It is ’80s inspired, hence the VHS videotapes throughout, but it doesn’t have the cheese associated with the era. While 16-bit sprites, the level of detail such as the way Zero walks awkwardly in his geta (samurai type wooden shoes), raising an eyebrow or stroking a cat(!) is brilliant. The mood is a must for the story though and works perfectly. He’s quite a tortured soul, and in some respects, the story is a little downbeat. Finish your session, then return to your apartment for a herbal tea and sleeping on the sofa. Again, this is a dialogue opportunity to find out more about Zero and his background. Ideal for though not interested in this feature, or for those completing a further playthrough.īetween missions, Zero has counselling sessions, provided by his employer. There is also the option to cut the dialogue, often with a curt response. While it doesn’t change the game, it’s a nice touch and a little like the LucasArts of old such as The Secret of Monkey Island. With each mission, you can engage with your target through multiple-choice dialogue. You can pick up one-off projectiles however such as meat cleavers, statues and Molotov cocktails that help you take out an enemy from a distance or to kill one if you are being swarmed. You don’t collect anything to recharge the battery as it refills by itself.
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Dodge rolls work for shotguns (scattered fire), riot guards and bosses. Alternatively, you have a roll that dodges the shot and allows you to get in close. First of all, you can slow time, represented by a depleting battery level, and hit the bullet towards the NPC to kill them. Unless your reactions are tighter than a ducks arse, you won’t stop a bullet unless you slow down time. Some enemies will melee you, while others will shoot. Katana Zero is a one-hit policy, after all, so you apply a slight degree of stealth until you plan your attack.
![katana zero switch physical katana zero switch physical](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-MvvmPKGEHA/sddefault.jpg)
It’s a 2D platformer, but you won’t be focussing too much on jumping from one ledge to another. Should he die, the level rewinds à la VHS style, and he’ll try again until he gets it right, then move on to the next stage.Įach mission is an assassination, and there are a handful of stages or areas to complete until you get to the target. What I can tell you is you play an assassin named Zero who can manipulate time. The buzz has died down for now, but I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, as I found the story quite engaging, and it is better to experience some of the reveals first hand. At the time I saw this, I also saw the trailer for My Friend Pedro and out of the two, the latter appealed more. Katana Zero came to my attention after seeing a Nintendo Direct or something similar.