Katana ZERO |OT| The Blade Runner

[Schlauchkopf]

After my first run through the game my feelings gravitated towards, "Eh, it's fun, but mostly carried by it's art and music."

My impression of the gameplay has gotten better on subsequent playthroughs actually, and I had fun getting all the keys, but on the other hand, after having a better grasp of the story than I did after my first playthrough, it really does just end in the middle of things without much closure. I hope the upcoming free DLC features some actual story continuation and not just something like, a challenge mode, or whatnot.

 

[BackwardCap]

I don't see the importance of the replay function. Watching what I just did a few moments ago in black & white isn't really an interesting feature.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I don't see the importance of the replay function. Watching what I just did a few moments ago in black & white isn't really an interesting feature.

Click to shrink...

It's more for story than gameplay reasons. It closes the "see the future" loop by showing your actual run the way everyone else sees it, or doesn't when the cameras are off.

 

[Oinone]

Finished watching a walkthrough yesterday.
I was pretty impressed by the different things they were doing throughout the gameplay.

Spoiler

Like the bicycle section, or the minecart. Or that you dance in the crowd to avoid the guards or have to play Roulette and so on. Not to mention Quiet Hills.

I didn't expect that much story either, but it left me utterly confused, with a lot of questions. I thought, maybe the run missed a lot, watched the secret boss, searched for alternate endings etc.
Then I come here and see, people are as clueless as I am. That's a bit of a bummer.

Anyway I personally was strongly reminded of the anime/manga Gangsta. the whole time.

Spoiler

Super soldiers created by an addictive drug. How they get disposed of and tossed aside into slums after the war, struggeling to get the expensive drug, they need to survive. The child soldier with a katana just screams Nicholas Brown.

Man, I loved that show. Wish it would continue. :/

 

[Jeff ChickenDig]

Just beat it. Was a blast. Think the hardest stuff was mostly the one time you are missing your sword for a bit. Felt like i lucked my way through that. Every other scenario there generally is an approach that works without super reflexes or using slowmo so its fun looking for that. The other scenarios where they spawn enemies in a locked screen can be a bit rough until you get the pattern down.


I'm down for more content. Hard to complain about the game's length when its only $15.

 

[Schlauchkopf]

I'm down for more content. Hard to complain about the game's length when its only $15.

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Besides, you still got some keys to find and

Spoiler

fight the secret final boss.

 

[Sander VF]

Just beat it. Was a blast. Think the hardest stuff was mostly the one time you are missing your sword for a bit. Felt like i lucked my way through that. Every other scenario there generally is an approach that works without super reflexes or using slowmo so its fun looking for that.

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You may not actually lose the sword depending on the dialogue choices in the scene prior.

 

[mescalineeyes]

This game was awesome. Worth every penny. Loved that it had a strong narrative portion as well as really varied gameplay.

 

[Jeff ChickenDig]

You may not actually lose the sword depending on the dialogue choices in the scene prior.

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Damn that's pretty sick! Wonder how many other choices can change stuff.

 

[shadowman16]

Been playing this game for the last couple of days. I love it. The art and music are excellent and the gameplay is insanely fast and addictive. Just doing a second run now to

Spoiler

fight the secret boss

and I've toyed with a couple of the different dialogue options (legit felt bad about letting the girl watch the film with me (not the samurai one either...)

Speaking of which

Spoiler

while I think I get most of the plot, who is the little girl, and is she even real? Just wondering as her sillouette shows up in one of the dreams, but then the two weird mask dudes take her away. Just wondering if she's real or not.
Also, wonder if any DLC/sequel will have Snow turn up again, as you don't even get to fight her proper in this game (judging by the other bosses, she'd probably be a blast to fight)

 

[Azure J]

Spoiler

I'm just genuinely here pacing around waiting for more from this game. It was such a perfect ride at the perfect time.I just really want more playable Fifteen/Dragon but yeah I'd also love to see Snow playable too.

A Takamaru costume for Zero would be rad too.

 

[Dakkon]

I was wondering why the writing was so compelling in this, then I saw the end credits, saw Eric Shumaker, and then I knew.

Eric Shumaker (aka Chef Boyardee/cboyardee) is one of the major parts of Tales of Game's Studios which people here likely know them for the masterpiece of an RPG, Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa.

There was definitely moments where I thought this, but...

 

[Kalor]

I bought the game yesterday, finishing it today and that was really great. I wasn't expecting the ways they changed up the gameplay or the story to be as engaging as it was.

Still got the secret boss to do but I'm eagerly awaiting the dlc and speedrun mode.

 

[BassForever]

Got back to the game today, would love for someone to eventually make a guide that shows all the various ways dialogue scenes can play out.

