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Stander began working on ''Katana Zero'' in 2013. He had previously developed [[freeware]] games, such as ''[[Tower of Heaven]]'' (2009), and conceived ''Katana Zero'' as his first commercial game. Using [[GameMaker Studio 2]], Stander sought to make a difficult story-driven game that did not force the player to wait through dialogue and [[cutscene]]s. He focused on attention to detail and looked to films such as ''[[Sin City (film)|Sin City]]'' (2005) and ''[[John Wick (film)|John Wick]]'' (2014) for story inspiration. 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.
''Katana Zero'' was published by [[Devolver Digital]] for [[macOS]], the [[Nintendo Switch]], and [[Windows]] on April 18, 2019. It sold 500,000 copies in less than a year and received positive reviews. Critics praised the gameplay—which they favorably compared to Devolver's ''[[Hotline Miami]]'' (2012)—and the visuals, writing, and music. The story divided reviewers and the unresolved ending was criticized. Several critics cited ''Katana Zero'' as one of the best independent games of 2019 and it was nominated for numerous year-end accolades. A [[Porting|port]] for the [[Xbox One]] was released in 2020, while [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]] versions were released via [[Netflix Games]] and [[downloadable content]]
==Gameplay==
[[File:Katana_Zero_Gameplay.gif|thumb|left|alt=A 21-second GIF that shows the player character in a purple room, being pursued by enemies before using a slow motion effect to dodge and kill them. The heads-up display at the top shows (from left to right) the amount of slow motion they can use, the number of deaths, the time limit, the total elapsed time, and the player's on-hand weapons.|A [[GIF]] illustrating many of the core [[game mechanics]] of ''Katana Zero'', including its use of [[bullet time]] and one-hit-kill gameplay]]
''Katana Zero'' is a 2D [[platform game|platform]] and [[hack and slash]] game presented from a [[side-scrolling]] perspective.<ref name="ShacknewsReview">{{cite web |last1=Mejia |first1=Ozzie |title=Katana Zero review: The cutting edge |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/111305/katana-zero-review-the-cutting-edge |website=[[Shacknews]] |access-date=February 13, 2022 |date=April 18, 2019 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208220249/https://www.shacknews.com/article/111305/katana-zero-review-the-cutting-edge |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="GSpotReview" /> Controlling the [[player character]], the [[katana]]-wielding [[assassin]] Subject Zero,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gault |first1=Matthew |title=The Best Video Games of 2019 (So Far) |url=https://time.com/5614583/best-video-games-2019-so-far/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=October 16, 2022 |date=June 26, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026131840/https://time.com/5614583/best-video-games-2019-so-far/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the
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]].<ref name="RPSReview" /><ref name="PCGamerReview" /> Aside from occasional [[Boss (video games)|bosses]], each enemy dies in a single hit.<ref name="ShacknewsReview" /> Certain levels feature unique [[game mechanics]], such as a [[stealth game|stealth]] mission in a nightclub,<ref name="PCGNRev">{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Iain |title=Katana Zero blends Gunpoint noir with Hotline Miami ultraviolence |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/katana-zero/review |website=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=April 18, 2019 |archive-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930133225/https://www.pcgamesn.com/katana-zero/review |url-status=live }}</ref> a motorcycle chase,<ref name="DestructoidReview" /> and an alternate player character.<ref name="RPSReview" /> Any damage results in instant death for Zero, requiring the player to restart from the most recent [[Checkpoint (video gaming)|checkpoint]].<ref name="PCGamerReview" /> ''Katana Zero'' has been frequently compared to ''[[Hotline Miami]]'' (2012),<ref name="PCGNRev"/><ref name="MCVDev" /> as both feature levels filled with enemies, one-hit kills, and require players to determine their chosen route strategically.<ref name="Destruct: Kimono">{{cite web |last1=Makedonski |first1=Brett |title=Katana Zero wears its Hotline Miami influences on its kimono |url=https://www.destructoid.com/katana-zero-wears-its-hotline-miami-influences-on-its-kimono/ |website=[[Destructoid]] |access-date=September 30, 2021 |date=January 18, 2019 |archive-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930165835/https://www.destructoid.com/katana-zero-wears-its-hotline-miami-influences-on-its-kimono/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Outside of the main game, there are two additional [[game mode]]s: hard mode features [[difficulty level|more difficult]] levels with new enemy varieties, reworked bosses, and additional challenges; and [[speedrun]] mode challenges the player to complete every level in the fastest time possible, with the options to [[level editor|modify enemy behavior]] and skip [[cutscene]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doolan |first1=Liam |title=Katana Zero Is Receiving A "Significant Update" At The End Of This Month |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/05/katana_zero_is_receiving_a_significant_update_at_the_end_of_this_month |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=February 12, 2022 |date=May 18, 2019 |archive-date=February 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212212521/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/05/katana_zero_is_receiving_a_significant_update_at_the_end_of_this_month |url-status=live }}</ref>
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