Losing someone you love changes everything. I still remember the day my father passed away – the hollow feeling, the disbelief, the desperate wish for just one more conversation. It’s this universal experience of grief that Tales of Kenzera: Zau transforms into something beautiful: a playable journey through healing.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a heartfelt metroidvania that transforms grief into a beautiful journey through Bantu mythology, worth playing for its emotional storytelling despite some gameplay frustrations. Developed by Surgent Studios and published under EA’s Originals program, this 2024 release represents something rare in gaming: a personal project born from real loss, created by Abubakar Salim (known for his role in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla) as a way to process his own father’s passing.
After spending 8 hours with Zau’s adventure through the spirit world, I experienced something I rarely find in games – genuine emotional catharsis. This isn’t just another metroidvania wearing its emotions on its sleeve; it’s a carefully crafted exploration of grief that somehow makes the pain of loss feel both universal and manageable. At $18 and approximately 7.5 hours for the main story, it asks for your time and your heart in equal measure.
What follows is my complete journey through Tales of Kenzera: Zau – from its breathtaking visuals to its frustrating platforming, from its powerful storytelling to its combat that sometimes struggles to maintain its momentum. This is a game that aims high, stumbles in places, but ultimately lands as something meaningful that you’ll remember long after the credits roll.
A Father’s Legacy: How Tales of Kenzera Handles Grief
The story begins with Zau, a young shaman who has just lost his father. Unable to accept this reality, he makes a pact with Kalunga, the God of Death – guide three restless spirits to the afterlife, and Kalunga will resurrect his father. It’s a premise that immediately resonates with anyone who has ever wished for a miracle to reverse loss.
What makes this narrative special is how it weaves grief into every game mechanic. Each spirit Zau must guide represents a different aspect of letting go: anger, denial, and acceptance. As I played through these sections, I realized the game was teaching me something about my own experiences with loss. The anger spirit fights back at every turn, just like we fight against reality when grieving. The denial spirit creates illusions of what could have been. The acceptance spirit teaches that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting.
Abubakar Salim’s personal connection to this material shines through in every line of dialogue. The conversations between Zau and Kalunga feel authentic because they come from someone who has actually walked this path. Kalunga isn’t just a god character; he’s the voice of wisdom we all wish we had during our darkest moments. “Death is not the end, young shaman,” he tells Zau early on, “but a transformation we must all embrace.”
The emotional weight builds gradually throughout the 7.5-hour journey. I found myself tearing up during moments that I never expected to affect me so deeply – when Zau finally understands why his father taught him certain lessons, when he realizes that keeping his father’s memory alive is more important than bringing him back. These hits land because the game respects your intelligence and your emotions. It doesn’t spell everything out; it lets you connect the dots and find your own meaning in Zau’s journey.
By the time I reached the conclusion, I felt something unexpected: not sadness, but a sense of peace. Tales of Kenzera: Zau doesn’t offer easy answers about grief, but it offers companionship through the process. It tells us that healing isn’t about forgetting – it’s about carrying our loved ones forward with us, transformed but still present in our lives.
Metroidvania Roots: Exploration and Traversal
As a metroidvania, Tales of Kenzera follows familiar structural patterns: an interconnected world that opens up as you gain new abilities, secrets hidden behind skill gates, and plenty of backtracking once you’ve unlocked new traversal options. The world of Kenzera is divided into several distinct regions, each with its own environmental themes and challenges – from the lush Forest of Beginnings to the volcanic Molten Plains and ethereal Spirit Realm.
The exploration feels rewarding for the most part. Finding new paths after acquiring abilities like the double jump or dash creates those satisfying “aha!” moments that define the genre. I spent a good portion of my 10-hour completionist run hunting down every collectible and hidden area, and while the world isn’t as labyrinthine as Hollow Knight’s Hallownest, it’s thoughtfully designed with enough verticality and hidden passages to keep exploration interesting.
