Katana Zero is a 2019 platform game created by the indie developer Justin Stander. [8] He discusses his nightmares with the psychiatrist, who supplies him with a drug as treatment. After seeing the success of Terry Cavanagh's VVVVVV (2010), Stander concluded audiences only pay attention to indie games if they are being sold. [49] Devolver helped Stander localize the game, translating it to ten languages. [13][15] A flashback reveals Zero's nightmare is a memory from the war, that he is the soldier and not the child, and that the Dragon was his comrade. Zero has actually way stronger time travel powers and can not use them correctly or even comprehend them. Everything needs to feel like an extension of the player. Characteristic Sex Male Age 22 Height 5'10" (178 cm) Eyes color Brown Information Faction Government Army Status Dead or Alive (depends on ending) Allies The Psychiatrist (Former) (therapist, superior) Fifteen (Former) ( NULL) Headhunter (Former) ( NULL) Enemies Police SWAT Bodyguards Targets Zero I haven't taken it off in seven years. Stander said he only played Hotline Miami once and did not remember its gameplay, but acknowledged it may have subconsciously influenced him. [2][6][5] IGN found the lighting effects impressive and said they worked with the "slick neon aesthetic and fantastic sprite work" to give the game personality. Life works in strange and mysterious ways. Although he never developed the RPG, Stander reincorporated the dialogue system in Katana Zero to keep the pacing consistent. Which also has two possible endings, if you wanna see all of them just check out this guide. Mysterious Shiloutte gets new orders to "Move on to the next stage" from a "boss" character and the word "war" falls. Critics praised the 16-bit visuals. ago Ok, so there are more endings not just from taking the silver/gold masks right? The plot never actually goes into it again, but it seems to be very important. [25], Katana Zero was released on April 18, 2019,[37] as a downloadable game on GOG.com, Humble Bundle, Nintendo eShop, and Steam. [65] He said the DLC will resolve some plot threads and continue the worldbuilding, but will not complete the story. Or at least, it has an ending you might not arrive at immediately if you dont make the right choices. [49] [50] Critics considered Katana Zero stylish and well designed. However, PC Gamer found the plot generic dystopian fiction with stock characters, while Game Informer felt it had interesting ideas but "most of them just cryptically meander without reaching any crescendo". [44] A PlayStation 4 version was rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board in March 2021,[45] but has not been released as of September 2022.[46]. [39] Lodewijk did not set out to make dark music, but noted his tracks were often somber, even when he attempted to compose happy music. Several critics cited Katana Zero as one of the best games of 2019 and it was nominated for numerous year-end accolades. The story divided reviewers, while the unresolved ending was criticized. I will give you a new choice: Leave here now and live or stay and face your destiny." Katana Zero is a 2019 platform game created by the indie developer Justin Stander. It was Stander's first commercial game; his previous projects, such as Tower of Heaven (2009), had been smaller freeware games. [1][5], Levels are split into several rooms, and the player must kill every enemy in a room using their sword, throwable objects, such as lamps and pots, or environmental hazards, such as lasers. Date Posted: Dec 27, 2019 @ 8:26pm. ( WARNING: There are many spoilers on this guide, only read it if you already beat the game or doesn't care about spoilers after all ) 5 Award Favorite Share Step 1: Hang Up in the Factory scenario & Ask for medicine The End Sign in to edit The End is an achievement in Katana Zero . [29] Stander plans to continue the story beyond the DLC and has its conclusion planned. Lodewijk composed most tracks in a single take, "[letting the music] go and sort of adjust[ing] it as it [went] along". [32] Stander used graphical effects to emphasize major decisions, such as moving or colored text and character animations. In-between levels, the story is told in sequences where the player converses with non-player characters through dialogue trees. Any damage results in instant death for Zero, requiring the player to restart from the most recent checkpoint. [65], Katana Zero was among the top 50 highest-rated games on Metacritic in 2019,[68] and was named one of the best games of 2019 by USgamer (#1),[69] Thrillist (#21),[70] and Red Bull. Meanwhile, choosing to live results in you progressing further into the story toward the True Ending.. There is ample evidence for either . [42], Kiley said he composed using the same monitors Richard "Disasterpeace" Vreeland used to compose Fez (2012),[43] while Lodewijk used vintage synthesizers and drum machines such as the Akai