 

[NotLiquid]

As someone who's a Hotline Miami fan, I absolutely adore this game. I think I like it more than Hotline Miami if we're being honest. This is easily GOTY for me so far, and possibly in the running for one of my favorite games of all time. It hits all of my buttons.

It's actually kinda frustrating how much I love it because the ending kinda sucks? It feels so unfinished.

Spoiler

I don't mind fairly ambiguous downer endings, both Hotline Miami games do it well, but there's too many cliffhangers and way too much buildup for a pretty low-key payoff. It feels like the game ends after its second act. Not much in the way of a finale.

Then again, DLC is confirmed right? I'm assuming that's going to pick up where this left off. At least I hope it does.

 

[Schlauchkopf]

As someone who's a Hotline Miami fan, I absolutely adore this game. I think I like it more than Hotline Miami if we're being honest. This is easily GOTY for me so far, and possibly in the running for one of my favorite games of all time. It hits all of my buttons.

It's actually kinda frustrating how much I love it because the ending kinda sucks? It feels so unfinished.

Spoiler

I don't mind fairly ambiguous downer endings, both Hotline Miami games do it well, but there's too many cliffhangers and way too much buildup for a pretty low-key payoff. It feels like the game ends after its second act. Not much in the way of a finale.

Then again, DLC is confirmed right? I'm assuming that's going to pick up where this left off. At least I hope it does.

Click to shrink...

All they said was that the DLC answers some questions but won't conclude the story. it could also possibly be, like, the game's events from Fifteen's or Snow's perspective or whatever, at least that's what I figure.

 

[NotLiquid]

All they said was that the DLC answers some questions but won't conclude the story. it could also possibly be, like, the game's events from Fifteen's or Snow's perspective or whatever, at least that's what I figure.

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That has me a little concerned, I wouldn't mind if they had a larger story in play that would continue with future games and other characters - like if they did what Team Cherry is doing with Hollow Knight Silksong and make a Katana Zero sequel with Snow as the protagonist - but as far as this game goes I think the protagonist's story deserves a proper conclusion, particularly with the girl. That's assuming that their comment is about the DLC in general; the Twitter account seems to imply that there's probably going to be more than one DLC, so I'd understand if they held off on a proper continuation until a meatier expansion.

 

[BassForever]

I assume the stage where we play as

Spoiler

fifteen

was a teaser of katana zero-2 / katana

Spoiler

fifteen

. I assume the dlc will

Spoiler

take place in Zero's chronos doomed mind, and will probably spell out for the audience the little girl was a figment of the imagination.

 

[harry the spy]

Ok this was actually fucking awesome

 

[Etrian Oddity]

I presume I'm nearing the end, I'm in the level where

Spoiler

You're going through the NULL gauntlet. I'm past the room with the piledrivers, but the mooks on each side of the room keep getting me once I get past the riot shield guys. The shotguns are mirking me, what's the secret?

 

[SpoonyBob]

Enjoying this a lot so far, especially for the story beats.

Not that the gameplay is bad by a long shot, but I'm left really confused as to why they sometimes shake up enemy positioning. In other games where you can breakneck repeatedly retry, everything is a constant. The end of level 4 especially, I was having a real hard on half of the attempts because the enemies were on different walk cycles and it was just hell half the time.

It's a minor annoyance though, and I can't wait to get through more of it tomorrow after work.

 

[Deleted member 16657]

Really wish this game got an unlimited mode

I presume I'm nearing the end, I'm in the level where

Spoiler

You're going through the NULL gauntlet. I'm past the room with the piledrivers, but the mooks on each side of the room keep getting me once I get past the riot shield guys. The shotguns are mirking me, what's the secret?

Click to shrink...

Are you rolling under the bullets?

 

[Colombo]

According to Vooks.net the game has been resubmitted and reclassified in Australia and should be out at the end of May!

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Really wish this game got an unlimited mode



Are you rolling under the bullets?

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Took me some getting used to, but yes.

Beat the game. God dammit, this is a good game. This had better be a franchise, with that kind of cliffhanger!

 

[Soapbox Killer]

I am in to this!

 

[Nacho Papi]

It's a great game but wow people weren't kidding when they said it was short. Also at a first glance the gameplay looked super exciting but after having finished it it left me wanting much more from it.

 

[NotLiquid]

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Aw yiss, hard mode is gonna be great.

 

[Kyuuji]

Awesome stuff. Wish there was a mode without slowing down time too, but that speedrun mode will bring me back.

 

[Bansai]

Nice, definitely gonna jump back in for speedrun mode, the fixed enemy positions may enable even more epic moments.

