Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Review: A Beautiful Journey About Grief (PS5)

One of the highlights from last year’s Game Awards was the world premiere trailer of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. It wasn’t solely because of the video (which was great) but because of the introduction from Abubakar Salim. Known mainly for his work as Bayek from Assassin’s Creed: Origin, the announcement gave background on his new studio, Surgent Studios, and the upcoming inaugural game from them. Abubakar gave a passionate speech about his dad, who passed away a while back, and how he was raised to think that video games are an art form. To still process that grief, he created Tales of Kenzera: ZAU and showed off footage to the world. That powerful speech stuck with me, and thankfully, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU struck a similar chord with me while I was playing it.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S for $19.99. The game is also available on PlayStation Plus.

Story: Going Through Loss

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has a story within a story structure as it deals with a young man, Zuberi, who recently lost his father. He discovers that his dad wrote a story meant to guide Zuberi through this difficult ordeal. The book centers around Zau, a young shaman who just lost his father and is determined to get him back. He strikes a deal with Kalunga, the God of Death, that if Zau delivers him three specific spirits, he’ll bring back his father. This story is the true strength of this game because almost anyone can relate to it. Most of us have gone through it and probably are still dealing with these unresolved feelings.

Last month, I had to put down my pet French Bulldog, Charlie, who I’ve had since 2011. While I’ve accepted that it was his time to go, it doesn’t mean that the pain is away. The feeling of sadness and little reminders that he’s gone is still felt. Playing Tales of Kenzera: ZAU touched a chord with me because while Zau and I had different losses, I can still relate to his pain. After finishing this game, it helped me process Charlie’s passing, which shows how powerful the medium of video games can be. It’s remarkable that Abubakar created this game to process what he went through, and in the process, he and the people at Surgent Studios have created something that’ll help thousands of gamers deal with their own pain.

Zuberi is still processing his father’s death.

Traveling With Death

The most fascinating aspect of playing ZAU is the relationship you have with Kalunga. He presents himself as an old man who’s lawful neutral and guides Zau on his journey. You can feel the centuries that Kalunga endured and the wisdom that he’s encountered along the way. The dialogue between him and Zau is great as Zau has an outlet to reveal what he’s feeling while getting advice like “it’s okay to not be okay.” Tristan D. Lalla gave a fantastic performance as Kalunga and had great chemistry with Abubakar.

Saving his baba at any cost.

Gameplay: The Sun and the Moon

The gameplay is the classic Metroidvania style. You’re platforming throughout the world and unlocking new mechanics in order to progress. There’s nothing new brought to the table, but everything presented flows well. Along the way, you get collectibles called Echoes that add more to Zau’s relationship with his father. They contain little bits of advice and stories that are deeply impactful.

For combat, Zau inherits two masks to fight against his enemies. The Sun mask deals close melee damage, while the Moon mask casts damage from afar. Both weapons feel fluid and easy to use when fighting enemies. The combat does get challenging at some times, not from the enemies but from the environment. If you get knocked into spikes on the ground, then it’s an instant kill. There are moments when I’m fighting hordes of spirits, and it gets to the level of thrown controllers. It’s a welcome degree of difficulty that’s tough, but when you defeat them, you get great satisfaction.

The major issue with the gameplay is this bug involving the menus. Whenever you exit one of the menus, Zau stops in his tracks, and you can’t move him for around 10 seconds. It’s more like he’s become paralyzed for a brief moment. I’m not sure if other gamers have this issue, just PlayStation 5 players, or maybe it’s just me. But it does ruin the flow of the game, especially for a platformer.

The power of the sun and moon.

Graphics & Sound: Beautiful, Lush Environments

From the moment I booted up the game, I got instant chills from the visuals and music. You’re given a beautiful title screen of a watercolor painting of Zau, along with somber music that gives you a treat of what you’re in for. The environments are brimmed with depth and flavor that make the world seem more alive. You know it’s good when you want to go off the beaten path and explore but can’t do so. That’s paired amazingly with the score by Nainita Desai. There’s this sense of mysticism throughout with the vocals and tone that helps make the message impactful. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but the music gave me chills and left me emotional.