MPC. [6] Destructoid praised how enemies never reset to their original position after deaths,[9] although Game Informer considered this an annoyance. Nonetheless, IGN said the dialogue system was entertaining and encouraged multiple playthroughs. The Girl on the other Hand is not a real person. Lodewijk did not set out to make dark music, but noted his tracks were often somber, even when he attempted to compose happy music. Independent Games Festival: Mutazione leads nominations for 2020 awards, Here are the nominees for SXSW Gaming Awards 2020, Death Stranding and Control dominate Bafta games awards nominations, Katana Zero Is Getting Free DLC And A Speedrun Mode, Katana Zero Dev Says Free DLC Is Now So Big It's "More Like Katana 1.5", Katana Zero Free DLC Still In Development And It's Now "3x The Original Planned Size". He considered many modern games too forgiving, with enemies less powerful than the player. Especially with the ending where the neighbours say that there are no children in district 3. In-between levels, the player converses with non-player characters (NPCs), such as the psychiatrist, the girl, and V, a Russian psychopath antagonist who admires Zero's lethality. 2 level walk over The Psychiatrist's newly lifeless body and a button prompt will give you the New Mecca Government keycard. Is he the guy who throws the cig into the shack? Why does Zero call himself "The Dragon" when he obviously knows that the title belongs to someone else? [16], Stander said telling a story was a large part of his motivation to develop Katana Zero, wanting to celebrate his favorite tropes and provide his own spin on them. Stander then asked if he could use music from Lodewijk's "jams" (improvised recording sessions Lodewijk had uploaded to his channel); the jam that first drew Stander's attention to Lodewijk, "Jam #12", was used as the boss theme. He noted "even the ones that seem big will peter out or resolve themselves", similar to Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series, such as an instance in which a decision will cause the player to temporarily lose their sword. This leaves the Bad End as a secret ending of sorts, offering an alternative end to the course of the games events. He finds a note saying "One life for another." Katana Zero is still getting its free DLC, but the project has grown dramatically in scope according to its developer.. What is known though that he and Snow share the same boss. Although reviewers praised the writing, they were divided on the story. Since V told him how important Zero is, before he probably injected chronos in to both. I just recently played through this game and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything else. The game features eleven levels, which use Zero's precognition as a framing device; the player's attempts to complete each level are presented as possible scenarios Zero has foreseen. [28] While he did edit some tracks using his computer, Lodewijk described his process as "old-fashioned" and estimated 95% of his music was composed using vintage synths. Katana Zero was developed over six years by the indie game creator Justin Stander under the studio name Askiisoft. "The Dragon", Lazor Chick, V, Snow all make their moves to either wipe out the people who know about chronos or keep them silenced/capture them. ago The only thing is a secret boss fight Lazor Chick is killed, but we can see "The Dragon" sitting in a basement at the end. He focused on attention to detail and looked to films such as Sin City (2005) and John Wick (2014) for story inspiration. For example, Zero's relationship with the psychiatrist suffers if the player ignores his orders, which can lead to alternate story paths in which Zero learns information he was not supposed to. [10] He considered this one of the biggest problems with cutscenes, as they strip players of their agency. A flashback reveals Zero's nightmare is a memory from the war, that he is the soldier and not the child, and that the Dragon was Zero's comrade. [4] Zero's ability to slow down time and predict the future allows the player to activate a slow motion effect, enabling them to predict enemy movement easier, although use is limited by a meter that gradually refills. Elements Stander conceived early on included a protagonist who was "sort of trapped in their situation, because those always make for good main characters in action games", and a disagreeable psychiatrist who players would dislike. [36] According to Kiley, "As the project progressed we gleefully broke this rule and ended up writing music for levels and story scenes all over the place. It could also be that he's scared of his speed, but that is highly unlikely, so they might be teaming up in secret. [17] He discusses his nightmares with the psychiatrist, who supplies him with a drug as treatment. Reddit, Inc. 2023. The short length was noted, but IGN and Nintendo Life said it worked in the game's favor since it meant there was no filler. By EricCoCo. 