However, the platforming – a crucial element of any metroidvania – is where Tales of Kenzera stumbles. Precision jumping feels slightly off, with Zau’s floaty jump arc and inconsistent ledge detection creating unnecessary frustration. Several times during my playthrough, I fell through platforms that looked solid or missed jumps that should have been simple. These issues are merely annoying in regular exploration but become rage-inducing during chase sequences.
The game features several escape sequences where you must outrun various threats, and these sections suffer from unforgiving checkpoint placement. One particularly frustrating chase in the volcanic region took me 12 attempts to complete, with each failure sending me back to the beginning of a multi-minute sequence. When precision platforming is required under pressure, the controls simply don’t hold up to the task.
That said, when the platforming works, it works well. The 2.5D perspective creates beautiful depth, with layers of parallax scrolling that make each area feel alive. Zau moves with grace when everything clicks together, and gliding through the air as the sun spirit or dashing between obstacles as the moon spirit provides moments of pure joy. It’s just a shame that these moments are occasionally undercut by technical issues that feel more frustrating than challenging.
Dance of Spirits: Sun and Moon Combat Systems
Combat in Tales of Kenzera revolves around its most interesting mechanical innovation: the ability to instantly switch between two masks representing different spiritual powers. The Sun mask grants Zau close-quarters melee attacks with a pair of ethereal blades, while the Moon mask provides ranged attacks and crowd control abilities. This dual-system combat creates tactical depth that keeps battles engaging throughout most of the game.
What impressed me most is how naturally the mask-switching flows during combat. Encounters are designed around enemies with specific weaknesses – some are shielded against melee attacks and vulnerable to ranged damage, while others must be staggered with close-quarters strikes before taking damage from afar. I found myself developing a rhythm: dash in with the Sun mask to break shields, switch to Moon mask to handle ranged enemies, then back to Sun for crowd control. It’s satisfying when everything clicks into place.
The boss battles represent the pinnacle of this combat system. Each major spirit encounter feels like a dance, requiring mastery of both masks and careful pattern recognition. These fights are visually spectacular too, with massive spirit enemies that fill the screen and attack patterns that reflect their emotional themes. The boss fight against the spirit of denial, for instance, creates illusionary copies of itself that you must identify and destroy – a perfect metaphor for confronting false hopes.
Unfortunately, the combat system does start to show its limitations in the latter half of the game. Enemy variety begins to repeat, and once you’ve mastered the basic patterns, most regular encounters become routine. The game could have benefited from more complex enemy types or evolving combat challenges to keep things fresh. Additionally, some players might find the combat on the easier side, even with the difficulty slider adjusting damage values.
Where the combat truly shines is in how it connects to the narrative. Zau isn’t just fighting random monsters; he’s helping spirits resolve their earthly attachments. Each victory in combat represents progress in healing, making the mechanical satisfaction of battle meaningful beyond just progression. It’s this integration of gameplay and theme that elevates Tales of Kenzera above many of its metroidvania peers.
A Canvas of African Culture: Art and Sound Design
Visually, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is nothing short of breathtaking. Built in Unreal Engine 4, the game presents a stunning interpretation of Bantu-inspired environments that feels both magical and authentic. Every screenshot looks like a painting, with rich colors, dynamic lighting, and environmental details that bring the spirit world to life. The Forest of Beginnings glows with bioluminescent flora, while the Molten Plains pulse with volcanic energy that feels dangerous but beautiful.
The character designs deserve special praise. Zau moves with fluid grace, his animations changing subtly between Sun and Moon forms. The spirits you encounter are imaginative interpretations of various emotional states, each with unique visual motifs that reflect their role in the grief process. Kalunga, the God of Death, commands presence without being intimidating – wise and ancient rather than threatening.
