Katana, one; me, zero

Dystopian future sci-fi. Neon vaporwave art and music. Sword-slinging bullet-deflection and dismemberment. Tactical slow-mo. What's not to like about Katana Zero?

Well, believe it or not, this time-manipulation action game doesn't let you rewind mid-level -- despite having narrative justification for it. Instead, when you die, the game rewinds all the way back to the start of the level, making you try the whole thing again.

This is a little annoying in early levels, and becomes quite annoying as enemies become stronger and levels become more complex.

So when I reached the halfway point of the game's final "bunker" area, and needed a break from the die-and-retry stress, I checked a look at what lies ahead of me and decided ... nah.

Katana Zero's storytelling and aesthetics are really compelling; and when the action is flowing, it's a thrill. I enjoyed those parts of the game in spite of its frustrating retry loops. And I'm acutely aware that, if I kept going, the frustrations would overtake the fun.

Better than: Deadbolt, Ronin, Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones, Super Time Force Ultra
Not as good as: Mark of the Ninja Remastered
It's a short game, but: its soundtrack will be in my playlist for many more hours to come.

Progress: gave up in the bunker.