 

[shadowman16]

Oh sweet, hard mode will have me coming straight back to the game. Well, that and the cat petting option.

 

[Deleted member 2791]

The ending mega sucked and it killed my initial enthusiasm for the game.

 

[dirtyjane]

The last level bums me out real hard, the first time the fighting mechanics get interesting and it just ends.
This game needs 5 more levels, more verticality and more boss fights, this game is an absolute blast to play sadly there is just not enough content.

 

[harry the spy]

The ending mega sucked and it killed my initial enthusiasm for the game.

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Did you not like it or did you think it cut off too abruptly? Upcoming DLC would fix the latter, right?

 

[Deleted member 2791]

Did you not like it or did you think it cut off too abruptly? Upcoming DLC would fix the latter, right?

Click to shrink...

It cut off too early. It feels like half the story's missing. An upcoming DLC would definitely fix but I don't believe there will be enough coming.

 

[capnjazz]

I just picked this up on Switch and I'm enjoying it a ton, not really that far though.

Spoiler

Just killed the billionaire guy on the second mission, does it matter what projectile you use or are all of them one shot kills?

 

[brooklynb_jp]

Spoiler

Just killed the billionaire guy on the second mission, does it matter what projectile you use or are all of them one shot kills?

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Projectiles are one-hit kill, but some of them have different properties.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Wrote this in the eShop thread but the game got an update on Switch and it corrupted by brother's save file. I advise you wait before you update it.

 

[Schlauchkopf]

Aaaaah!

I guess it's not that bad because the game is short and unlockables are easy to obtain except...I don't wanna deal with getting the key in the slaughterhouse stage again.

Edit: Thankfully it looks like I don't have to do that anyway.



Just don't play the game until the fix is up and you're fine. (Or be one of the lucky ones who don't have auto update enabled.)

 

[QuigleyMcShine]

Coincidentally I finished the game an hour ago. There was actually more than I expected after reading how short the game is so many times, but it definitely left room for more.

For the price I'm satisfied and I'd definitely be interested in DLC or a sequel.

 

[cucholix]

Got it at discount on eShop and don't like it, itsn't a strategy based game neither a fast paced action game, the bit sized stages break the action fluidity, overall graphics are nice and story decent but gameplay wise it's pretty meh. I fell into era hype machine :/

 

[NotLiquid]

I'm torturing myself running savant knife in hard mode. This took me about half an hour to pull off but I still flubbed it near the end lol.

 

[Azure J]

Man, I'm just casually playing in speed run mode and it's just reminding me of how much I fucking love this game. First time I've ever wanted to try and do one of these.

 

[JustTom]

Just bought this last night on sale and just finished the game. Had a great time overall. Soundtrack suits the game, however I like some tracks more than others. Gameplay just clicks cause it is like a sidescrolling Hotline Miami to me. In addition the story is great too. Highly recommend the game to anyone who likes Hotline Miami :)

 

[Deleted member 36578]

What an amazing game . I was always interested in it and finally bought it due to the sale. I barely knew much at all and I have to say I'm completely blown away. The graphics , atmosphere and music are extremely appealing. The story is incredibly intriguing and so damn well done. I love that every facet of the game and the story lends itself so well to being one of those things that can only be done in the medium of being a video game. To top it all off the game play so freaking clean and incredibly fun to play. The controls and movement are so perfect. I'm seriously sitting here amazed by it all. No joke this could be a contender for game of the year for me, I loved it that much. I ONLY wish there was more to it as it's rather short and is clearly an unfinished tale. But as it is, I'm head over heels for the thing. I was not expecting to be this enamored by it. Bravo.

 

[Katonix]

Spoiler: Ending

Is there any way to save the little girl? I refused to kill the women and children in the safe I dont know what would happen if I do so?

 

[Schlauchkopf]

Spoiler: Ending

Is there any way to save the little girl? I refused to kill the women and children in the safe I dont know what would happen if I do so?

Click to shrink...

Spoiler

I don't think there even is a way to kill the family, all the choices do the same, and there's definitly no way to save the girl other than to choose the bad ending and die in chinatown. The only real story variation you can get at the end is the secret, optional boss fight, but even then, the end result storywise stays the same.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

I didn't finish the game yet but the narrative is fantastic.

 

[Prolepro]

After a big hiatus in between sessions, I finished the game today. It's incredible what the developer has done basically on his own, and this game is in serious contention for my GOTY. I am absolutely there day 1 for whatever comes next.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Swear to god, this had better become a franchise. I don't want little dlc episodes, I want a full series goshdarnit. The writing, music, and production values are just too great.