Created by Sargent Studios and published by EA Originals, Tales of Kenzera Zau is a Metroidvania platform game inspired by Bantu mythology and actor Abubaker Salim’s experiences with grief. The game tells the story of Zau, a shaman who embarks on a spiritual journey to recover his father’s soul by harnessing the powers of the Sun and Moon masks. Players must switch between the Sun and Moon masks depending on the situation, with the latter suited for long-range attacks and the former best suited for close-quarters combat.
Originally released on April 23, 2024, I pre-ordered this game for a few reasons. The game first caught my eye when it was announced at The Game Awards in December 2023. There aren’t a lot of metroidvanias (or video games in general) inspired by African culture, but I couldn’t help but be reminded of Aurion Legacy of The Kori-Odan, a 2016 African fantasy RPG. It’s been a few years since I reviewed Aurion for PC and its match-3 mobile game sequel, Kajuta Gem Fighters, but I couldn’t help but yearn for a similar game on console. And now Tales of Kenzera Zau has arrived to fill that void.
Before I go any further, I should say that Metroidvania platform games are not my forte. Even when I played Legacy of The Kori-Odan on PC with a keyboard, I had to remap the controls to play to the best of my ability. This is similar in Tales of Kenzera Zau, although being able to change the game’s difficulty did help a bit. The options are Relaxed, Standard, and Challenging difficulty modes. Of course, I didn’t realize this option until I was 75% through Act I and stuck on a particularly difficult area that contained a timed gate that needed to be unlocked.
However, even when I changed the difficulty to “Relaxed,” I still couldn’t unlock the timed gate. After several failed attempts and looking up video walkthroughs, I realized that Zau could move a little faster by dashing through rapids than freezing the river with Banba’s stone ability. I also didn’t realize that the gate had a time limit until I looked up the video walkthrough and saw that a YouTuber playing the game was also stuck. When I finally finished Act I and reached another timed gate in Act II, I wished this game had an assist mode to help me get through certain areas that require quick and precise timing. That aside, I had no problems playing this game. As mentioned before, you can remap the controls to change certain input commands to make it more comfortable to play.
Another feature I enjoyed was the ability to hear audio in either English or Swahili, which added to the cultural specificity of the characters. English subtitles are available regardless of language, so I played the game in Swahili and enjoyed hearing the musicality of the language as I played.
One of the most notable features of the game is the graphics. Each area of the world is beautifully rendered in 2.5D graphics, with some areas popping with vibrant colors and others with earthy, warmer colors. The character designs and portraits are fantastic, capturing the personalities and quirks of the characters well.
Speaking of characters, their stories are moving and interesting. The main character, Zau, starts off earnest and impulsive, similar to Enkwo, the main character from Legacy of The Kori-Odan. By the end of the first act, Zau has learned from his mistakes and grown a bit spiritually and personally, embarking on the next stage of his journey. I particularly liked when Zau found the reflection area with giant trees where he could meditate and reminisce about his father, resulting in an upgrade to his health bar.
Another character, Kalunga, is an old man who is also the Grim Reaper and a close friend to Zau, as well as a source of guidance and wisdom. I especially liked Liyana, the only survivor of her tribe, but also a very wayward girl. The story of Liyana and Impundur, the great spirit of the sky, has an unexpected twist that I and Zau himself empathized with.
Last but not least, the game’s soundtrack by composer Nainata Desai is particularly memorable during combat and in certain world locations. Its mix of traditional African music, synths, and a bit of electric guitar creates tension and atmosphere, and had my heart racing with excitement, especially during the first boss fight.
Overall, Tales of Kenzera Zau is a beautiful and somewhat challenging meditation on grief, and while it may need some extra features for those unfamiliar with platforming games, the story, graphics, combat, and characters make it well worth playing.
