Katana ZERO

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.

Great combat and flow matched with a sad story

An absolute GEM. The story is even greater than the gamplay. It's absolutely unforgiving. But so much fun!

This game still plays in my head, great action, mind bending story and beautiful art.

Perfectly challenging combat that may be rage educing, complex and in depth story with so many twists and turns overall love it and wish i could play it all over again.

The gameplay is amazing and so is this story. Keep in mind it only takes about 5 hours to beat, and it is really hard. Also, it ends abruptly as it'll either be completed in the DLC or a 2nd game im assuming.

Love it, I've played for only 7 hours, but i still cant get enough... Also please let us save the little girl in the DLC, There's been only a few times I've been on my knees, and This game is one of them, I'm begging you if she is Dead I'm Becoming the Next Lex-Luther..

Just as fun as I remember. Love the story, style, art, and everything else.

Really cool game, not what I expected but it was very nice. There is more of a focus on story than I expected (although I became very invested), and combat and music is amazing. Took about 5 hrs for me to complete but I am playing through again for achievements (and alternate dialogue options). Recommend, even at full price :)

Incredible Experience.
I really enjoyed the game mechanics. Music was very thematic and fit the atmosphere will.
I loved the detailed pixel art and the effects alongside it.
The story is good but I really hated it when characters got introduced to be explored in a different game or dlc. Story feels incomplete this way to me
9/10

Surprisingly great story with cool characters

Surprisingly engaging story, tough as hell combat and a really groovy soundtrack, couldn't ask for more to be honest

Awesome, fluid, fast game play! Soundtrack fits perfectly and the story is great. 10/10

Yes, that should work.

This game is one of the best games I ever played. Story can be described in two words : absolute cinema ✋😐🤚. Artstyle is beautiful , I loved the roof scene . OST in this game is incredible and I regularly listen it. Gameplay may be confusing at first , but when you master it you begin to get incredible relaxation from the game. This game is a masterpiece and it worth every cent I spent on it and even more. I'm waiting for DLC for this game as the second coming of Christ and I really hope that will be as great as the rest of the game. 🙏

honestly, Vi is a creep
but the story is very deep and engaging
the way how the game changes slightly according to your descisions is pretty cool too

Fast paced action platformer with slow mo ability
very flashy and gets quite creative with its own machanics, plot is confusing but interesting enough that you keep going
its however a very short game, like 5 hours for a normal playthrough, while this game awards you with a very good speedruner mode that can be deeply customised, the levels themselves offer little replayablility beyond bettering your par time and finding secrets, there is a hidden bonus bossfight but the game couldn't compel me enough to actualy unlock it
solid game that falls a tiny bit short of being great

If you want a game that will give you the punishing gameplay from hotline Miami, the hack and slash tech from deadcells, and the story to actually make you think about it then katana zero is for you. whens the fucking dlc though

This game feels like an absolute power trip, despite the constant dying. It's fun, satisfying, and extremely engaging, with great visuals and music. The only real gripe I have, which isn't much of a gripe, is the fact that the DLC hasn't had much news, and it's been a long long time since its announcement. It's almost comparable to Silksong... stay strong, everyone.

10/10
music is banging
got to pet the cat
the combat makes me feel like a badass

A perfect blend of fast, fluid combat and a mind-bending story. The one-hit-kill mechanics make every fight intense, and the time manipulation adds a unique twist. The story starts simple but quickly turns into a psychological thriller that kept me hooked.

The synthwave soundtrack and neon-noir aesthetic make every moment feel cinematic. If you love stylish action and thought-provoking narratives, this game is a must-play. Could be frustrating at times, but was a skill issue.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Katana: Zero is a challenging experience that requires fast reactions, skill, and timing. the swordplay is satisfying and the visuals are colorful and interesting. the art style is pleasing, and the dialogue is both funny and well made. dialogue can also change the story as well, so its kind of like a choose-your-own- adventure, but not really. the story is also good too, with plenty of lore.
overall, i'd rate this an 8/10. i'd recommend picking it up, especially if you're a fan of hotline miami, dead cells, or other difficult games. At the very least, get it on a sale.

pretty good. the first half is a straight 10/10 but i feel like the latter half kinda loses that momentum. ending is really abrupt too. still very fun overall

Lowkey mixed about it lol. Dont get me wrong the story is amazing, gameplay is even better. But then thats just it. The gameplay. The amount of times I click out of the game and get killed for it is absolutley ridiculous. I understand I can just play controller but it feels better with the mouse, gets very annoying after a while. Besides that its a great game, inspired by hotline miami and makes me rage just like it for that its 9/10

Very few games every managed to get me this invested, and i can count on 1 hand how many managed to get me genuinely shook and have my mouth agape during the end of it... Askiisoft, you made a diamond of a game, this was not only captivating gameplaywise, not only did it reel me in with the character and story, but every single time i thought i knew what was going on? SIKE! Its actually something else...

I can warmly reccomend this game to anyone who is considering it, its easily one of my fav games currently

the story and the gameplay are both awesome

Gameplay is fast and adrenaline pumping but the soundtrack makes it 1000x better i highly recommend

---{ Graphics }---
☐You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life

---{ Gameplay }---
☑Very good
☐ Good
☐Average
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ PC Requirements }---
☑Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☐Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☑Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Fair
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ GIVE 'EM THE MONEY, NOW!
☐ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ 1 / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

Nothing bad about the game.just didn't leave an impression or feel pulled to complete it. If you already have played Hotline Miami and want a similar experience that's a side scroller with a samurai cyber punk aesthetic, then go for it. So know that's what you can expect going in. Well made. Looks.good. Ran flawlessly on PC and deck. Type was small for me on deck.

