“Every story begins at the end of another...”
Prepare to adventure into the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera as Zau, a young shaman who bargains with the God of Death to bring his Baba back from darkness.
Embark on a poignant single-player story shaped by actor Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief, discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after devastating loss. Wield powers from the Sun and the Moon to defeat restless spirits in rhythmic combat and become a worthy Nganga: a spiritual healer. Discover a rich universe with untold lore of chaos and order and journey through mystical 2.5D realms awash with color and depth, emboldened by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai’s enchanting original score.
Crafted by Surgent Studios, the entertainment studio founded by actor Abubakar Salim (Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Raised by Wolves) and published by EA Originals, Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU takes you on a thrilling emotional journey inspired by the rich myths of Bantu cultures.
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Reminiscent of The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like 2024's definitive example of mismanaging Metroidvania 101 tenets. And it's a shame to be that harsh when its inspiration feels like a wonderful antidote to the soulless company (EA) backing it and the commercialized entity (TGA) which first advertised it. Through an impassioned sense of grief, Abubakar Salim wanted to craft a story that authentically tries to wrestle with those same feelings. That's a great achievement of the medium as a potential creative outlet. Unfortunately, though, it's saddled to a haphazardly-designed game that falls short of sustaining that enthusiasm and squaring up against its contemporaries."
Ouch. I'll admit this one is more of a 5.5/6 score coin flip (if you will), but that's about all I can muster for it. There's so many other Metroidvanias out there that do a better job at game design.
Antony writes: "We talk with composer Nainita Desai on how she poured grief and acceptance into Tales of Kenzera: ZAU's stirring soundtrack."
"Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a light Metroidvania that would bring a tear to a glass eye - a personal and moving tale in a stunning game world."
- Stuart Cullen, TechStomper
