What’s there to say about Katana Zero that hundreds of thousands haven’t said already? That’s right, the sales numbers for this 2D indie platformer have hit over 100,000 copies sold. That’s impressive, considering the game’s approach to time-bending combat and serious subject matters.

Katana Zero is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer. That’s a loaded description, but it hits the nail on the head. There’s nothing like this game. The noir experience is interesting, despite being borrowed from a near 100-year-old genre. The game thrives by featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat in a new way. Let’s get to it.

The story of Katana Zero is surprisingly deep. The game stars an assassin with a troubled and fragmented past. Before completing missions, the character sees a pseudo-psychiatrist where they’re asked to recall dreams featuring foreign languages, mysterious characters, and somewhat disturbing visions. After a short discussion, you’re given a drug called Chronos, and you’re off to kill.

Killing in Katana Zero is incredibly rewarding. While on the drug, you’re placed into a scenario where you have the ability to start, stop, and slow time. This allows you to kill easily, but timing is everything. A frustrating part of the game early on was getting a feel for the hitbox of the enemies. Some seem easy to pounce on, while others seem one step ahead of you no matter what.

Time is slowed to complete quick moves and even quicker kills. The missions take place in various settings like clubs, office spaces, and hotels. The 2D animations are limiting but come to life with vibrant colors and enticing music. As the game progresses, the gameplay doesn’t, but that’s not a bad thing. The platformer approach mixed with an instant-death kill mechanic makes this game easy to pick up and hard to put down. In fact, I beat the game in 6 separate sessions; something I almost never do.

If you’ve read other reviews, you know that the game isn’t terribly long. The bang for your buck approach to buying games doesn’t apply to runtime, in most cases, but to experience. Make no mistake, Katana Zero is a game you will have wanted to play by the end of 2019. On the Switch, it’s a great pick up and play title. The stealth is fun to play around with during missions, and the game itself is a triumph of indie inventiveness.

Katana Zero touches on PTSD, the desire for normalcy, and the mundane parts of life we all know, but refuse to admit are pointless. The game is a Celeste level of indie quality, and if that doesn’t sell it for you, hopefully, this will; Katana Zero is a top contender for my game of the year.

A review copy of Katana Zero was provided by Devolver Digital for this review.

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Katana Zero

$14.99

9.3

Score

9.3/10

Pros

• Inventive Combat
• Great Story
• GOTY Contender

Cons

• Short, but Sweet

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