Line #21 YMMV/KatanaZero


1	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Dragon's statement of [[spoiler:"28 years in the jungle" has become a source of debate as to what it means when put into the context of Dragon's Chronos dependency — did Dragon ''really'' spend 28 years in the jungle during the war, and Chronos has just physically slowed down his aging? Or, as he comments on in the same scene, saying that "a week [felt] like a year", did the Chronos warp his sense of time to the point where he processed a much shorter time frame as something longer?]]
2	* [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGames Awesome Bosses]]: [[spoiler:The Psychiatrist.]]
3	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The game's soundtrack is generally top-notch, featuring calm and quiet tones, loud and fast riffs, and terrifying drones, all depending on the mood of any given scene. Of note are the loud and bombastic [[https://wicrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/chinatown-2 "Chinatown"]], an upbeat tune going perfectly along with the scenery and the action, and yet utterly [[SoundtrackDissonance contrasting]] with the cops gaining on you and being subsequently slaughtered; [[https://wicrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/rain-on-brick "Rain on Brick"]], a tranquil piano piece for relaxing at home after whatever bloodbath you've just accomplished, sometimes with a little neighbor girl for company; and [[https://wicrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/full-confession "Full Confession"]], a kickass yet poignant melody for a desperate battle of wills against [[spoiler:a fellow NULL]].
4	* CompleteMonster: [[AxCrazy V]] is a sadistic Russian thug who also produces {{snuff film}}s in his spare time. [[PsychoForHire Hired]] by an unnamed employer to recreate and sell the drug Chronos, V has numerous Chronos scientists kidnapped, tortured, and murdered for information, while also assassinating possible competition. A method he loves is injecting his victim with Chronos so that the pain they feel will last longer under the drug's effects. Allowing "[[PlayerCharacter The Dragon]]" to [[BadBoss murder his henchmen]] and even torturing his annoying neighbors to death on film, V later captures and tortures "The Dragon" for interfering with his plans.
5	* CreepyAwesome:
6	** The Psychiatrist. He's disturbing, especially when he loses his temper, yet he has been praised as one of the most interesting and cool characters the game has to offer.
7	** Comedy and Tragedy. [[NothingIsScarier We know next to nothing about the two]], yet they are instantly memorable for their personalities, abilites, and mysterious nature.
8	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
9	** Fifteen has proven to be considerably more popular than Zero in spite of having considerably less screentime.
10	** Strong Terry, a random {{mook}}, has received praise, even in critical reviews, for the RunningGag surrounding him being absolutely hysterical and [[spoiler: the punchline being his anticlimactic death]], which people think is both funny and illustrates the point the game tries to make.
11	** The Receptionist also has a small following, due to her love of anime and card battles showing off her {{Adorkable}} otaku personality. Helps that her lines (which vary between nerdy and flirtatious) play off of Zero’s [[TheComicallySerious quiet, dour nature]] and give him a potential MoralityPet [[spoiler: and SecretKeeper]].
12	* EvilIsCool:
13	** V may be a monstrous sadist, but damned if he isn't ''fun.'' He has received a lot of praise due to being one of the more entertaining characters throughout the game.
14	** Fifteen, whose charisma, mysterious personality, and genuinely impressive sword skills have led him to EnsembleDarkhorse status.
15	** The Psychiatrist. Every meeting with him is a disturbing treat, and many consider him to be a highlight of the game.
16	** Tragedy and Comedy. Their mysterious nature, bizarre powers, and contrasting personalities make their scenes instantly memorable.
17	* FridgeBrilliance:
18	** How do you deal with V in the mansion? [[spoiler:By pissing him off until he's too upset to kill you personally. This requires you to replay the dialogue multiple times until you get the result you want.]] How do you reach the secret boss? [[spoiler:By pissing off the Psychiatrist until he tries to kill you. This will almost certainly require you to replay the entire game multiple times until you get the result you want.]]
