Katana Zero is on the short side, but it uses every minute of its 5-6 hour run-time well, packed to the brim with satisfying carnage and a brain-bending narrative. It’s not often that a game so completely blindsides me, entering my radar and winning me over so quickly, and it’s a wonderful feeling when it happens. In fact, my only gripe, and it’s incredibly minor, is that I wish there was just a little bit more of it to love. I have no hesitations about recommending this game for just about everyone.

Katana ZERO is a game I’ve been interested in from the moment I saw the trailer for it and once again Devolver Digital and Askiisoft didn’t disappoint. From the nice graphics and awesome music, to the fluid controls and the engaging story with different ways to respond to dialogue and take out enemies in each area, Katana ZERO was an enjoyable game from start to finish, even with the story getting a little bonkers after several stages. Then again, it’s that bit of craziness that kept things interesting throughout the game and I’m perfectly okay with that.

Even with its lack of replayability, you should buy Katana Zero right now if you’re a fan of action games with great tales to tell. When its thumping music kicks in, you know it’s time for action of the highest calibre.

Stylish action and surprisingly deep storytelling are the two main pillars of an extraordinary action game. Katana ZERO is a must have and probably one of the best game published by the iconic Devolver Digital. It's fun, smart and challenging in the best way possible.

Katana ZERO’s almost unprecedented level of polish, lightning-fast gameplay, and thought-provoking story make it one of the year’s best indie games.

Katana ZERO is a stylish action platformer with a deep and engaging story.

Katana ZERO is a real success. A cryptic scenario well brought on, very fine gameplay, generous without being frustrating, the visuals are delightful, the soundtrack is funny and everything is magestically orchestrated. It is difficult to blame anything after the baby of Askiisoft, maybe a lack of a Time Attack mode that would match perfectly with the genre.

Katana Zero kicked me into a bloody pulp, but I’m compelled to continue regardless. If not for the challenge, then for my raw hunger to soak in every scrap of this exceptional story. Don’t sleep on this one, friends.

Katana ZERO flings you into a challenging playground with intense battles and tricky time control skills. The story is a bit plain but still acceptable.

Katana Zero's adrenaline pumping action is incredible and its presentation is stellar, but its story feels cut short.

Katana Zero delivers an impressive mechanics, stunning visuals and exquisite animation. It’s a cyberpunk-ninja dream come true, that ends abruptly, leaving a lot of loose ends and some game mechanics to be explored in the next chapter.

Weighing in at over five hours, it’s not the longest game you’ll ever play, but it’s wide open for replayability, and the story is great.

Katana ZERO is relatively short action experience, but the fast, brutal, and provocative play left me wanting more — and that’s about the highest praise I can give it.

Intense and challenging arcade-action embedded in a great story.

Apart from the short duration and the cliffhanger ending, Katana Zero is great game, made by people who truly adore their "child", while it has probably the best pixel art aesthetics we have seen so far.

Katana Zero may be a short game, but it delivers in every way: the gameplay is fun, the story is interesting, the music is great.

Katana Zero is an inspired effort. Askiisoft could have easily relied on the action formula alone, called it a day, and it would have been a solid indie release. However, Katana Zero dares to go bolder, with a story that takes more than one left turn, and an innovative dialogue system that can paint both the story and the main character in a different light. No matter how you opt to play this game, Katana Zero is one of the best Hotline Miami homages I've seen yet.

Katana ZERO is magnificent action game with a fantastic atmosphere. Its story and characters are as sharp as its gameplay, that offers some true puzzling moments wondering how to kill efficiently, by using a very useful slow-motion mechanic. Unfortunately, at the time we're done with it, as it is a very compelling experience, we're still hungry. Let's hope for a sequel. Quick.

The uncertain future of the story that Katana Zero so brilliantly sets up is concerning, but that shouldn't deter you from diving into this compelling introductory chapter. Its combat provides an exciting challenge that tests both strategy and reflex, while also giving you clever abilities to make it as stylish as possible. The narrative contextualization of both your abilities and role within Katana Zero's world is expertly written, with a clever dialogue system letting you inject personality into character interactions. Katana Zero is bloody and brutal, but it's also a heartfelt tale that you shouldn't overlook lightly.

Katana Zero is a great action platformer with tight and precise combat that makes you think through every move you make. The way it frames its gameplay is interesting with an engaging story and flashy visuals. Though it could use some more variety, Katana Zero is an enjoyable venture into this dark world.

Katana Zero is a short but sweet experience that captures the stylistic flair of Hotline Miami mixed with a cyberpunk theme, while making a name for itself with its polished gameplay but without feeling tedious or overstaying its welcome. It’s a title that left me satisfied, but not amazed. Despite a slight lack of challenge and nuance, the game provided a fun, fast-paced experience that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

If you're not tired of violent Devolver Digital Games in Pixel Art, then Katana Zero ticks all the right boxes to offer a pleasant experience, with a very good OST and a pretty solid gameplay. Even though the game is short, it's low pricing and replay value for speedrunners makes it a nice investment.

Thoughtfully-designed levels and versatile combat abilities make Katana Zero worthy of a rewind despite cookie-cutter characters.

Katana ZERO proves that the Hotline Miami formula still works as a side-scroller, but mechanical missteps and narrative blunders hamper the game's otherwise excellent combat and enticing story.

The well written story, mostly an afterthought in the majority of the games of its kind, is a very welcomed surprise in Katana Zero. The gameplay as well provides brutal, frenetic, challenging and utterly satisfying encounters. Alas, the whole content is finished in less than 3 hours leaving as with just a small part of a larger story arc, as it seems, and a limited number of levels that are not even close in giving as the impression that we had our fill from the action.

Katana Zero offers stunning visuals and striking effects, but both its gameplay and story feel incomplete. Including its atmosphere, Katana Zero has a lot to offer, which makes it feel all the more like a wasted opportunity in its current state.

Katana Zero is a fantastic 2D action game, it's a great stealth game, and it has an interesting story and universe. The action is fast, fluid, and will have you coming back for more over and over again. But this is just a taste of what could be.