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 . [5][6] The game features eleven levels,[7] which use Zero's precognition as a framing device; the player's attempts to complete each level are presented as possible scenarios Zero has foreseen. They said this made completing each level feel satisfying,[1][23][65] with Game Informer considering the trial-and-error process of polishing movements "the most entertaining part of [the game]". This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. [80] The DLC will be slightly more than half the size of the base game and will introduce new game mechanics, enemies, and story elements. I expect the choice in Chinatown won't be relevant until then. Difficulty arose from finding the right timing between interrupting and responding. [5] GameSpot appreciated that Katana Zero did not use a retro aesthetic simply for nostalgia,[2] and alongside Polygon found the detailed sprite work and smooth animations added emotional weight. For more on the game, check out the recent news that the title is Devolver Digitals second fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game. [16] Stander said the script was rewritten around 30 times. Zero can run, jump, wall kick, pick up and throw items, attack using his katana, and dodge. Destructoid praised how enemies never reset to their original position after deaths, although Game Informer considered this an annoyance. [32] Stander looked to indie games that feature "tight, fast-paced, instant death combat" for inspiration,[34] such as Trilby: The Art of Theft (2009) and Gunpoint (2013). Small music world? Are there more Chronos resources we dont know of and Leon was just a Fluke? "The masked men" on the other Hand are mysterious entitys which annoy Zero all the time. [27] Stander resolved the problem using "coyote time", a trick in game development in which developers provide the player a brief interval to make their decision even if the on-screen window of opportunity has passed. Almost Nothing is known about Snow, only that she interrupted a fight between Zero and V. She also seems to know Zero personally or at least the place where he got his Samurai Training since she mentions his school. (no spoilers please if there are different endings). Recruiting artists proved challenging; Stander called himself "a terrible artist", and for two years no artists worked on the game. [5], Critics enjoyed the fast, fluid gameplay, which they frequently compared to Hotline Miami. [42] He drew inspiration from Nine Inch Nails, as he and Stander were fans of their dark and industrial tone. 11 mo. All rights reserved. [21] He was inspired by the Eastern culture of samurai cinema and wanted a vulnerable yet lethal protagonist similar to those from Korean revenge thrillers. [10] He adopted a show-don't-tell approach to convey as much of the story, themes, and characters as possible through just visuals. [5][4] IGN said the controls were "empoweringly flexible"[5] and Nintendo Life said it felt great to learn them. Levels are split into several rooms, and the player must kill every enemy in a room using their sword, throwable objects, such as lamps and pots, or environmental hazards, such as lasers. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. [16], The dialogue tree system originated from Stander's concept for a role-playing video game (RPG) that centered on limitlessness, allowing the player to interact with any object and fight any NPC. In contrast, the average indie game generates around 16,000. Leon is trying to keep down the existence of Chronos, it is not known which party he belongs to, only that he has great knowledge about the project. [42] Stander attempted to synchronize the music with the gameplay by having Zero turn on a Walkman at the beginning of each level, changing the music when Zero takes his earbuds out to talk to an NPC, and slowing down the music when the player uses Chronos. [41] Lodewijk composed most tracks in a single take, "[letting the music] go and sort of adjust[ing] it as it [went] along". Prism key Secret. You have a . All the back and forth? IGN said the controls were "empoweringly flexible" and Nintendo Life said it felt great to learn them. In May 2020, he said some of his future games would connect to its fictional universe.