I first beat this game quite some time ago, and I had an excellent time getting into it, barring the slightly-heavy adjustment period. My only real dissatisfaction with the game was its short and abrupt ending, and I found it a little difficult to understand how the narrative was weaving a coherent tale.
Earlier this month, I revisited the game, after only having done very casual, brief gameplay between the first playthrough and that point, and I sat down for nearly a week to 100% the experience, achieving every single available trophy - yes - including the speedrun mode, which took me three days on its own.
Katana Zero is one of those games where, even at its worst, when it makes you wanna pull your hair out or literally shout out loud, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!", still manages to ooze charm and energy out of every crevasse of its gorgeous, pixelated surface. This game is, and I cannot stress this enough, beautiful, inside and out.
I could replay this game a hundred times, a thousand times, and although the dialogue option variety doesn't work for someone like me who's instinctively going to go for the best ending every time and who doesn't particularly like being mean for no reason, the story of this game reminded me over and over and over again why it's so important that video games don't become a shallow medium where nothing ever happens for any reason other than "it's fun". Believe me, it is VERY fun, but a huge part of the gaming experience is understanding the why behind every step, especially why you do what you do, and that is the core question behind this particular game's narrative.
Unravelling the mystery of Katana Zero is like a whole game in of itself, aside from the moment-to-moment, breath-taking hack n' slash (technically?) gameplay, and I wouldn't dare take that thrilling experience away from a single potential player. This game truly masters the feeling of having a cohesive narrative and the gameplay telling its own story, at the same time, and for that, it is truly special.
With FREE DLC on the horizon, expected to unfold the next chapter in this story for the ages, and even more potential content beyond that point, this is an experience that can and will sit with you for a very long time, and it's worth every second.
I hold no responsibility for anyone who reads this review and winds up running around their house in a bathrobe with a katana, six months later.
Earlier this month, I revisited the game, after only having done very casual, brief gameplay between the first playthrough and that point, and I sat down for nearly a week to 100% the experience, achieving every single available trophy - yes - including the speedrun mode, which took me three days on its own.
Katana Zero is one of those games where, even at its worst, when it makes you wanna pull your hair out or literally shout out loud, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!", still manages to ooze charm and energy out of every crevasse of its gorgeous, pixelated surface. This game is, and I cannot stress this enough, beautiful, inside and out.
I could replay this game a hundred times, a thousand times, and although the dialogue option variety doesn't work for someone like me who's instinctively going to go for the best ending every time and who doesn't particularly like being mean for no reason, the story of this game reminded me over and over and over again why it's so important that video games don't become a shallow medium where nothing ever happens for any reason other than "it's fun". Believe me, it is VERY fun, but a huge part of the gaming experience is understanding the why behind every step, especially why you do what you do, and that is the core question behind this particular game's narrative.
Unravelling the mystery of Katana Zero is like a whole game in of itself, aside from the moment-to-moment, breath-taking hack n' slash (technically?) gameplay, and I wouldn't dare take that thrilling experience away from a single potential player. This game truly masters the feeling of having a cohesive narrative and the gameplay telling its own story, at the same time, and for that, it is truly special.
With FREE DLC on the horizon, expected to unfold the next chapter in this story for the ages, and even more potential content beyond that point, this is an experience that can and will sit with you for a very long time, and it's worth every second.
I hold no responsibility for anyone who reads this review and winds up running around their house in a bathrobe with a katana, six months later.