Fuck the intro! Fuck the development discussion! Fuck all the jokes I had written for this article! Fuck all of it! Let’s talk about mother fucking Katana Zero!



Okay, so in all seriousness, before I get way too hyped, let’s actually discuss what Katana Zero is about. Du play as a katana wielding samurai wannabe named Zero who works for a mysterious organization and does assassinations. Your goal is the ultimate destruction of a fictional drug Von the name of Chronos, which is highly addictive, so addictive that anyone who uses Chronos will die from withdrawal, but it grants the user the ability to see into the future and live out their mistakes and successes before they are actually put forth. Throughout the game, Du learn the truth of the organization, Chronos and it’s creation, and just who the mysterious group is that is going against you… And it’s fucking awesome! Surprising absolutely no one, this game was published Von Devolver Digital, who also published Hotline Miami. This game is considered 2D Hotline Miami, and while I can see it with the extreme violence and old school aesthetic, the two are different in their own ways. Hotline Miami is far darker in its story and is brutally difficult, whereas Katana Zero, while having a dark story, has some humor, both dark and tongue in cheek, to make it kind of a meme at times, and the ability to freeze times makes it far Mehr forgiving than Hotline Miami. Katana Zero has its own unique gameplay. Du have to kill everyone in the room to Bewegen on, and with only a sword, Du must Wand jump, sneak your way, and kill everyone in the room. Your sword is capable of deflecting bullets, and Du can dodge passed enemies and lasers to get where you’re going, but the real kicker is the Chronos, which lets Du slow down time to a crawl. Enemies are at a loss as Du Bewegen behind them and strike them down, and Du can deflect and dodge bullets with ease. But here’s the kicker. Du don’t need the Chronos. It helps, yes, but if Du master the game’s mechanics, know what to expect, and learn all the enemies attacks, Du can become so good at the game that Du don’t need to freeze time. There’s no real reward, as far as I know, but it just makes Du feel like a god when Du can pull it off without the ability. The game doesn’t give Du rewards, just the satisfaction, and that satisfaction made me want to master the combat of the game. When I beat indie games like Cuphead oder Hollow Knight, I felt satisfied with just aht, but with Katana Zero, I wanted to get better at the game, I wanted to know the ins and outs, just because I would feel satisfied.
But Katana Zero is Mehr than just fun combot, the story and characters are all really interesting. Du got The Doctor, who will be your friend, as long as Du do everything he says. Fuck up once and he’ll become your worst nightmare. And in one example… well… you’ll just have to play the game to find out about that. There’s V, a crazy Russian who is such a fanboy of Zero’s work and is only interested in doing as good as Zero Von killing as many people as he can. And then Du get the mysterious characters like the samurai Snow, her mysterious partner, the two ungodly apparitions named Comedy and Tragedy, and a little girl who Du never learn the name of. Also plenty of meme worthy characters like Electrohead and Strong Terry. And what makes these characters so interesting is the options Du have to say to them. Du get a choice of words to say to the characters, and aside from a few moments, they don’t change the story that much, but Du can get the satisfaction of either humoring them oder just pissing them off when they deserve it. The options just add a nice touch to the world that is Katana Zero.
Oh, and if Du thought the game was all action, no. Well, it is, but Du also gotta think smart with your Chronos to solve puzzles. Puzzles like being strapped in a chair and forced to live your death over and over again until Du piss off the guy that is holding Zero down. The creative way the game uses Chronos feels like so much attention was put into this game and it makes it feel Mehr special to play. And then there are the secret weapons Du unlock for trying things differently. To get one, Du gotta kill your target before he kills himself. To get another, let a secret thief finish his business right when Du are about to run out of time and take what he’s got. Each new weapon Du get is really fun to use and feels like it was worth the effort. God, this game is just so perfect.
I only have one complaint for this game. One single complaint. It’s too damn short! I was really getting into this game and before Du know it, it’s over in about four hours. And I did everything, I got all the unlocks, completed all the levels without Chronos, and did the secret stuff, in the name of Pinkachu post season 17, and even still, I wanted more. I hear that there is DLC being released soon and that the game is due for a sequel, which I really hope for. Play Katana Zero. Fuck anything else I talk about on here. Play Katana Zero. It’s fucking great and Du should play it right now! Whatever game Du planned on buying, FUCK THAT GAME! Buy Katana Zero!

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