Tales of Kenzera: Zau Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, & PC)

One thing persists in the venture out into the rich Bantu world of Kenzera, that you head out into its action-platforming universe holding no expectations whatsoever. Only then will you genuinely have a splendid time. Otherwise, comparing Tales of Kenzera: Zau to the more renowned Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and even Ori and the Will of the Wisps, as you’ll soon see the striking similarities, is setting yourself up for disappointment. Because, truly, Tales of Kenzera: Zau far outdoes itself, especially with regard to its story. 

Such a raw and vulnerable stance to an experience all humans will have to face at some point—death—and the overwhelming emotions and state of mind that brew from the loss of a loved one. A tragic tale that isn’t afraid to push its characters and complementary environment to the limits. Meanwhile, infusing a fun-packed action and platforming sequence that, by its roughly ten-hour playthrough, will satisfy any gamer with time to spare. For all its well-done parts and a few mishaps here and there, here’s our Tales of Kenzera: Zau review of all you can expect forging forward into Kenzera’s world.

Death Cometh a Little Too Soon

A young man called Zuberi has just lost his father, and in an effort to console his pain, Zuberi’s mother gifts her son with a novel his father was writing before he died. We’re then transported into the novel, taking on the role of the protagonist, Zau, a young Shaman, pleading with the god of death to restore his father to life. Just like Zuberi, Zau struggles with coming to terms with the unfortunate passing of his father. The god of death, Kalunga, who is hardly as terrifying as you may think but rather more of a father figure accompanying Zau throughout the game, tasks Zau (you) with helping to bring peace to the three great spirits that persist in the land of the living. Only then will he grant Zau his wish. 

And at that point, you can immediately spot the ingenious intertwining of two heartfelt narratives. You immediately see that this isn’t going to be just any other story, but one that tugs at your heartstrings. It’s a story that teaches you about grief in all its cumbersome and rageful ways. It takes you on a treacherous journey of self-discovery and doubt, even as Kalunga remains the ever-present support system, challenging you to unprecedented levels and transforming a vulnerable Zau into a stronger shaman in the end. So as not to spoil any more of the story, I’ll leave it at this: Tales of Kenzera: Zau weaves a captivating tale best experienced for oneself. And the ending doesn’t disappoint either, eventually bringing us back to Zuberi’s now renewed grasp of loss, grief, and the courage to let go.

Credit Where Credits’ Due

You have to applaud Abubakar Salim and Surgent Studios’ tenacious efforts to craft a compelling tale. The voice acting is impeccable, particularly from Abubakar Salim (Zau and Zuberi) and Tristan D. Lalla (Kalunga), who both take up most of the narrative. Salim is a British actor of Kenyan descent, as you probably already know from the TV series Raised by Wolves and Bayek’s role in 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins. In fact, Salim created Tales of Kenzera: Zau to process the grief of losing his father, which you can attest to based on the rawness and vulnerability of the characters and the story arcs present. 

From the voice acting to the writing, each narrative piece gels splendidly well. You also meet more NPCs who build further on the lore. It also helps that the music score is impeccable, infusing somber orchestrated pieces and more high-tempo symphonies during dramatic boss fights. To tie the passion so clearly poured into this project with a bow is the environment. Backdrops extend farther than the eye can see, with intricate detail and flamboyance best matched by Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Inspired by Bantu culture and afrofuturism, each of the varied biomes in Kenzera, from the lush greenery to the mystical jungles, looks and feels stunning to hoop through. 

Dance Away

Straight off the bat, Zau is granted swift combat and traversal ways to maneuver Kenzera. You’ll first have a double jump, a wall jump, and dash abilities, in addition to your baseline combat attacks. Of course, more special abilities will unlock along the way. However, from the beginning, you move fast between platforms and close distance quickly with enemies; it’s sheer joy. You’ll have two skill trees: the sun and the moon mask, with the former primarily focused on melee-based attacks and the latter more suited for ranged attacks. Enemies vary, too, to an extent. In the first few regions, you run into wide-ranging enemies, including airborne ones, enemies with specific elemental shields, those that attack in hordes, and so on. You’ll also face gigantic bosses, often depicting visual splendour and posing a little bit of a challenge to get past. 

Unfortunately, platforming and combat pale in comparison to the story. Sure, you’ll often engage in dance parties with enemies and obstacle courses. Oftentimes, it can become frantic, so much so you’re constantly at the edge of your seat, anticipating the next hurdle. However, by the later stages of the game, it quickly becomes apparent that most enemy encounters are too similar and, in that sense, often require the same techniques to beat. Sure, you’ll string together your sun and moon attack combos, performing air dashes and slides as you see fit. With time, though, it all starts to collapse into one another as an overall experience. Some platform sections can prove tricky to get past. For the most part, though, most are a piece of cake for any average Metroidvania player. 

Off the Beaten Path

Speaking of Metroidvania, in some ways, Tales of Kenzera: Zau incorporates styles and ideas from the genre. It requires unlocking certain abilities to access specific areas of the map, for example. However, for the most part, Tales of Kenzera: Zau feels largely linear. You’ll spend relatively fewer hours backtracking compared to your usual Metroidvania game like Ori and the Will of the Wisps. It’s probably a good thing for players who prefer not to waste time retracing their steps to areas they’ve already checked out. However, for players who enjoy exploring, unfortunately, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is more of a look-but-not-touch game, even on the collectible front. Sure, you can branch off the beaten path at certain points to search for valuable items. But the risk-to-reward ratio isn’t compelling enough.

Still, it’s perfect that within relatively 30 minutes of gameplay, you’re rewarded with something, whether a new ability or skill. It’s great to keep you engaged until the end of the game. Plus, your new abilities play vital roles in both combat and traversal, culminating in an all-around worthwhile experience. I especially loved freezing waterfalls in place to bounce off of them and freezing enemies to execute devastating combos uninterrupted. Some abilities have less flair, like the spear that you throw to switch on the map to activate them. Or the grappling hook, which, despite the enchanting world, still doesn’t intrigue as much as it should. It would have been great to have a more in-depth progression system. Perhaps there are ways to alter your abilities so much that they require more thought and management. 

Verdict

Hands down, Tales of Kenzera: Zau’s story stands out the most. It explores a tough subject theme—grief—in honest and heartfelt ways every gamer will surely appreciate. Plus, its clever intertwine between narrative and gameplay helps to create a more cohesive package you can’t help sticking by through to the end. On the combat front, it’s fun and hectic enough to keep you engaged. You’re often bombarded with varied enemy types that force you to maximize every tool at your disposal. 

However, the variety stops by the mid-sections of the game, and by the later stages, you’re veering close to frustration for fighting the same enemies using the same attack patterns over and over again. At least the boss fights are frantic. You’ll fight gigantic bosses who all have different attack patterns and stunning visual splendour. You may find the difficulty leaning a little too much on the easier end. Games like these in the Metroidvania genre are hardly easy. Meanwhile, Tales of Kenzera: Zau holds your hand most of the time.

As such, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, while boasting an impeccable narrative piece, lets its guard down on the gameplay. It doesn’t do much to innovate on the booming Metroidvania genre. In fact, the exploration bits are largely linear, with hardly fewer opportunities to branch off the beaten path. It can be welcome for gamers who prefer to stay on course. However, those looking for a more fleshed-out platformer and Metroidvania may be better placed to boot up Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, respectively.