19	** A commenter in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xvWtYb0rY4 this Youtube video]] pointed out that there might be another reason why Zero listens to music during his "jobs":
20	---> '''Craig The Crawler:''' His name is Zero, and the music flows normally for us, but to him every time he restarts the music does too. It's to help him keep track of what's going to happen, like guy on the left shoots on the third beat, guy on the right punches on the sixth beat
21	* IronWoobie: Zero himself — shell-shock, dependence on drugs, and hallucinations will do this to you.
22	* ItsShortSoItSucks: One of the more common complaints of the game is of its length; the amazing gameplay, immersive story, and fantastic presentation is sadly cut short by the game being completable in around 3-4 hours — leaving most if not all of the main plot threads altogether unresolved. It's as if the developers cut the story in half or even thirds. [[spoiler:Which, given the 'ToBeContinued' in the credits, points to the team likely already planning a sequel or story DLC.]]
23	* {{Narm}}: Fifteen's first appearance is supposed to be spectacular and showing how badass he is by brutally killing V after [[RasputinianDeath all these tentatives]]. However, this is made less awesome considering the fact that V was just beaten by Zero and unable to stand up after being injured, making it looks like Zero [[UnwantedAssistance didn't need Fifteen's help at all]].
24	* NightmareFuel:
25	** The prison level itself, [[spoiler: Fifteen]] in his rampage left it looking like a bloody war zone when Zero came there
26	** The secret boss, which gives ''VideoGame/JimmyAndThePulsatingMass'' a run for its money as far as "Most Nightmarish Pixilated Horror" goes; basically, it's a multi-faced EvilIsVisceral incarnate that takes up the size of a single, large room.
27	* SpiritualLicensee: The game's VCR glitch aesthetic, as well as making the player character question what is real and what isn't, can offer some similarities and plot beats to ''Anime/PerfectBlue'', such as Dragon's reality and point of view becoming unreliable or untrustworthy, [[spoiler:the reveal of there being "two" versions of the protagonist (Fifteen and Dragon to Mimi and Rumi)]], and making the player wonder what is happening for real and what is happening in Dragon's head.
28	* SpiritualSequel: To ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', a game also published by Creator/DevolverDigital. Similar to the Hotline formula, you take missions from a discreet source, then travel to a building and kill anyone in your path. If you don't use a combination of stealth and skill to your advantage, you'll die in one hit against a horde of gun-wielding foes. You also have enhanced aim and a variety of tools to play with. Whenever you die, you reset back to the beginning of the area until you get it right. The moment your mission is complete, the music ends and a Stage Clear message appears. There is a deep political conspiracy centered around your targets, using ex-soldiers and psychopaths as their pawns.
29	* TearJerker: The sequence in which Zero walks through the cathedral is incredibly sobering considering the stylized violence preceding and proceeding it. Whether it is Zero [[BreakingTheFourthWall talking to the player]] or [[spoiler:Fifteen]] talking to Zero, the monologue really hammers home how [[spoiler:badly the atrocities committed during the war affected him and how Chronos amplified it]]. The [[https://wicrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/blue-room-kz-version soundtrack]] used further emphasizes the mood.
30	* ThatOneLevel: The main areas of the Slaughterhouse are not easy pickings, even for a warrior of The Dragon's caliber. However, the InescapableAmbush where you're locked in by [[spoiler:Leon von Alvensleben]] is vicious. It includes a gauntlet of smashing traps that are just dodged without slow motion, follow by a multi-mook melee with mooks perfectly positioned to shoot you in the back while you're killing their friends, but the asshattery in the final section tops it all — a gauntlet of disintegration beams that are ''just'' wide enough to dodge through if you time it perfectly, which is followed by conveyor belts and [[spoiler:Leon's]] crosshairs following you around to ''ensure'' that you mess up the timing and die. Over and over and over. [[spoiler:Leon wasn't kidding about the murderous failure rate!]]
31	** Thankfully, some of the difficult aspects of the level can be avoided by [[spoiler:dodging past the cameras on the ceiling and making sure enemy corpses don't fall under them; Leon can't shoot at you or activate the final gauntlet if he doesn't know you're in the building. Managing to avoid all of the cameras will also get you the key to one of the alternate swords.]]

Context YMMV / KatanaZero