It's a decent Hotline Miami-inspired game, but it feels like the developers didn't really understand what made Hotline Miami so good. Everything is alright and sort of works, but nothing is as good as the inspiration, barring maybe the graphics. However, the gore is much less gruesome in Katana, which makes the violence feel less impactful, an aspect important to the stories of both games.

The story, in particular, was somewhat disappointing. While the plot was alright, I always felt like I was missing significant pieces due to the dialog system and the options to kill characters. I don't know how much my choices impacted the story, but I suspect it was not enough to warrant a second playthrough, so I am left without knowing as much of the story as is available. Once again, I feel Hotline Miami did this far better; you always get all the story except the hidden ending, and the way in which it can be obtained was clear.

The gameplay, too, is awkward. There are abundant instances of awkward platforms that interrupt the flow of gameplay, and waiting for your time gauge to refill takes you out of the action and immersion. The soundtrack was good but forgettable, enjoyable enough to listen to while playing but not enjoyable enough to ever revisit.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh on this game, comparing it to a masterpiece, but with such clear inspiration it's hard not to. Still, despite its flaws in comparison, it's an alright game. Worth playing if you liked Hotline Miami, but don't expect anything nearly as good.