Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      D&D Direct scheduled for March 29 – Australian time

      D&D Direct scheduled for March 29 – Australian time

      March 23, 2023

      [This announcement has been provided by Wizards Of The Coast’s PR people and is presented by GOA for your information]…

      Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

      Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

      March 22, 2023

      As we approach the end of March, Xbox shows no sign of stopping. With their consistent release of amazing titles…

      PlayStation Plus Deluxe And Extras Drops for March 2023

      PlayStation Plus Deluxe And Extras Drops for March 2023

      March 17, 2023

      PlayStation Australia is happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue additions for March. The Game Catalogue lineup will be…

      The Game Expo 2023 Wrap-Up

      The Game Expo 2023 Wrap-Up

      March 17, 2023

      THE Game Expo (TGX) inaugural event wrapped up in Melbourne last weekend, signalling the addition of a new gaming event…

      Ahoy, Mate! Australian commander and vessel come to World of Warships

      Ahoy, Mate! Australian commander and vessel come to World of Warships

      March 10, 2023

      THE virtual flotilla available in World of Warships has grown larger with the addition of a (fictionalised) Australian cruiser and…

      View All
    • Reviews
      Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

      Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

      March 22, 2023

      THE Alienware brand has been synonymous with the world of PC gaming for as long as I can remember. From…

      WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

      WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

      March 21, 2023

      WITH the WWE 2K series getting back on track last year after a year off, all eyes were on this…

      An image of the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor. The monitor features a large, 34-inch curved screen with ultra-thin bezels. The screen has a glossy finish and displays a vibrant and detailed image. The monitor is supported by a silver-colored stand with a wide base for stability. The stand is adjustable, allowing the screen to be tilted and swiveled to suit the user's preferences. On the back of the monitor, there are various ports for connecting different devices. The Alienware logo is prominently displayed at the center of the bottom bezel

      Next level immersion with Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Monitor

      March 20, 2023

      THE Alienware 34in AW3423DWF Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is an impressive addition to any gaming setup. With its impressive 34-inch…

      Resident Evil 4 Remake – Keeping you on the Edge

      Resident Evil 4 Remake – Keeping you on the Edge

      March 15, 2023

      [Note: This article assumes you’re familiar with the main characters in the Resident Evil Franchise] SO in the morning of…

      Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review

      Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review

      March 14, 2023

      Kirby’s Dream Land is a game that I have such fond memories of experiencing during my early childhood years. I…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Ep 77 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 77: A Wild Mercury Appears!

      March 11, 2023

      Jim is joined by Mercury live in the GOA studio! Jim gets excited over the World Of Tanks ANZPL draft…

      Weekly Show Ep 274 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 274: Shame Nintendo, Shame!

      March 10, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 76 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 76: LCO Drama-Rama

      March 4, 2023

      Peace finally get what’s coming to them as the LCO starts the group stage while a team suffers a tech…

      Weekly Show Ep 273 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 273: What’s Going On?

      March 3, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 75 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 75: How Do You Play With A Broken Wrist?

      February 25, 2023

      Natty & Jim talk about how a Rocket League pro can play with a broken wrist, Capcom Cup announces a…

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Platformer
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » Katana ZERO Review
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Katana ZERO Review

    Nick HollidayBy Nick HollidayApril 26, 2019
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Score: 10/10          |        PLATFORMER        |        RETRO        |          ACTION

    “It’s an addictive process of strategic trial and error, no matter how frustrated you get.”

     

    Load up your tape deck and sharpen your Samurai sword. Katana ZERO is about to take you on a fast-paced, brutally violent, frustrating and oddly satisfying experience. This ultra violent 2D platformer by Askiisoft and Devolver Digital follows the trend of other indie retro-inspired games delivering a somewhat high difficulty curve. Yet learning to push through these barriers is where it’s fun grows with the help of some well constructed mechanics.

    From the outset you don’t know very much about who you are or why you’ve been hired to slice people up. These questions of who and why are pretty consistant through out. All you know is that there are “10 days remaining” without much more added context. Your character, known only as Dragon, doesn’t really know much either as he suffers from nightmare-filled PTSD from a very fuzzy past. In the meantime, you work under your therapist, of all people, who not only provides you with a mystery drug called Chronos but also assigns you with assassination missions. The mind started to boggle as I’m trying to put the pieces together. But I knew from that point that the confusion would ultimately be worth it. Katana ZERO was about to take me on a wild ride not only with its gameplay but with its question filled story as well. Without spoiling too much, the story does contain some heavily themed elements including drug use and lots of swearing. It’s safe to say this isn’t like your typical 90’s platformer.