[29]. [16] The news media ascribes these killings to a serial killer known as the Dragon. Are the masked men even real? [38] Lodewijk composed a track specifically for Stander after joining the project, but Stander told him to compose as he normally would. You NEVER see other characters besides Zero interacting with him. As such, the two endings covered above should be taken as the only available endings at this time. [10][26] His focus on particulars demoralized him, to the point he made little progress for a year. He was conscious speedrunners would skip all the dialogue and included in-game consequences for interrupting constantly to create a sense of realism. [60] It was the second-bestselling eShop game during the month following its release behind the Switch version of Cuphead (2017), which was released on the same day. And I do that several times throughout the game. Most have presumed that the elevator will lead to an eventual DLC area and/or boss fight, but no one can say for certain at this time. There are only two endings but there are some changes you can make during the story to change some events but not the ending. There is probably alot of stuff that I missed but the final timeline goes something like this: Null Soldiers get disbanded and the new gov tries to kill them all. [10] Stander used the neon lighting to blend the artists' different styles. [65] IGN's reviewer said the Chronos slow motion mechanic was his favorite element since it was powerful but still limited,[5] and Nintendo Life described the process of balancing Chronos use throughout the levels as exciting. Aside from occasional bosses, each enemy dies in a single hit. Destructoid called it an "audial delight" and Nintendo Life reviewer said the music overshadowed the rest of the game at points. Stander described it as "more like Katana 1.5" than DLC. 0:00 / 4:17 Katana Zero: SECRET BOSS (True Ending Explained) The Inhuman One 34.8K subscribers Join Subscribe 3.7K Share 172K views 3 years ago In this video I explain the lore and. The guy who made the game said he was going to release DLC that continues the story. It is never clarified. [33] The one-hit-kill gameplay was frequently compared to another Devolver Digital-published game, Hotline Miami. Katana Zero is a 2D platform and hack-and-slash game presented from a side-scrolling perspective. [67] Minor criticism came from IGN, which said many story deviations felt superficial, leading to later choices feeling inconsistent with those made earlier. The first is the sword slash, which is quick and precise but limited to short range. [7][20] After the Dragon, a separate swordsman with clairvoyant abilities similar to Zero's, dismembers and abducts V,[21] Zero learns about his own past as a supersoldier and that the drug he had been taking, Chronos, both gave him his abilities[22] and causes users in withdrawal to become trapped within their minds. second fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game. I mean Leon instantly dies when you free him, but the game does not explain it. [26], Stander said telling a story was a large part of his motivation to develop Katana Zero, wanting to celebrate his favorite tropes and provide his own spin on them. It is also weird why they're kept in a bunker behind a large metal door. He stated: "Most of it was just not paying myself at all and cutting down costs in my own life to do nothing but work on the game." I am. Katana Zero was Devolver's most-preordered Switch game, sold over 100,000 copies within a week of release, and became Devolver's second-fastest-selling Switch game behind Enter the Gungeon (2017). [32], Katana Zero made its first public appearance at PAX West in Seattle in September 2015. How does a hit like Katana Zero change things for a creator? Katana ZERO - 100% - . This is further hinted at when "The Dragon" appears out of nowhere to capture/kill V, Zero immediatley starts to run away without saying a word. V is making his move by hunting down people related to the chronos project, getting infos and also partly hunting down remaining NULL project soldiers. Keenan has been a nerd from an early age, watching anime and playing games for as long as I can remember. Katana Zero sees you playing as "The Dragon," a katana-wielding assassin living in a dingy apartment in the bad side of town. Cavanagh, like Stander, had started off making freeware games, but none were as successful as VVVVVV. [31] Adult Swim Games obtained the publication rights, and a teaser trailer was released in December. "Zero" might've been severly injured during the war, leading to his fragmented psyche. Description "Meet your final end in Chinatown." Requirements At the end of Chinatown, either attempt to kill the masked men or choose the golden mask of death. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Zero and the psychiatrist's relationship becomes strained as the psychiatrist grows increasingly disagreeable and Zero suspects he is withholding information about the assassinations. Edited by Paige Cowett and Patricia Willens. Alvensleben shares his last name with real life SS official Ludolf von Alvensleben, who oversaw the killing of over 4000 Poles in 1939. He felt the soundtrack had a clear focus but remained "willing to experiment with obscure genres" and complimented the composers for doing something original in contrast to the "clich" chiptune style prevalent in indie games. . [12] After the Dragon, a separate swordsman with clairvoyant abilities similar to Zero's, dismembers and abducts V,[13] Zero learns