What truly sets the visuals apart is their cultural specificity. This isn’t generic “tribal” aesthetics but a respectful interpretation of Bantu artistic traditions. From the patterns on Zau’s clothing to the architecture of spirit shrines, every visual element feels researched and intentional. The game successfully avoids cultural appropriation by working with cultural consultants and creating something that celebrates rather than exploits African artistic traditions.
The audio design matches the visual excellence. The soundtrack blends traditional African instruments with orchestral arrangements, creating emotional themes that swell during key story moments and fade to ambient textures during exploration. The voice acting, led by Abubakar Salim himself as Zau, is professional and emotionally resonant. Salim brings personal authenticity to every line, making Zau’s journey feel genuine rather than performed.
Sound effects provide satisfying feedback for combat and movement, though I did notice some audio bugs during my playthrough – occasionally, ranged attacks would play their sound effect slightly delayed from the visual impact. These are minor issues in an otherwise excellent audio package that enhances the emotional journey rather than simply accompanying it.
Platform Performance and Technical Issues
I tested Tales of Kenzera: Zau across multiple platforms to assess performance variations. On PlayStation 5, the game runs smoothly with stable frame rates and quick loading times. The PC version offers the best visual fidelity if you have the hardware to support it, with options for higher resolutions and improved graphical effects. Xbox Series X/S performs similarly to PS5, while the Nintendo Switch version, while visually impressive for the hardware, does show some compromises in resolution and occasional frame drops during intense sequences.
Regardless of platform, some technical issues persist across all versions. I encountered several bugs during my playthrough: Zau occasionally getting stuck in crouch position, ranged attacks sometimes firing straight up instead of at enemies, and rare instances of visual glitches during boss fights. These issues were never game-breaking but did disrupt immersion at key moments.
The checkpoint system remains my biggest technical complaint. Too often, I found myself replaying long sections due to poorly placed checkpoints, particularly during platforming challenges or before difficult boss encounters. This design choice feels punitive rather than challenging, especially when combined with the occasionally imprecise platforming controls.
Loading times are generally acceptable across platforms, with PS5 and Series X offering near-instant loads between areas. The Switch version takes noticeably longer, which can be frustrating during deaths that require area reloads. PC performance varies based on hardware, but mid-range systems should have no trouble maintaining solid frame rates at 1080p.
For players considering which platform to choose, I’d recommend PS5 or PC for the best experience, with Switch as a viable option if portability is your priority. Xbox Cloud Gaming also offers a way to play without downloading, though input lag might make precise platforming even more challenging than it already is.
Breaking Barriers: Bantu Mythology in Gaming
Tales of Kenzera: Zau represents something significant in the gaming landscape: authentic African cultural representation created by people who actually understand and respect that culture. In an industry often criticized for tokenism or outright appropriation, this game stands as a benchmark for how cultural storytelling should be handled.
The game doesn’t just use Bantu mythology as window dressing – it integrates these beliefs and traditions into every aspect of the experience. Kalunga as the God of Death reflects real Bantu spiritual concepts about the transition between life and death. The various spirits Zau encounters draw from actual folkloric traditions, adapted thoughtfully for the narrative. Even the traversal abilities and combat moves have names and origins in cultural practices.
What impresses me most is the game’s educational value without feeling preachy. Through playing, I learned about Bantu concepts of ancestor veneration, the importance of community in processing grief, and specific cultural practices around death and remembrance. This knowledge emerges naturally through the gameplay and story rather than feeling like a cultural lesson imposed on the player.
The authenticity comes through in small details too – the way characters address elders, the significance of certain colors and patterns, the rhythms of the music and how they connect to ceremonial traditions. These elements accumulate to create a world that feels genuinely lived-in and culturally specific rather than generically “exotic.”
For African players and members of the diaspora, seeing their culture represented with such respect and care is meaningful. Multiple community members have expressed how validation feels to see Bantu mythology treated with the same reverence usually reserved for Greek or Norse myths in gaming. Tales of Kenzera: Zau opens doors for more culturally specific storytelling in an industry that too often defaults to Western European frameworks.