    The confusion as to what was going on wasn’t the frustrating part though. I learned that progression was a slow and steady process set at high speed. The way this is presented is through a somewhat time loop-esque mechanic where you plan out your attack. Essentially, it has a lot to do with trial and error. There are times where I nailed my execution on the first try. However, there were plenty of moments where I would go in, get shot down, go in again, get killed, go again…you get the picture. There were the odd occasions that left me swearing like a sailor but was calm enough to not throw my controller across the room. As repetitive and frustrating as it is, you start to learn how these enemies act and how to efficiently take them down. They aren’t all a walk in the park though.

    Katana ZERO Review

    Dragon also has the ability to slow down time, meaning I was able to dodge and parry enemies with ease. By taking advantage of this, I was able to pull off some pretty cool and very satisfying kills. The beauty of the gameplay and the level design is that there was more than one way to clear a room. It gave me plenty of freedom to experiment with different strategies if I was ever stuck with the same dilemma.

    his meant that the none of the levels ever felt entirely the same. No matter how frustrated I felt about the room that I had just cleared, I was always keen to see what sort of challenges I would face next. The coolest part about using this ability was that a replay at the end of the level shows off all your tricky attacks at normal speed.

    Though gameplay isn’t exactly limited to combat like most other platformers. The fast paced action is broken up with interactive story driven scenes in between where you conversate with your therapist and other NPC’s. Your conversation responses initially felt like a “choose-your-own adventure” type of mechanic. However it seemed to only just change the responses you get back with no real repercussions down the line. Being able to be more interactive with how the story plays out made for more of a connection to Dragon than I had initially expected.

    Katana ZERO Review

    The aesthetic of Katana ZERO is very 80’s/90’s inspired but that isn’t solely limited to its pixel graphics. It’s teamed with an upbeat electro soundtrack that Dragon keeps in his tapedeck. This kept the adrenaline flowing while I sliced and diced through enemies. The menu, HUD and some elements of level design also scream 80’s with heavy splashes of neon colours.

    Honestly it’s hard to find a flaw in Katana ZERO. It’s an addictive process of strategic trial and error, no matter how frustrated you get. Combined with it’s retro aesthetic, it’s an action-packed joyride for platformer lovers who like just a bit more punishment with their games.

     

    At the time of publication, Katana ZERO has been refused classification in Australia and New Zealand. It’s currently unavailable for the Nintendo Switch but it’s still available now for purchase on Steam. UPDATE: Katana Zero has now bee classified as R18+ in Australia & New Zealand and will be available on Nintendo Switch later this month.

    I give Katana ZERO a 10 out of 10.

    Like Game On AUS on Facebook

    Join Game On AUS on Discord

    Follow Game On AUS on Twitch

    Subscribe to Game On AUS on Youtube

    Follow Game On AUS on Instagram

    Follow Game On AUS on Twitter

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleFirst Play – Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
    Next Article MMORPG Memory Lane Part 12 – City of Heroes

    Related Posts

    Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review
    GAMING HARDWARE March 22, 2023

    Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

    THE Alienware brand has been synonymous with the world of PC gaming for as long as I can remember. From…

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself
    GAMING REVIEWS March 21, 2023

    WWE 2K23 Review – Lose Yourself

    WITH the WWE 2K series getting back on track last year after a year off, all eyes were on this…

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • APPLE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • DLC
    • ESPORTS
    • Events
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • GAMING HARDWARE
    • GAMING NEWS
    • GAMING REVIEWS
    • GIFT GUIDE
    • GOA
    • GOA PODCAST
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE GAMING
    • Industry
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • Press Release
    • PREVIEW
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SUBSCRIPTION GAMES SERVICE UPDATES
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    D&D Direct scheduled for March 29 – Australian time
    Events

    D&D Direct scheduled for March 29 – Australian time

    March 23, 2023Royce WilsonBy Royce Wilson

    [This announcement has been provided by Wizards Of The Coast’s PR people and is presented by GOA for your information] Save the date, Adventurers!…

    Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review
    GAMING HARDWARE

    Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

    March 22, 2023Dylan BlereauBy Dylan Blereau

    THE Alienware brand has been synonymous with the world of PC gaming for as long as I can remember. From their beefy gaming laptops…

    Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass
    GAMING NEWS

    Ghostwire Tokyo and more come to Xbox Gamepass

    March 22, 2023DoomcutieBy Doomcutie

    As we approach the end of March, Xbox shows no sign of stopping. With their consistent release of amazing titles Xbox Game Pass showing…

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2023. Privacy Policy. Website by Digital Hitmen

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.