he was a supersoldier and his abilities come from the drug, Chronos,[14] whose withdrawal effects cause users to become trapped within their minds. Then proceeds to murder the psychatrist. [80] He said the DLC will resolve some plot threads and continue the worldbuilding, but will not complete the story. [10] He named Samurai Gunn (2013), which he felt used one-hit kills effectively, as the bigger influence. Your choices have clearly led you here, as have mine. Faction New Mecca Military (before) Status Alive Allies Zero (formerly) Headhunter (Deceased) Enemies New Mecca V (Deceased) Fifteen He is not the Dragon. [27] However, he said "the way the story is told is entirely dependent on [the player's] choices", noting worldbuilding and character relationships can change depending on the dialogue options. [37][40] Lodewijk explained they would send their initial composition to Stander, leading to a series of exchanges that resulted in the final track. (Side Unclear), "The Dragon" and maybe the lazor chick were in the war, fought for the Goverment of Cromag and turned into NULL Soldiers. A relatively low budget, pixel art . Stander attempted to synchronize the music with the gameplay by having Zero turn on a Walkman at the beginning of each level, changing the music when Zero takes his earbuds out to talk to an NPC, and slowing down the music when the player uses Chronos. Not sure if the place is canon.). [1] Controlling the player character, the katana-wielding assassin Subject Zero, the single player completes assassination contracts for a psychiatrist. There is actually a very high chance that he can look even further into the future or can go even farther back then he tells us. [27], Stander kept the stakes for each dialogue choice minimal to reduce tension and make choosing a response feel natural. And lets not count that one "true final boss fight" with the psych he just seems off. Why are some people in cyrostasis? Katana Zero features side-scrolling hack-and-slash gameplay in which the player attempts to kill all enemies in a level without being hit, using Zero's abilities to manipulate time, dodge attacks, and take advantage of environmental hazards. in his apartment, police tries to stop him, he runs and vanishes. He was conscious speedrunners would skip all the dialogue and included in-game consequences for interrupting constantly to create a sense of realism. [33] He was inspired by the Eastern culture of samurai cinema and wanted a vulnerable yet lethal protagonist similar to those from Korean revenge thrillers. [26], Stander allowed the player to interrupt any line of spoken dialogue because many of the action games he grew up playing "would grind to a halt as the protagonist and the second banana argued about politics, or when the villain deigned to deliver a winding monologue". It sold 500,000 copies in less than a year and received positive reviews. The development was prolonged and Stander worked mostly alone, although he recruited artists to design the visuals as well as musicians Bill Kiley and Thijs "LudoWic" Lodewijk to compose the synthwave soundtrack. [34] Recruiting artists proved challenging; Stander called himself "a terrible artist", and for two years no artists worked on the game. They hunt down scientists, officials, they both state their reasons multiple times. [38] [39] The Switch version was temporarily banned in Australia after it was refused classification by the International Age Rating Coalition in April,[40] due to its depiction of graphic violence and drug use. [18] Zero also befriends a young girl living next door to his apartment,[7][13] and becomes attached to her. Feel free to comment! Critics praised the gameplaywhich they favorably compared to Devolver's Hotline Miami (2012)and the visuals, writing, and music. [30], One of Stander's goals was to make killing feel exciting and satisfying. He noted "even the ones that seem big will peter out or resolve themselves", similar to Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series, such as an instance in which a decision will cause the player to temporarily lose their sword. Many would only work on it for weeks or days before quitting for various reasons, such as other commitments or feeling their style did not match. 9 Award Favorite Share Going for all achievements on your first playthrough will cause you to miss out on a lot of story elements. Katana ZERO is a fast paced neo-noir action platformer, focusing on tight, instant-death acrobatic combat, and a dark 80's neon aesthetic. After beating the game and watching the credits, a VHS tape labeled "Gov't Lab" should appear on the . Last February, it was revealed how the content would be three times. