Katana ZERO |OT| The Blade Runner

[Laserbeam]

Finished today.

Currently my Game of the year, I think. Just had a blast and adored the crazy story and the way it unfolded as well as all the dialogue choices and such. Was not expecting so much of that stuff, but it really does add to the experience even if most of it is superficial.

And what a soundtrack.

 

[Askherserenity]

Any sort of replayability? Or is it just the story and das it?

 

[Wanace]

Just beat it. The kind of action game I like: instant restarts and not too difficult once you get the mechanics down and you have unlimited chances to retry. I found this less frustrating than something like Celeste for example but it doesn't have that game's satisfaction at completion.

Nintendo Switch was perfect. Played portable mode all the way through and the game looked great. Sometimes downscaled text looks hideous (Enter the Gungeon is a perfect example) but this game looked beautiful. Loved the art, music and style.

Spoiler: Endgame spoilers

What's the deal with the government lab? On Nintendo Switch nothing happens when I hit X by the keycard. I imagine there are some hidden keycards or something in the game but I didn't find any when I played through it.

 

[DigitalT]

The game felt good to play, and it was great to try and do everything as stylishly as I could to make the replays look better. That story was interesting as well but its ending is so odd with how much it just leaves open for either a sequal or dlc. Very odd choice to end the game like this, especially after such a long development time.

 

[LetalisAmare]

Great game let down by a somewhat weird end. It makes it feel somewhat incomplete. Banging soundtrack though.

 

[Ultimadrago]

The game felt good to play, and it was great to try and do everything as stylishly as I could to make the replays look better. That story was interesting as well but its ending is so odd with how much it just leaves open for either a sequal or dlc. Very odd choice to end the game like this, especially after such a long development time.

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Agreed, I already was late on the waiting list for it and I felt cheated waiting that long for such a short game only to be "teased" about something else. Good time though overall.

 

[ghibli99]

Bought this sight unseen at launch based on the trailer. Seems like my kind of game. Kinda glad to hear that it's relatively short too after spending over 110 hours with Sekiro. :P

 

[TripOpt55]

I am loving this so far. I mess up a lot, but the restart on a room is so quick so it never gets frustrating. When you find a good method or route or whatever or do something really stylish or cool to clear the room it is very satisfying. The visuals, music and setting are great and the story has been really intriguing. They do some wild stuff with the dialogue options. I'm going to try and finish this up tomorrow. I'm very glad I bought this. Kind of did bought it on a whim having remembered liking the trailer when I saw it on a Direct.

 

[N E R O]

Amazing Game, Crazy story. I finished it today. Took me 4 hours (without the secret boss), I would definitely replay this if there is a ps4 port

 

[Rehynn]

Do dialog choices matter much? Is it worth playing through again just to see where else conversations can be taken?

 

[Vex]

Do dialog choices matter much? Is it worth playing through again just to see where else conversations can be taken?

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I want to know this too. A lot of choices seem interesting, but I'm wondering if they actually change the outcome... Especially that one boss...

 

[Arsene no Kiseki]

I want to know this too. A lot of choices seem interesting, but I'm wondering if they actually change the outcome... Especially that one boss...

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Do dialog choices matter much? Is it worth playing through again just to see where else conversations can be taken?

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Dialouge choices are a key part in unlocking the secret boss. But other than that they don't change the outcome. You can just use chapter select to change your dialouge choices though, its not hard to unlock the secret boss if you miss it.

 

[Rehynn]

Cool, thanks. Will it be obvious by the end what dialog paths I have to follow to unlock the secret boss?

 

[Globule]

Still playing but what a cool game to play. It can be challenging but the very short levels make it very manageable. I'm enjoying it a lot.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

x

 

[It’s Reyn Time!]

Just finished it. That was one hell of a game. I absolutely adore it.

 

[AztecDeathWhistle]

Cool, thanks. Will it be obvious by the end what dialog paths I have to follow to unlock the secret boss?

Click to shrink...

Supposedly you unlock it by

Spoiler

being a total asshole the entire game until that last chat with the therapist. Pick all red options, hang up on every call, kill everyone all the time, break every level condition and it should open up. A video of someone unlocking and then beating the boss is under this other spoiler tag

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/8Vpj2xSpets

 

[Thorn]

"The Path of Anime is one I walk alone." is the greatest line ever written in video games, if not all of fiction.

