![]() ![]() The Askiisoft pixelated action game Katana Zero hasn't exactly flown under the radar since its launch, with 100,000 copies sold in its first week on the market, and we have to say that the success is well-deserved. After charging through the game, we were left in awe of what the developer had accomplished with this simple yet uniquely fantastic little experience. The player follows the game's tough protagonist, a samurai assassin of sorts who slices through mobsters and other bad guys in a gritty, neon-clad city. When we spoke to Askiisoft's Justin Stander, he explained how the game was inspired by Korean revenge-thrillers and we can definitely see the source of his inspiration shine through when slashing our foes through city streets, gritty nightclubs and run-down cell blocks. The protagonist, who seems to be mentally unstable in some way, talks to a handler who appears to also be his psychiatrist and tells him about dreams he's having at night, letting the player choose what he wants to tell him, how much of the truth he'll share, or if he wants to share anything at all, and the choices alter the dialogue throughout the game. After each chat, the player gets a mission briefing that, once read, needs to be burnt. Your task, on almost every mission, is to take down all of the mobsters in your path with very few exceptions but there's fun mechanics at play here that make what sounds like a tedious objective feel unique. Of course, you'll be running, crouching, sliding, slashing doors open, attacking and throwing items at your enemies, however, you also have the option to slow down the action on the battlefield. This ability is somehow linked to the drug the handler pumps you full of between missions. When time is slowed down, you have a short window to take down all the many enemies in sight and have an easier time deflecting bullets back at your attacker (or attackers) with your sword. You'll still die a lot, trust us, and at the end of every encounter, you'll get the option to check your many tries to find out what you did wrong in each. The playable character dies in one hit, meaning that Katana Zero is all about trial and error and developing muscle memory to get through each room. If you die at the end of an area, you'll have to start all over and while that can sometimes be frustrating, it's incredibly rewarding to nail a perfect run. With DLC planned to be released this year, now is the perfect time to jump in and be ready for whatever comes next in the world of Katana Zero.Every victory is a flawless one - it has to be.Įnemies aren't the only source of danger either you'll be faced with lasers, turrets, minecart level gaps to jump across, stealth areas where you have to make sure you're not in some enemy's line of sight and more. It’s also available on game pass currently, and nothing beats the low price of zero dollars and zero cents. ![]() Once that’s been completed, you can also replay in the form of speed run mode, which offers a customizable range of challenges to ramp things up even further.Īt 341MB this one’s also easy on the hard drive and won’t take all night to download for those of us who await the widespread reach of broadband. What’s not to love about a Neo-noir dystopian society, a war story, unraveling the past’s mysteries and taking down difficult foes? Your mileage may vary, but I found that the main story line took about 4-5 hours for a full play-through. This can prove to be challenging and at times frustrating but in the end, is ultimately rewarding when you manage to complete the stage in one go.īeyond that, the story alone is a compelling enough reason to give it a shot. Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. ![]() With that said, each stage has multiple checkpoints, so you rarely have to play entire missions all the way through to get these. Most can be earned in a main playthrough of the game, a couple are easier to get after the game, both because the effect the story and game. Rather than utilizing a health bar or a traditional set of heart icons, you’re given a single life per stage. Katana ZERO is a pretty well put together game for achievements. It’s a blend of Synthwave and Chiptune that really serves to accent each stage and give them their own unique flair. Taking place in the dystopian city of New Mecca and following the story of “The Dragon”, Katana Zero is a 2D action platformer that has a lot of things going for it.įor one, the music selection is great. Where however, should one turn to if they are feeling nostalgic and wanting to scratch their platforming itch? I would say they should look no further than Katana Zero. In today’s world of gaming, there’s a deluge of titles to choose from that spans across a wide breadth of genres. ![]()
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