Katana Zero

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Katana Zero has one of the best stories I've ever seen implemented in a game.

When I first got into this game, I was mostly in it for the mechanics: the one shot kill looked suspiciously satisfying, and the indie pixel art aesthetic coupled with the fast-paced gameplay meant this game made it onto the top of my play list pretty easily. I was not disappointed.

What I was surprised by was how good the plot was. You play as a top-secret military project turned assassin. Your survival depends on Chronos, a wartime drug that provides you with precognition abilities. You must use your abilities and moves to get through rooms of goons. You can test out endless approaches until you work out the best plan that ends with you being the last man standing and the walls in desperate need of cleaning.

And the music. Oh god, the music. Disturbed Lines is the perfect villain soundtrack. Hit the Floor is the perfect rave soundtrack. Every time a level starts, your character turns on his music player and the bass kicks in, accompanied by text on screen that displays the song currently playing. Subtle details like that are what elevate this game from great to phenomenal.

The boss fights are amazing. The replayability is good, and with the new free DLC (take some notes, EA), fans can return to play some more. I haven't played anything this fun in a while. And for less than $10, it's a steal.

Plus, you can pet the cat. 5/5.

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