Katana Zero Preview

Katana Zero came out of almost nowhere dropping their trailer in a recent Nintendo Direct. This Switch console exclusive, also coming to PC, puts you in control of a ninja/samurai who is tasked with various assassination missions. With a slick neo-noir, 80s synthwave visual and audio aesthetic, Katana Zero stood out among the games presented at PAX East 2019.

Everyone in the game is a one hit kill including you. If you die you rewind to the beginning of that section. You keep repeating that section until you get to the end. We were given two missions during our demo time. Both had varied level design and clever enemy placement. The environment as well as objects within the environment can all be used to your advantage. Laser switches, breakable doors, bottles, vases and more can all be used to yourt advantage. Beyond that, you have a time stop mechanic called Chronos, which allows you to carefully plan out your attack all with a cool visual flair. Overall the controls felt tight and the level layouts fair. A little bit of practice and you’ll get a good idea of how beat that particular section.

In between missions, you’ll have some downtime at home. You can make some tea, watch tv and sleep to advance the story. Your character, dubbed the Dragon, has some nightmares whilst sleeping that may or may not be exacerbated by all the murder you’re committing. A visit to the psychiatrist who helps you work through your nightmares plays out after each mission as well. Your dialogue choices affect what parts of the story that gets revealed. All of this is a refreshing break from all the action and fits perfectly in the game world.

We here at Rated G are sufficiently excited to delve into the game world of Katana Zero which drops on PC and Switch April 18th.