There are few thrills as videogamey as weaving by a barrage of very lethal bullets in gradual movement. Katana Zero seems to be to have that in spades, plus the never-not-cool capability to deflect bullets along with your sword, again to their unwitting house owners. Askiisoft’s samurai platform slasher has been on my radar for some time now, due to trying like a mix of Hotline Miami and Samurai Gunn, and at the moment’s trailer has me itching to play it. The pseudo-80s ‘neo-noir’ aesthetic could also be a nicely worn groove at this level, however synths, swords and slow-mo nonetheless makes a potent cocktail. Take a peek beneath.
As with Hotline Miami, dying comes rapidly and simply in Katana Zero, which is sensible – you’re actually taking a sword (and the occasional thrown weapon) to a gunfight. Level segments are quick, and also you replay every again and again till you’ve cleared each menace with out taking a scratch, utilizing as a lot slow-mo as you have to. Once an space is cleared, you get to look at a replay of your efficiency at full velocity, Superhot fashion. Not wildly progressive, perhaps, nevertheless it’s taking notes from a few of the most compelling motion games of the previous 5 years.
Now that Katana Zero apparently has bike chases, it’s onerous not to attract comparisons with fellow Devolver Digital stablemate My Friend Pedro. Pedro appears extra about having some knockabout enjoyable with its fight programs, taking the occasional hit with the intention to preserve a combo of inconceivable physics-driven flukes. Katana Zero’s concentrate on precision and planning feels much less versatile, however maybe extra coherent – simpler for my squishy mind to make sense of as I re-try a sequence time and time once more. However you slice it, 2019 seems to be like a superb 12 months for balletic bullet-dodging.
Katana Zero launches in March, although there’s no actual date or phrase on pricing but. Find it on Steam here. Devolver Digital are publishing this and apparently each different game about dodging bullets in gradual movement. It’s a superb area of interest to nook.
