Katana Zero is a noir-styled fighting game where you are a samurai assassin. At (literally) breakneck speed you slash, dash and jump your way through side-on missions. The twist is if you die the game rewinds time and you try that loop again.

Play involves fast reflex combat where you must press buttons quickly to overcome the varied opposition. As well as enemies themselves you need to deflect gunfire, dodge oncoming attacks, and manipulate environments with traps and explosives. Do this well and you complete the level, leaving no survivors.

It's a pixelated visual feast that assaults your senses. Each level is hand crafted to offer a number of routes and methods for completion. Defeat foes creatively, using spontaneous approaches to eliminate your enemy as you see fit. If you fail, rewind and try it another way.

The result is a free flowing fighting game. There are some assists that help you learn the ropes, like a temporary slowdown. As things click you start to see new ways through each area. It's starts as a game about sword fighting, but really it's a path-finding and movement challenge where the environment is as much an opportunity to continue you flow as it is a barrier.