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. [14][15] He assassinates drug dealers for his psychiatrist,[8] who acts as his handler. Being a master swordsman, Zero has access to several quick techniques which you will need to master. Zero unravels his past while completing assassination contracts. [26], After Stander graduated in 2015,[26] he developed Katana Zero full time. Playtesters would choose the wrong response if they interrupted too late, or unintentionally interrupt by taking too much time to respond. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. [20] Stander decided to develop a Nintendo Switch version immediately after the system was unveiled because he saw it as a good console for indie games. [35], Katana Zero's synthwave score, which blends Chicago house, electronic music, and synth-pop,[36] was composed by Bill Kiley and Thijs "LudoWic" Lodewijk, with additional music by Stander. [80] It was three times its originally-planned size by February 2020,[81] and six times by March 2021. Warped memories? Katana Zero was published by Devolver Digital for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows on April 18, 2019. [29] The total budget was US$60,000, which Stander noted was quite small for a game of Katana Zero's scope. Does he know "The Dragon" from the battlefield back then? Playtesters would choose the wrong response if they interrupted too late, or unintentionally interrupt by taking too much time to respond. [10] He considered being able to get an artist team to finish the game mere chance and credited the artists with motivating him to finish. Finding it difficult to die in games such as (2011), Stander decided it would be easy to die in Katana Zero. Gameplay Katana Zerois a 2D platformand hack-and-slashgame presented from a side-scrollingperspective. . At. Katana Zero originated from Stander's desires to create a larger project that could be sold commercially and tell a story. The girl goes missing[24] and the story ends on a cliffhanger. Stander began working on Katana Zero in 2013. Katana Zero Endings - Bad Ending Stander said he only played Hotline Miami once and did not remember its gameplay, but acknowledged it may have subconsciously influenced him. [35], Stander kept the stakes for each dialogue choice minimal to reduce tension and make choosing a response feel natural. Kiley said he composed using the same monitors Richard "Disasterpeace" Vreeland used to compose Fez (2012),[30] while Lodewijk used vintage synthesizers and drum machines such as the Akai MPC. Since the withdrawl symtoms of Chronos are timestop, they could potentially be anywhere and they also have a good reason to annoy Zero. A detailed guide about how you can reach the hidden Psychiatrist boss fight in Katana ZERO. But more on that later. [13] Zero experiences recurring nightmares of a child, who he identifies as himself, in a hut. Since obtaining a bachelor's degree in journalism back in 2017, he has written thousands of articles covering gaming, animation, and entertainment topics galore. [21], The art style was inspired by the neon lighting aesthetics associated with the 1980s. [41] Devolver Digital resubmitted the game to the Australian Classification Board, which cleared it for a May release with an R18+ rating. [30][34] The story structure was inspired by Hotline Miami, in which the player character is directed to kill by mysterious phone calls, and its themes include drug addiction and mental health. The Steam version was played for this review. First of all this is my first try on writing a story summary, theorys, facts, lore and characters. There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. Katana Zero sold 500,000 copies in less than a year and generated 5 million in revenue. [65] Multiple reviewers disliked the ending, which they called abrupt, and felt teased story moments lacked payoffs. Some survive to the present day, Zero is also one, tried to find himself with his psychartrist, does dirty work for him even if he and leon might be the true masterminds behind chronos. Destructoid and Nintendo Life said the dialogue system helped make the story interesting, and Polygon wrote it helped the player build an emotional connection with Zero. [16] Their decisions determine how much exposition is presented and how Zero is characterized;[1] for example, Zero comes across as rude if the player repeatedly interrupts. [5][1][66] The graphical effects used to emphasize dialogue were praised for adding emotional weight to conversations. We can guess though that he's also part of the Cromag Gov since the Psychartrist knows him and refers to him as boss. The baggage of a time-warped samurai looms large Developed by Askiisoft, Katana Zero is a 2D side-scrolling action game in a . GameMaker made it easy to port Katana Zero and the long development meant it was already well optimized. That alone could have radical effects on the future. Additional troubleshooting resources. Scan this QR code to download the app now. "[32] To maintain variety, he incorporated many enemy types, environmental traps, alternate level pathways, and set pieces.

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