 

[Rehynn]

Supposedly you unlock it by

Spoiler

being a total asshole the entire game until that last chat with the therapist. Pick all red options, hang up on every call, kill everyone all the time, break every level condition and it should open up. A video of someone unlocking and then beating the boss is under this other spoiler tag

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/8Vpj2xSpets

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Excellent, thank you. This should also make a second playthrough more convenient, then.

"The Path of Anime is one I walk alone." is the greatest line ever written in video games, if not all of fiction.

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Lol I haven't gotten to that part yet but the writing is actually surprisigly tight, I'm very pleasantly surprised.

 

[Arturo]

Great game so far. The pixel art is amazing…

And guys, if you like Katana Zero take a look at Deadbolt (by the makers of Risk of Rain). Pretty similar concept.

 

[cyba89]

I just completed the

Spoiler: Spoiler

Mansion mission with the motorcycle part and the boss fight.

That game went from very good to absolutely awesome. Also started using headphones now which also makes the game a LOT better.

 

[PancakeFlip]

Game is great, money well spent.

 

[Cooking]

Beat this in one sitting last night. Wasn't crazy about it - great soundtrack and fun writing though. I also think some of this was self inflicted because the game gets tedious/samey fast if you play all at once. That being said I'd be willing to try a sequel or DLC

That secret boss looks cool but also infuriating. Whoever is playing in that footage is a god

 

[refusi0n1]

Damn can't decide to grab it or wait for it to go on sale from these posts. Love me some hotline Miami.

 

[fall_ark]

Dialouge choices are a key part in unlocking the secret boss. But other than that they don't change the outcome. You can just use chapter select to change your dialouge choices though, its not hard to unlock the secret boss if you miss it.

Click to shrink...

It's pretty important for the receptionist girl if nothing else.
Also changes one level's secondary goal and thus the way to unlock a weapon. Was a pretty important part in plot as well.

 

[fall_ark]

Just finished the game. Really good. Not as good as Hotline Miami, but close. Lovely pixel art, super tight controls, great soundrack, awesome bosses (I really enjoyed the bosses, wish there were more of them) and interesting story beats, even if it ends in a cliffhanger. All around, very nice game.

I just feel like the Cronos power was a little underused. I got through most of the game without using it much.

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Every time you die (or rather restarting instead of dying) you use Cronos power.

 

[HeRinger]

Every time you die (or rather restarting instead of dying) you use Cronos power.

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Of course, but I meant as a gameplay mechanic.

 

[XaosWolf]

I enjoyed what was here but it doesn't mix anything up and is disappointingly short which doesn't leave much in the way of replayability.
I thought it was opening up when

Spoiler: Mid-Late game spoilers

you get to play as the real Dragon and get that awesome slash dash attack - even thought you might play more as him if you pick the other option from the masked men -

but it doesn't go anywhere and the whole thing just ends really abruptly.

I'm up for a sequel (if they add the rest as DLC then this was basically an early access title) but it really feels like this was split up somewhere during development.

 

[Bansai]

"The Path of Anime is one I walk alone." is the greatest line ever written in video games, if not all of fiction.

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My first thought was: "hoooly shit, I can say that unironically, WOW"

Just finished, no secret boss for me though, guess I'll need to replay some sections.

Hoping for a sequel, the game is a blast!

 

[Mr.Fletcher]

Finished it. Loved it.

The story, graphics, music and gameplay were all great. The conversation system, despite having no real consequence outside of a couple of instances, was fantastic. You could get as much or as little context/background as you wanted.

I wish it was longer and it could have done with a bit more mechanical variety, but it's a fantastic base to build from.

People are sleeping on this game - it's a cracker and deserves to be a success.

 

[stan_marsh]

This game is amazing, any more games like this on Switch or PS4?

 

[AnimeJesus]

Finished it. Loved it.

The story, graphics, music and gameplay were all great. The conversation system, despite having no real consequence outside of a couple of instances, was fantastic. You could get as much or as little context/background as you wanted.

I wish it was longer and it could have done with a bit more mechanical variety, but it's a fantastic base to build from.

