Katana Soul

About

Katana Soul is a single player arcade action adventure game. It was developed by SEEP and was released on March 25, 2019. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Katana Soul" is an action-packed rhythm game where you play as a warrior slashing through hordes of enemies in sync with the music. Master different combos and improve your skills in various challenging levels. With its fast-paced gameplay and captivating soundtrack, "Katana Soul" offers an immersive and exhilarating experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 37 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic feel of old-school games with authentic C64 graphics and sound.
Challenging yet fair gameplay that rewards patience and skill, with multiple difficulty modes.
Short and sweet experience that offers a fulfilling sense of progression and accomplishment.

Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, which may detract from the overall experience.
The game is very short, taking less than half an hour to complete, which may not justify the purchase for some players.
Some players may find the difficulty spikes frustrating, especially in harder modes.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
22%
21%
The graphics of this 2019 game effectively capture the nostalgic essence of old-school titles, featuring pixel art that pays homage to the Commodore 64 and NES aesthetics. While some reviews note the simplicity and clunky nature of the visuals, many praise the charming retro style and attention to detail, which enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia while remaining visually appealing.
- “The visuals, atmosphere, and the story were also quite nice for this bite-sized adventure.”
- “The pixel graphics are really good; it definitely captures the feel of an old-school NES game while still having some nice details.”
- “Katana Soul is a small masterpiece which is perfect in everything: from graphic design and gameplay to the amazing music that you can listen to endlessly.”
- “This recent 2019 game mimics its old school predecessors extremely well, including Commodore 64 bootup and CRT monitor simulation, hardcore difficulty without checkpoints or saving, crappy graphics, stiff controls, and clunky boss fights.”
- “Graphics and music are really retro, giving the feel of playing an old PC game.”
- “This game is going for that 8-bit aesthetic and retro gameplay, and that comes with sluggish movement which is clearly intentional.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The gameplay is generally praised for its simplicity, fun mechanics, and retro arcade style, with players enjoying the slick visuals and music. While some find the movement intentionally sluggish, many appreciate the challenge it presents, noting that it balances difficulty with fairness. Overall, the game is seen as a well-crafted retro adventure that delivers a satisfying experience despite its short length.
- “I loved the style; it is so good, the gameplay reminds me a lot of arcade style!”
- “Okay, the gameplay is simple and fun as you travel through different levels in the game, killing enemies, doing some light platforming, and picking up power-ups. It's also hard but fair, and with time and practice, you will be beating the game even on its most challenging difficulty.”
- “Katana Soul is a small masterpiece, perfect in everything: from graphic design and gameplay to the amazing music that you can listen to endlessly.”
- “I didn't enjoy it, but if you care to go along with the gameplay in order to see the full story, I'm not judging you.”
- “Had it been more expensive, or if the art style wasn't a direct reference to the gameplay, it would be a thumbs down.”
- “This game is going for that 8-bit aesthetic and retro gameplay, and that comes with sluggish movement which is clearly intentional.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
38%
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic chiptune soundtrack, effectively capturing the retro feel and enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, contributing to the game's charm alongside its graphics and gameplay. Overall, the music is described as both enjoyable and integral to the nostalgic atmosphere of the game.
- “The C64 graphics, sounds, and music are gorgeous, perfect even; the difficulty is perfect, and I'm almost certainly going to keep returning to this until I can beat C64-difficult mode.”
- “Katana Soul is an action-packed adventure game with retro-styled graphics and a fantastic chiptune soundtrack.”
- “Katana Soul is a small masterpiece which is perfect in everything: from graphic design and gameplay to the amazing music that you can listen to endlessly.”
- “The music feels outdated and lacks the creativity that modern games offer.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and doesn't add any excitement to the gameplay.”
- “The audio quality is poor, making it hard to enjoy the music while playing.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The story in "Katana Soul" is praised for its depth and emotional impact, especially considering the game's short runtime of about one hour. While some players may not enjoy the overall experience, the narrative is noted to be more engaging and substantial than many longer games. The visuals and atmosphere complement the storytelling, making it a worthwhile adventure for those who appreciate the journey.
- “The visuals, atmosphere, and the story were also quite nice for this bite-sized adventure.”
- “Even though the game is short, it presents more story, bosses, and emotions in its run than a lot of other games in their 20 hours of gameplay.”
- “I didn't enjoy it, but if you care to go along with the gameplay in order to see the full story, I'm not judging you.”
- “Katana Soul is a pretty good retro-styled adventure game brought to you by Seep, the people behind Dragon Climax, now the story.”
- “It takes about 1 hour to finish the story on the 'normal' mode, not as hard as you would expect.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its old-school charm, combining engaging visuals and a compelling story that enhances the overall experience of this bite-sized adventure. Players appreciate the balance of challenge and fairness, contributing to a captivating ambiance.
- “Hard but fair old school game with a great atmosphere.”
- “The visuals, atmosphere, and the story were also quite nice for this bite-sized adventure.”