This makes Katana Zero feel far more forgiving, and led to me doing a number of intentional ‘trial’ runs to see how I could best use the environment enemy positions and the many collectable weapons, to my advantage. This structure encourages a frenetic, ‘trial and error’ approach to each floor, because when you die you’re quickly brought back to the start of the floor, rather than the whole level. Each mission is divided into a number of smaller floors that you need to get through. And, thankfully, the pace of the game and the size of the levels encourages you to experiment. However – and without sounding too dramatic: death has been mine and Zero’s greatest teacher. One hit is something you cannot afford – at any moment – throughout Katana Zero. One hit – that is all it takes for Zero to get sent straight to the great beyond. Simple, stressful, but ultimately satisfying: I think there could have been a better balance here between offering players the chance to read between the lines, and also to present at least a few concrete ‘facts’ about the story. By the end of my playthrough I certainly had a lot to theorize about, but also an alarming lack of understanding regarding the games events. Sometimes it felt like the game was a tad too ambiguous and vague, just for the sake of building intrigue. That being said, there was one prevailing gripe I had with the story. I just want to reiterate the story is really quite fascinating.
This gives the game a degree of replayability, as depending on your choices, you will experience one of ‘two’ potential endings.Īs mentioned, I am intentionally leaving a lot out of this description. Depending on how you approach these missions, as well as how you behave during your therapy sessions(and how much you ‘comply’), the story can branch out in different directions. The overall structure is fairly simple missions consist of taking down various different targets that are assigned to Zero by his therapist. Again, not something I would normally expect from this genre. I have absolutely no intention of spoiling any aspect of the game’s story I found it far too gripping and shocking because of going in ‘blind’, however, I am happy to say that it was my favourite part of the game. Cutscenes between missions, as well as an open-ended dialogue system, contribute to this story-heavy approach.Ī risky gamble, but thanks to a compelling script, interesting characters and some meaningful choices, it all comes together so well. Often weaved through subtext and acute worldbuilding, Katana Zero has unashamedly opted for a much more direct way of story-telling than I have generally experienced in this genre. In-fact, Katana Zero surprised me in terms of how much time has been devoted to the story. Between every kill, and every stylish run, there is a story being told. Set in a dystopic, post-war metropolis called ‘New Mecca’, the world of Katana Zero is one rife with brutality and mystery. Sounds pretty insane right? It is.īeyond the cool aesthetic and intriguing premise, there is a lot here to discuss, with some interesting design choices that may polarise some. You control Zero: a Katana wielding assassin who has the ability to slow down time, as you complete various different contracts that are supplied by your psychiatrist. Katana Zero is a brutal, challenging, neo-noir 2D action platformer that leaves a strong impression.
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