People are sleeping on this game - it's a cracker and deserves to be a success.

Click to shrink...

I want to but the atmosphere is a huge downer for me. The run animation is even too anime for me and I'd probably just cringe the whole game. The only thing missing is a fedora for the main character.

 

[apieceofstrange]

Just finished and it was a cool experience, albeit it ends too soon and abruptly. Took me 4.6 hours according to steam and that was experimenting with some different dialogue options. I tried both choices when you have to choose one of the masks and

Spoiler

choosing the silver death mask will result in an ending sequence.

I wonder if there are other similar branching paths, but don't feel motivated to re-play it again just for story bits. Would at least be cool with they allowed for multiple playable characters (like

Spoiler

the Real Dragon

) to switch up the gameplay.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

This might be my favourite game of the year so far after Sekiro. Super fun and smooth combat, great art, awesome music and some surprisingly good story bits. It's short, but that prevents it from outstaying its welcome and the game mixes things up with things like

Spoiler

stealth, a mine cart sequence, bike action and boss fights.

.

 

[TripOpt55]

Finished this today and loved it. I honestly didn't mind the length. I think it worked for this sort of game. I think they did a fair job of mixing up the typical rooms a few times throughout the game with stuff like:

Spoiler

The motorcycles, the mine cart, the other playable character and boss fights.

But I do wish they had told a more complete story. I found it really intriguing, but I didn't like the abrupt ending and lack of closure on so much stuff. I mean I'll gladly play a sequel, but I think they could have found a better balance between wrapping up stuff here and still leaving some threads to explore more in the future I guess. I mean you also never know if a new IP like this will get a sequel, so it seems pretty bold to leave players hanging on this level I guess. I don't know.

 

[bobbychalkers]

Just beat it, everything about it was perfect to me. Even some of the story bits that people found abrupt.

Spoiler

I think sequel bait is an artform that most games get wrong but god damn I am frothing at the mouth for a sequel.

This game is amazing, any more games like this on Switch or PS4?

Click to shrink...

If you haven't played Hotline Miami, then play Hotline Miami.

 

[ScOULaris]

So I just finished the game. Who was the optional boss that some of you have been referring to? I looked up the "secret ending," but that's the one that I got just playing through normally.

 

[Tatsu91]

Just beat it, everything about it was perfect to me. Even some of the story bits that people found abrupt.

Spoiler

I think sequel bait is an artform that most games get wrong but god damn I am frothing at the mouth for a sequel.

If you haven't played Hotline Miami, then play Hotline Miami.

Click to shrink...

Seriously i need to know what happens next i honestly thought it was building up to a final mission

 

[Deleted member 42]

EXCUSE ME @ that secret boss

 

[ScOULaris]

Now that I've finished the game, I'd like to briefly share my overall impressions.

I had been awaiting this game for quite a long time, ever since the initial reveal trailer years ago. I say that to establish the context of my mild disappointment with the final product. Don't get me wrong, I still think that this is a gorgeous indie 2D action title with a strong and confident identity and vibe all its own and a pretty banging soundtrack. It's just that the concept and setting are both so strong that it pains me a bit to see what could have been a seminal indie release hamstrung by the limitations of its mostly one-man development.

I say that with the utmost respect for Askiisoft and what they were able to accomplish with Katana Zero, but this game more than any other in a long while makes me ache for more. Normally that would be a compliment, but Katana Zero basically ends right as its beginning to hit its stride. The first 75% of the game consists of brief, easy gameplay segments that lack enemy/level variety and story segments between each of them. The ratio of gameplay to story is actually somewhat low in the game, which was somewhat surprising to me.

That's not to say that the story isn't good, because it actually is pretty intriguing and well thought-out. But when the core gameplay and game design is relatively simple without challenge to add more heft to the proceedings, the emphasis on story sequences makes the game's very short runtime feel even leaner than it already would.

The game's final few levels really highlight the game's unrealized potential, however. It's in the final stretch that the difficulty finally ramps up a bit and demands a bit more thought from the player, and the story's many twists and turns in the final act are pretty great. But as many others have said, it all ends abruptly right as things are getting interesting.

