radiates personality non-stop. For anyone that likes metroidvanias, hack-n-slack, or cool bullet time events, Katana Zero is a must-play.

I do have some gripes; two in particular:

First, the "hard" mode blows hard. At first glance, the games puts in good effort and raising the skill floor. It adds a couple new enemies, makes levels harder, etc. It doesn't take long to realise that 90% of the "challenge" is just adding more enemies. Partway through the playthrough, they start closely combining types of enemies that are impossible to counter together (e.g. enemies that can only be dodged, and enemies where dodging means instant death). Instead of "appreciating" the new challenge, I grew increasingly frustrated, and began just retrying the same "impossible" scenario hundreds of times until I got the angles or RNG just right. Certain parts, like boss fights, felt awesome with their new challenges, attack patterns, etc. I just wish that same excitement carried over to the rest of the game.

My second issue is with the controls/player mechanics. Katana Zero is clearly designed for M&KB, and while the controller support is "good", there are certain obvious "isms" that plague controller use. Certain things like "holding slightly down" will completely change your actions, and often. Controller use aside, there are a couple of weird edge cases that have caused me grief, like being punched from behind someone, getting squashed by doors that should've stayed open, and retroactively failing levels (after getting the "level cleared" or scene exit transition) because I got shot out-of-frame.

These things (while seemingly minor) make it a hard recommend for anyone looking to 100% the game. That being said, I hope my critique isn't too harsh. I hope anyone looking to try this game definitely does. The base game is awesome.

Extremely fun game, fast paced, no limits on death, theres hints and deflect mechanisms. Worth the $14 dollars. (Currently $8 dollars.)

This game has a very fast flow to it, and the story has me invested for the DLC. Do recommend 100%ing it

i had a lot of fun with this game, the combat and movement is really responsive and each level is like a combat puzzle to figure out which is a fascinating dynamic. i was also really pulled in by the story! i'm excited to see what's coming in the future :] and of course the music and art were just stunning. i'll definitely be replaying this

WOW. That story hit me way harder than I expected. Super compelling, and honestly, kinda emotional, i got so attached to the girl, i hope the game do justice to her in dlc when it comes out. The music? Its pure eargasm. Gameplay is tight, and the controls are fluid and not janky. If you haven't played it, do yourself a favor

●●●（Graphics）●●●
☐ You Forget What Reality Is
☒ Magnificent
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t Look Too Long At It
☐ PUBG

●●●（Gameplay）●●●
☒ Enthralling
☐ Good
☐ Typical Gameplay
☐ Meh
☐ Let's Watch Paint Dry
☐ Just Don't

●●●（Audio）●●●
☒ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not Too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm Deaf Now

●●●（Audience）●●●
☐ Kids
☐ Teens
☐ Adults
☐ Grandparents
☒ All except kids (gore and bloodshed)

●●●（PC Requirements）●●●
☐ Check If You Can Run Paint
☒ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Speedy Boi
☐ Rich Boi
☐ Ask NASA If They Have A Spare Computer

●●●（Difficulty）●●●
☐ Just Press 'W'
☐ Easy
☒ Significant Brain Usage
☐ Easy To Learn / Hard To Master
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

●●●（Grind）●●●
☐ Nothing To Grind
☐ Only If You Care About Stats
☒ Isn't Necessary To Progress
☐ Average Grind Level
☐ Destiny 2 Grind
☐ You‘ll Need A Second Life For Grinding

●●●（Story）●●●
☐ No Story
☐ Some Lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☒ Katana ZERO

●●●（Game Time）●●●
☐ Extremely Short ( 0 - 2 Hours )
☒ Short ( 2 - 8 Hours)
☐ Few Hours ( 8 - 12 Hours )
☐ Long ( 12+ Hours )
☐ Endless

●●●（Price）●●●
☐ It’s Free!
☒ Worth The Price
☐ If It's On Sale
☐ If You Have Some Spare Money
☐ Not Recommended
☐ Bill Gates Is My Daddy

●●●（Bugs）●●●
☒ What Are Bugs?
☐ Minor Bugs
☐ Can Get Annoying
☐ Fallout 76
☐ This Game Is A Big Terrarium For Bugs

This game was masterful with its main mechanic

Seriously one of my favorite games of all time. The artwork is as good as it gets. Combat is smooth and rewarding. The story is one of my favorite in any medium. Really couldn't recommend enough, especially with the price. this game could cost 100 dollars and it would still be worth it.

Strange game. Possibly the best-constructed of all the Hotline Miami-likes, with an insanely satisfying moveset for the main character. Visuals, music, and level design were also great. The story will inevitably split people: it's one of those vague, nonlinear ones that reveals itself in bits and pieces, leaving large chunks unknown and never fully resolving itself (at least not yet). It had intriguing and affecting moments for me but never quite reached the heights of its potential from the obvious creativity on display. Also, minor gripe but everything great about the game-feel shat itself whenever my character had to interact with any stairs. Still an intense, impactful experience under five hours that I strongly recommend.

The story and gameplay were both amazing. I just wish it didn't end on a cliffhanger. definitely worth the money though.

Amazing game, amazing soundtrack, amazing pixel art, amazing drive!
Highly recomended play atleast once! Love this game so much!

combat is goat
story is goateder

I have to say, they're taking their time to continue the story of the game. Which is fair, since it's a damn masterpiece of a platformer game, from the story, visuals (despite pixels, but it's amazing) and lore to the characters as well. Can't wait to see the continuity in 2028 or something, heh.

They definitely cooking up some good soundtracks.

this game will always be my favorite. Gameplay and story wise. The music is also soooo good

A fantastic experience that is not hindered in the slightest by its short length, Katana Zero has addicting combat, a twisting and brutal story, and some unforgettable memories. 10/10

This game is an absolute masterpiece, with one of the best OST ever and a incredible story and gameplay.
This game is peak.

Peak story, peak soundtrack, peak gameplay. Technical enough and way too short

One of the best games I've played in my life.It has an astonishing soundtrack, gameplay, level design and story. Everything in this game is perfect

Excellent side-scrolling, hotline-miami-esque game with a great story, tight controls. Some parts are pretty difficult, but calm your nervous system, keep trying, and you'll get it. Strongly recommend.

I cannot find a 2D game thank is as vibey and good looking like Katana Zero, if you are into Pixel games, leave this comment and try it for sure! The game is about Zero, the main character you play as, which he goes through objectives his Therapist make him go through for Zero to receive his "payment" which is a drug called chronos that helps him from being sick. I cant say more but if you find that intresting make sure to play the game and keep your heads up because the dev is making a DLC for FREE (which is still coming, dont know when though). 10/10 game, it really gave me a nice taste and some questions that i wanted to have anwsered.

I enjoyed this game so much! It turned out to be a perfect lunch time and break game for me. Being able to do a perfect run through was so satisfying after thinking it would be impossible. Then figuring out where to be and what to do when. The pieces and story fall into place. I miss games like this. Made me feels like a young kid growing up again.

Fun game. Rips it's whole shtick from Hotline Miami though. Story was kinda intriguing at the start but fell short for me. Still, the music and gameplay is fun enough.