Katana Zero Reviews

Katana Zero is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.7 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2019

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

Read full review

79 / 100
Apr 30, 2019

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

Read full review

Recommended
Apr 26, 2019

Stylish and punishing, this is a darkly compelling treat.

Read full review

Easy Allies
Bradley Ellis
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2019
Katana Zero - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Apr 30, 2019

An elegant blend of 2D action and cyberpunk storytelling, that manages to make a very distinctive experience out of some very familiar indie tropes.

Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2019

Katana Zero starts strong on all fronts, but it doesn't evolve or cohere in ways that sustain the excitement of its early stages

Read full review

GameSpot
captionbarbosa
Top Critic
8 / 10
Apr 18, 2019

Katana Zero's excellent writing, stylish and thoughtful combat, and gorgeous artwork make its unsatisfyingly short journey well worth taking.

Read full review

Unscored
Apr 18, 2019

It’s a cynical and sometimes ugly story told with unusual warmth and sincerity.

Read full review

Apr 18, 2019

Be the ultimate badass and kill your enemies in slow-motion. There are a lot of games that try to be like Hotline Miami, moving from area-to-area murdering with sheer ruthlessness, but few games match the execution and style like Katana Zero. Great pixel art, a wonderful use of color, and fantastic synthwave soundtrack. From start to finish, it's a fever dream worth having.

Read full review

Apr 18, 2019

All of this leads to Katana Zero being a tough game to enthusiastically recommend. If you can ignore gameplay flaws and focus on style, you might fall in love with its VHS trappings. However, if you want something beyond style, if you want an interesting interactive tale or a precise action game, you should look elsewhere.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Apr 30, 2019

There is far more I can say about how much I love this game, including the audial delight that is Ludowic and Bill Kiley's soundtrack or VHS visual tricks the game employs as the narrative grows more fractured, but at this point, I've already gushed enough. It can be frustrating at times. It made me want to break my Switch in half. But even in its most aggressively exasperating moments, Katana Zero remains bleak, beautiful, bloody, and brilliant.

Read full review

82 / 100
Apr 18, 2019

Katana ZERO it's a beautiful and speedy action game that made interesting choices, both in mechanics and narrative... but is falls short in lenght and always left the feeling that it could have gone even farther, with some mechanics not used at full. The 12 levels left 6-7 gameplay hours as much, but it's kinda replayable thanks to the decissions.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10
May 1, 2019

Katana Zero is an incredibly stylish title, from the great looking pixel art to the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the fast and brutal action. You really get to feel like you're a master swordsman as you overcome the challenges put before you, or die trying.

Read full review

8 / 10
Apr 18, 2019

Overall, Katana Zero is an inspired effort.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2019

A unique proposal as fun as interesting despite it falls too short and sometimes is too hard even for experienced players.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8.7 / 10.0
Apr 24, 2019

Katana Zero is a fast paced action game which shines thanks to its smooth, brilliant and clever gameplay, while a surprisingly good writing gives to the game an unexpected depth. It's a brand new take on the classic genre mechanics, made even cooler thanks to a lovely art style and a powerful soundtrack.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Apr 18, 2019

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.

Read full review

Unscored
Jun 25, 2019

For all its hurried stabbing and spilled blood, Katana Zero is a beautiful game, from the juicy text boxes onwards.

Read full review

80 / 100
Apr 18, 2019

Katana Zero is a game that I loved playing, but I walked away from it with some major reservations. On top of its tight, excellent swordplay, fun time-shifting powers, and pitch-perfect soundtrack, Katana Zero packs some interesting storytelling tricks that I wasn't expecting. On the other hand, it uses its innovative structure to tell a story rife with ill-conceived takes on disturbing subject matter without a content warning in sight. Katana Zero is an extraordinarily fun experience for the few hours it lasts, but the bad taste it left in my mouth lingered much longer.

Read full review

88 / 100
Apr 18, 2019

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.

Read full review