Katana ZERO Review by NickNackBoom

This is a true hidden gem for a fair price. An addictive combination of tightrope combat (where most foes are one hit kills, but so are you) and platforming puzzles. All accompanied by a retro art design done right and an excellent thumping soundtrack. Run, jump and slash your way to the end of the area by using your katana, traps, throwables and a slow motion skill. You'll stay right in the action since every failed attempt rewinds the game to the beginning of the 'screen'. Levels contain multiple stages and the game is generous enough with checkpoints to keep it tense but not too unforgiving at the time. Immediately after you've solved the puzzle and you've successfully executed the solution (sometimes you need a few tries to get it right), you'll get to enjoy a satisfying recording of your effort. It feels rewarding to see your own mastery of a section of the game. The 'campaign' can be finished in one sitting, but the game has a lot of replayability after completing it once. There are multiple dialogue options to explore, your choices matter and alter the game and therefore there are different endings to get as well. The story can be a bit vague at first, but after multiple runs where you've explored all directions you'll see the bigger picture. Another downside is that the variety in enemies and other mechanics is limited. I find myself chasing perfect runs on certain levels even after finishing the story a few times. The controls are really tight and possibly one of the best I've experienced on the Switch. Absolutely fell in love with this game!