Identical to with Hades, I’ve loved revisiting an previous favourite of mine in Katana Zero (Free) from Askiisoft and Devolver Digital with its new cell launch via Netflix Video games. Katana Zero did delicate launch lately on cell already, however the full worldwide rollout ought to now be reside as of this writing. I’ve been taking part in it early via a pre-release construct from Netflix, and I’m shocked at how good it performs with contact controls, however there are a number of points. Earlier than moving into the overview, for these new to Katana Zero, the title is a reference to a line used within the sport while you end a bit of a stage.
Having loved and crushed Katana Zero a number of occasions earlier than on Swap and PC, I used to be nicely conscious of how tough some levels are, and likewise how irritated I used to be for particular bosses. Within the translation to iOS, Katana Zero has misplaced nothing, and I’m fairly shocked by that. It nearly makes me desire a port of Hotline Miami from Devolver, however I digress. As with my different port evaluations, I’m going to additionally cowl how the sport on cell compares to different platforms I’ve performed mentioned sport on, and aid you determine which one it is best to get.
Katana Zero is a trendy action-platformer with gorgeous pixel artwork, mesmerizing animations, and very good music. Whereas most video games within the style have a narrative that will get the job executed with a concentrate on gameplay, Katana Zero is the uncommon sport that punches (slices?) nicely above its weight in each single class. It is rather a lot a as soon as in a era expertise, and I don’t say that calmly. After each few stage sections while you get used to a brand new mechanic or enemy kind, Katana Zero throws one thing new at you. This could possibly be with a brand-new stage kind, boss combat, story second, and extra. Count on to take about 5 hours or so to see Katana Zero to its finish, nevertheless it took me much more throughout my first run via it on Swap again within the day.
The core gameplay in Katana Zero includes platforming, attacking, dodging, leaping, stopping time, and extra. You find yourself utilizing a mix of all of this to make it via a stage part. You’ll be able to hold taking part in via a particular part when you die till you handle to clear it. In case you hadn’t caught on from the title display and the opening, Katana Zero wears its synthwave and VHS vibe proudly. While you die, you get a VHS-like rewind impact. In actual fact clearing a bit additionally has you ejecting a tape.
Talking of the size, Katana Zero seems like it’s constructed for speedrunning. It has a number of settings that save your time, like with the ability to skip the VHS rewind animation on dying and nearly immediately restart. I like to recommend enabling this as a result of it does get annoying while you make a mistake a number of occasions in a row on a particular degree and see the identical animation play out.
Given the construction and issue, there may be plenty of trial and error as you study a particular degree phase earlier than transferring to the following one. This may occasionally or might not be an annoyance for you. I anticipated it given the style, however there are a number of bits that annoy me to this present day. When watching Katana Zero trailers or gameplay, you’d assume this can be a very fast-paced sport, and also you’re proper, however there’s much more to it. Whereas the opening ranges really feel fairly simple, there may be plenty of depth and technique at play in Katana Zero. Every degree, enemy placement, focal point, object, and extra work collectively to make you are feeling like a puzzle fixing samurai genius with among the finest soundtracks in gaming.
In case you performed Hotline Miami, the addictive yet another likelihood type motion is at play right here. You’ll die typically, however each dying is a studying expertise. This facet may flip some gamers off, however exterior of perhaps a handful of deaths, I’ve by no means felt like my time was being wasted in any degree of scenario. I’ll say that a number of the boss battles are irritating, and that’s actually my solely criticism with the core sport. It’s a chic expertise, however I by no means actually loved some particular moments in my Swap or Steam playthroughs. These aren’t enjoyable when skilled on cell both as you’ll be able to count on.
On Swap and PC, Katana Zero performs completely with a controller. On iOS, you’ll be able to after all use a controller, however I used to be extra keen on seeing how the builders tailored the sport for contact controls. On the controller aspect, I examined utilizing a Spine One on an iPhone 14 Plus and my 8BitDo Professional 2 on iPad Professional. All of it works nicely. On my iPhone 15 Professional, I used contact controls, and located them to be superb exterior one problem. The motion buttons and interplay button can all be resized and moved round. The analog stick for motion has three settings, however none of them allow you to correctly repair the joystick together with the fastened setting. I’ve to think about this can be a bug or a mislabelled setting. In case you aren’t used to taking part in platformers on contact controls, this can take you a while to get used to, however I believe the workforce has executed a implausible job with the controls on iOS.
Katana Zero seems sensible on iOS. It has some border art work on iPhone 15 Professional throughout gameplay, and has black bars in menus and interfaces. On iPad Professional, there are simply black bars across the 16:9 gameplay. It seems crisp although, and efficiency has been superb on my units. Katana Zero is capped at 60fps on PC so I didn’t count on help for extra on iOS. I did discover a variable body price in some elements on iPad Professional (2020), however efficiency was wonderful on my iPhone 15 Professional.
In case you’re new to Katana Zero and have a Netflix subscription, I’d undoubtedly attempt it out on cell earlier than shopping for it on one other platform. In case you don’t have a Netflix subscription, I’d suggest getting Katana Zero on Swap or Steam Deck to play on the go along with the latter being the very best model with no efficiency points in any respect.
I discussed the soundtrack being nice, nevertheless it actually is among the finest sport soundtracks in a few years with it touching fairly a number of genres via its runtime. That is undoubtedly one to personal on vinyl. When you’ve got no real interest in the sport and have by some means made it this far right into a overview of mentioned sport, a minimum of take heed to the soundtrack. You’ll not remorse it.
Whereas I’m undecided I’d say Katana Zero justifies subscribing to Netflix when you don’t have an lively subscription, it’s instantly among the finest video games on the service, and a implausible, and near-perfect, conversion of a powerful sport. When you’ve got a Netflix subscription, drop all the pieces else and play Katana Zero proper now. It’s that good. Replaying it has not made the look forward to Katana Zero DLC simpler.
