Katana Zero Reviews
Check out Katana Zero Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 15 reviews on CriticDB, Katana Zero has a score of:

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.
Read Full Review
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
Time-bending action platformer Katana Zero is a puzzle full of payoffs.
Read Full Review
Still, 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. And married with sumptuous pixel art and a mystery you can’t wait to unravel, it’s a match made in heaven. Katana Zero is hands down one of the best games released this year.
Read Full Review
The games’ neon, cyberpunk, neo-noir aesthetic is of consistent excellence. The vicious visuals, alongside an engaging synth-heavy soundtrack created by LudoWic that ebbs from dark and dramatic to dreamlike in the blink of an eye, allows you to immerse yourself and enjoy an entirely thematically-correct world.
Read Full Review
Overall, 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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
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
Katana Zero is the perfect example of your typical Devolver Digital-endorsed title: a retro-styled game with arcade elements, fast-paced action and a distinctive sense of humor. After experiencing two disappointments in The Red Strings Club and Weedcraft, I was ready for something more akin to the titles that made the the publisher the indie powerhouse that it is. I most certainly wasn’t disappointed with the end result, even if it features a handful of annoying issues.
Read Full Review
Katana Zero's gameplay is genuinely fantastic. It's the perfect choice for someone looking for the next frantic and challenging indie darling.
Read Full Review
What’s the most terrifying thing about a samurai assassin squaring off against a room full of gun-toting goons? The sword. Out of all possible deadly weapons, the samurai chooses a blade that requires unerring precision and close range, even when facing a hail of bullets. That choice conveys a lot about the efficiency and confidence of the assassin; we all know who is walking out of that room alive. In Katana Zero, that’s you.
Read Full Review
If I have one complaint about Katana ZERO, it's that there's not already a sequel.
Read Full Review
Fighting with a sword in the modern era is a ridiculous concept. Without exemplary skill, lightning speed, and extraordinary luck, you’re guaranteed to meet a messy end. Katana Zero perfectly captures this very specific sentiment while still making you feel like an absolute badass. In spite of the bleak odds and brutal conditions, your nameless avatar can pull off some pretty incredible moves. All of this was more or less as I anticipated. What shocked me was all the madness threaded through every section of the story. Who knew time manipulation came with such drastic consequences?
Read Full Review
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
Katana Zero’s time-bending samurai action is the star of the show here, but its unique presentation and entertaining dialogue go a long way in supporting a plot that suffers from feeling like it’s saving its best ideas for a sequel. As action games go, Katana Zero’s shorter length makes it a quick fix, and I’ll no doubt suffer withdrawal while I wait for the next hit.
Read Full Review