Surgent Studios' debut game,Tales of Kenzera; Zau,arrives in less than two weeks to much anticipation. Founded by BAFTA-nominated actor Abukabar Salim (best known for playing Bayek inAssassin’s Creed: Origins), he made his passion for both video games and inspiring stories clear in a recent press event, and it clearly shows inZauso far. Having now played through the first hour or so of the game, there’s something special here, with one part in particular being a particular standout for this writer.
A Tale For the Ages
Taking the form of a Bantu tale delivered to a young man, Zuberi, upon the loss of their father,Tales of Kenzera: Zauis the story of the titular Zau, a young shaman of roughly the same age. Zau is having their own issues when it comes to coping with the loss of their father, but they’ve decided to take it one step further and come to the god of death in kenzera, bargaining with them to hopefully find a way to bring their father back. Naturally, this is a journey that involves crossing through lands filled with several obstacles, with those faced so far being rushing rapids, sharp thorn, falling boulders, and of course, the numerous malicious spirits that roam about Kenzera.
WhileTales of Kenzera: Zauis a metroidvania title, it notably has a length that’s shorter than usual, apparently lasting from about nine to twelve hours. This would explain why the double jump and air dash were unlocked right from the start, in contrast to similar games in the genre, and why the first major ability – a shot that can stun enemies and freeze water, allowing you to walk across rushing rapids – arrived sooner than expected. Still, there’s a lot of various secrets, challenges and bits of lore to hunt for, even early on. The actual platforming is also a tun of fun, thanks in part to lot of good level design so far that rewards precision.
The combat is also simple and fun, with players being able to alternate between Sun and Moon masks in order to switch between melee and long-distance attacks, respectively, along with upgrades that can be unlocked from a skill tree. My only real complaint about it is that a lot of it so far takes place in arenas that get temporarily closed off, which feels like a distraction that snaps you out of the exploration-based flow that comes with the genre. But one highlight of the combat is the designs of the enemies, which indeed feel like mythological creates straight out of African mythologies, And that brings us to what is the most interesting part ofTales of Kenzera; Zauso far for me: the world of Kenzera and its visuals.
The Beautiful World of Grief
Yes, that sounds like a no-brainer, seeing as how all it takes is one look at the game in action to see just how gorgeous it is. Be it the afro-futurist 2089 version of Kenzera or the main past version (which provides a nice contrast), the colorful settings inspired by African cultures are absolutely stunning. But the part that intrigued me came during the press event mentioned earlier, Art Lead Ackeem Durrant, where he answered the question “Why is a game about grief so colorful?” As he explained, it comes back to Bantu cultures, the colors associated with funerals in them, and the celebration of life that comes with them. Even more interesting, though, is that he showcased each of the game’s biomes is actually designed to subtly reflect the moods and themes associated with the grieving process.
One biome, for example, may be centered around spirituality and peace, and thus have a large emphasis on more purple colors, being associated with those particular themes. The highland mountain areas with the greater chance of falling represent anxiety and responsibility. The dense, darker, more ominous woodlands represent fear and loss, and there are more to come. It’s just a brilliant move to make the world itself represent the character’s emotional journey, while also allowing everything to experience various aspects of Bantu cultures by intertwining it all. Even some of the initial level design seems to represent this, with Zau’s irrational behavior early on leading them to fall through a collapsing bridge, down to deep, dark, caverns with rushing waters that lead into insta-death spikes if not careful, which comes across as a simple-yet-effective way to show how Zau’s initial inability to process their father’s passing can lead them down a destructive path if not careful.
It’s glorious, gorgeous stuff, oddly reminding me of games such asSpiritfarerthat tackles similar themes with colorful, fantastical settings in a different way. It makes me want to keep experiencing all that Kenzera has to offer, and gamers everywhere can experience it on April 23 when it arrives for all major platforms.