Anyway, I truly hope that the game is successful enough to bankroll a much bigger, better sequel. There is just a huge amount of potential with the game's world and characters, and the gameplay would really sing with more challenging level designs and additional mechanics to lend variety to the action.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I think I'm going to fall on the side of "Really good, but not complete" as well, and oddly enough I think the abundance of narrative here is actually both to blame and a huge boon to the game. Early on, it's extremely narrative heavy when establishing the mission/therapist/home rhythm and overall tone, which is fine, but it has to be said that the short and simple combat rooms do feel outweighed by that story and leave you itching for more substantial action beats. Then you get to the mid game, and as the story comes into greater focus, the scenarios also get more creative- weaved into and out of fractured storytelling- and the game hits its stride. All that worldbuilding starts to payoff, more extended gameplay sequences are informed by the scenario instead of being overpowered by it, you get a few boss fights and set-pieces, etc, etc. What began with a fairly rigid structure is now breaking its own rules, and jump cutting everywhere, and dropping you into missions when you don't expect it, and building into something greater.

Then it ends.

And this is where I come back to the story being a positive but also part of the issue here. It's not that you can't have a fulfilling game at 4-5 hours, it's that Katana Zero telling this story, with this kind of gameplay escalation, doesn't get to peak. It's over just as the gameplay is getting more involved and challenging, just as the story is answering questions, and right at the point where some personal stakes are thrown at the protagonist. It's otherwise a very satisfying game moment to moment- with beautiful pixel art and animations, a great soundtrack, ridiculous dialogue through an active conversation system, an interesting core sci-fi gimmick, and super crunchy hit feedback- but if the game was going to lean on story based pacing this hard, it needed more time and variety to reach its potential. This is always a tough criticism to lob at indie games with a small team (or no team at all), but it is what it is.

Even with that caveat, I'd still recommend the game because it's real crunchy and stylish.

 

[XaviConcept]

Yeah I think it was either a bit unfinished or they saved some stuff for the dlc/sequel

The scenarios felt end of game ish but not the final story boss, that one felt a bit like "well just do this here" instead of "weve been building this confrontation for a long time"

 

[i'm not a rob0t]

Getting kinda tired of every 5th indie game on the market ripping off Hotline Miami's aesthetic to the bone. It's so ridiculously played out at this point.

 

[RM8]

Getting kinda tired of every 5th indie game on the market ripping off Hotline Miami's aesthetic to the bone. It's so ridiculously played out at this point.

Click to shrink...

To be fair, this game is gorgeous and Hotline Miami is honestly not :x

 

[Handicapped Duck]

Bought the game tonight and only meant to try out the first level and instead beat half the game already, lol. I'm enjoying the story, playing the game being a rude individual and questioning everything, the receptionist got a grin out of me when I was rude to her. The gameplay I thought would be more being methodical like Hotline Miami with trying different attempts with each run, but it feels more limited in nature. Graphics and music are wonderful, I'll see about finishing it tomorrow.

 

[hussien-11]

Gameplay mechanics were cool in the trailers, and the game feels great to play with its fast paced action and good level design..
BUT
actually the story is Katana Zero's biggest surprise. this is one of the best indie games I've ever encountered in terms of storytelling. the game is highly recommended, even though its unfortunately short.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

This narrative is fucking me up emotionally, I gotta say.

 

[Love Machine]

Great game so far. The pixel art is amazing…

And guys, if you like Katana Zero take a look at Deadbolt (by the makers of Risk of Rain). Pretty similar concept.

Click to shrink...

I've gotta finish this. Love the gameplay and music, but it's hard as nails!

This game is amazing, any more games like this on Switch or PS4?

Click to shrink...

See above! (On PS4, Vita, PC)

 

[Overflow]

Wow, bummed to hear it's RC'd here in Australia. hopefully just delayed

 

[Roubjon]

Getting kinda tired of every 5th indie game on the market ripping off Hotline Miami's aesthetic to the bone. It's so ridiculously played out at this point.

Click to shrink...

Hotline Miami does not own the 80s and neon. And not to mention the general vibe of both games really doesn't feel the same at all to me. Katana Zero has way more of an "Old Boy"/"Blade Runner" groove to it. Hotline Miami also just looks nasty, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just what it was going for. Katana Zero is gorgeous.