I had a lot of fun with this game - visuals, music & gameplay were all amazing! :) Short game that is definitely worth your time.

An amazing and somewhat difficult game. I love and hate the ending

This is my favorite game. It combines fluid and fast gameplay, beautiful pixel art, and an interesting story. The detail that was put into hard mode and speedrun mode put AAA companies to shame. Highly recommend.

A great game with a comfortable character control system, a fast-paced combat system, and an intriguing story. Boss fights are good. High-quality level design. Nice music. Nice visuals and got me hooked from start to finish (I just finished it in 6 hours in one sitting). Not very long but fun and engaging.

Finished the game. It's pretty fun and short. I think the combat is pretty fun and the chronos mechanic is really interesting. I hope a sequel comes out. But most likely not seeing how it has been 5 years. Fuck comedy and tragedy, kidnapped the lil girl.

I feel like I just experienced gaslighting, crippling drug addiction, and schizophrenia all one one evening — oh and the game is fun too. 5/5

On my scale, a 5/5 game is a masterpiece. These games stay with you and invoke the strongest sense of accomplishment, mastery, and creativity. Some may change your life, while others provide a perfect gaming experience. Some of these define their genres and cast shadows everyone else dreams of escaping, while others completely transform the genre entirely or open up a whole new pathway for game development.
Katana Zero is a very, very short game, almost disappointingly so — I beat the full story in just under 4.5 hours. But it trades length for one of the most polished and compact gaming experiences I have played in a long time, maybe even ever.

It boggles my mind that a single person made the vast majority of this game. The artwork is beautiful, the animations are crisp, and the soundtrack; holy fuck the soundtracks are amazing synth masterpieces, punctuated and accentuated by weighty sound effects. For the sensory experience alone, this game is well worth the money.

But there is an entire game and story that goes along with this work of audio-visual art too. Let me leave the best for last and talk about gameplay first.

Gameplay involves sequences of levels filled with enemies that you [usually] have to kill. You have a dodge roll, a gigantic katana, a time slowing ability, and can pick up and throw objects at your enemies. The premise is simple, although fairly challenging: one hit = death, for you and your adversaries alike. So you move through the levels with near effortless speed, dispatching enemies as if some demigod with a sword. At the end of each stage segment, you are rewarded with a replay of your brutal efficiency.

Enemies are also not Stormtroopers. These guys have itchy trigger fingers and deadly accuracy. I lost count of the number of times I opened a door and was shot instantly. Enemies are hard to deal with, and despite the seeming linearity of the levels, you often have many choices you can make in how you clear the stages. One of the best elements of the game are the pseudo-ragdoll physics. When you kill enemies, they splatter blood everywhere and get sent flying. Same to you when you get killed though, and it is particularly funny when you eat a full shotgun blast and you get propelled across the map.

If this doesn’t sound like fun mechanics, then idk seek help because you probably like trailing missions instead.

Now I will talk about the story. And all I can really say about the story is: what. the. fuck. It is trippy, trippy as balls. They pull off such a perfect execution of a protagonist gripped by hallucinations, to the point where you start to wonder what is the real story line and what is drug-fueled craze and what are alternate timelines. It presents, in a way little other media has, the reality of how psychedelic drug addictions and dependencies can manifest into psychosis and destroy lives, because if you lived with the same fragile grip of reality that the protagonist does, you too would do anything you could to stem the insanity.

It is a story about control, about PTSD, about government operatives taking advantage of veterans, about class divisions and dynamics, of gang violence and the cruelty of the depraved. But if you allow it, a little girl might show you that even in such a dystopic, sci-fi hellhole of an existence, human kindness, human connection, human spirit and warmth, can be worth the pain. It is in those interactions we see a wounded and troubled killer have the capacity for something greater, and it takes a spunky, creative, and unceasingly curious child to warm that heart.

I knew what would happen when I was faced with a choice, and I chose suicide in Chinatown to protect those I loved. I resigned myself to reloading and picking the other option because I just needed to see the story through to the other end, even knowing what it meant. And at the very end, the very existence of the child is called into question and society vilifies our protagonist for his concern; we ultimately hope she was a figment of his psychosis so as to spare her whatever cruel fate could have befallen her.

I dare not say more for fear of spoiling the story further, only that it is incredibly moving and very disturbing. As members of a society in the continued throes of an opioid epidemic, a crisis of homelessness and undertreatment of mental health, and a severely economically stratified society (although fortunately not yet at the level of the one in Katana Zero) we all ought to sit with the messages, themes, and lived experiences Katana Zero presents so well.

For the length of gameplay, $15 is a premium. I believe Katana Zero is worth every penny, especially if you allow its story to impact you. It is refreshing to see such a fun game communicate such deep, poignant, and emotion-provoking themes in a such a compact story.

Exceptional gameplay with a far more involved story than one expects from an action-slasher game. Reminiscent of classic arcade games like metal slug, with the precision combat mechanics of modern games. A shorter game, but packs every minute with as much gameplay, intrigue, & story as you can handle. A hidden gem with far more hidden within than the trailer suggests. A must play. Great on Steam Deck.

a friend has recommenced me this last year he recently left without saying why and i miss him. this game was insane 10/10 story was interesting and it was short and sweet this game was like a final tribute to him and ill never forget that.

Audiovisual orgasm. A bit hard to follow story-wise but otherwise katana goes brrrrr

Ninja action game where you can slow down time and one-hit one kill most enemies. Beautiful pixel art, fun combat and a decent story to boot.

Very fun gameplay, also did not expect the story to be so good. DLC WHEN??!!?