I bought this game not knowing what Hotline Miami is, thinking this would be a fast-paced action game. Katana Zero is not a fast-paced action game. It's a trial-and-error puzzle solving game which will kill you ten times on every screen of every level, because that's what it takes to map out the exact sequence of moves required to advance. Far from being fast-paced, every move must be carefully considered and executed. Repeatedly. Try and deviate from the safe path, experiment with the game's mechanics, or push your luck and the game will swiftly punish you with instant death and send you back to the beginning. Do everything right, and you'll die anyway. Wonky platforming. Unpredictable AI behavior. Stiff controls. Unclear mechanics. Finicky hit detection. In the more forgiving sections (including, surprisingly, the boss battles), these shortcomings can be forgotten and the game feels good. But for the most part, the game is quite punishing. And that's when its flaws become frustrating. I still don't know exactly what Hotline Miami is, but now at least I know its probably not for me.