How Tales of Kenzera Compares to Other Emotional Metroidvanias?
In the growing field of emotionally-driven metroidvanias, Tales of Kenzera: Zau carves out its own unique space. Unlike Hollow Knight, which explores themes of decay and perseverance through environmental storytelling, Zau puts its emotional themes front and center in explicit narrative. Compared to Ori and the Blind Forest, which uses abstract visuals to convey loss and rebirth, Zau grounds its emotions in recognizable human experiences.
Where Gris uses its art style to explore depression and healing without dialogue, Tales of Kenzera embraces conversation and explicit emotional expression. The closest comparison might be Spiritfarer, another game about helping spirits move on, but even there, Zau distinguishes itself through its cultural specificity and combat-focused gameplay.
Table: Tales of Kenzera: Zau vs Similar Emotional Games
| Game | Price | Playtime | Emotional Focus | Cultural Theme | Gameplay Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of Kenzera: Zau | $18 | 7.5 hours | Grief and healing | Bantu/African | Combat + Platforming |
| Hollow Knight | $15 | 30+ hours | Perseverance | Western fantasy | Deep combat |
| Ori and the Blind Forest | $20 | 8-10 hours | Loss and rebirth | Mythological | Platforming |
| Gris | $15 | 4-5 hours | Depression healing | Abstract | Artistic |
| Spiritfarer | $30 | 30+ hours | Letting go | Universal | Management |
What sets Tales of Kenzera apart is its combination of specific cultural perspective with universal emotional themes. While other games explore loss through abstract or metaphorical approaches, Zau grounds its exploration of grief in concrete cultural practices and beliefs. This specificity paradoxically makes the emotions more universal – we recognize the pain of losing a father even as we learn about Bantu concepts of the afterlife.
In terms of gameplay, Zau doesn’t reach the mechanical depth of genre leaders like Hollow Knight, but it doesn’t need to. The combat and platforming serve the emotional narrative rather than existing for their own sake. This focused design creates a more concise, deliberate experience that respects your time while delivering its emotional payload effectively.
Reasons to Buy
Powerful emotional storytelling about grief and healing that resonates deeply
Beautiful 2.5D visuals with authentic African-inspired art direction
Professional voice acting performances, especially from Abubakar Salim
Unique combat system with Sun and Moon mask switching
Respectful and educational representation of Bantu mythology
Meaningful integration of gameplay mechanics with narrative themes
Reasons to Avoid
Precision platforming issues that cause unnecessary frustration
Unforgiving checkpoint placement during difficult sequences
Combat becomes repetitive in the latter half of the game
Some technical bugs across all platforms
Relatively short playtime for the price point
Limited replayability beyond collectible hunting
Tales of Kenzera: Zau receives an 8/10 from me. It’s a beautiful, meaningful game that will stay with me long after I’ve forgotten the frustrating platforming sections. In a gaming landscape often filled with sequels and safe bets, it’s refreshing to play something so personal, so culturally specific, and so emotionally honest. Abubakar Salim has created a tribute to his father that also serves as a tribute to anyone who has loved and lost.
As the credits rolled and Zau reached his understanding of grief, I thought about my own father and the things I wish I could have said. Tales of Kenzera: Zau didn’t fix my grief, but it helped me sit with it, understand it better, and appreciate that healing isn’t about forgetting – it’s about carrying forward. For a video game to accomplish that is something special indeed.
Final Verdict: Should You Play Tales of Kenzera: Zau?
After completing Tales of Kenzera: Zau and spending time reflecting on its strengths and weaknesses, I can confidently recommend it to the right audience. This is not a perfect game – the platforming issues, occasional bugs, and repetitive combat in later sections hold it back from greatness. But these technical frustrations fade in comparison to what the game gets right: emotional storytelling that respects both its cultural source material and its players’ intelligence.
Play Tales of Kenzera: Zau if you value emotional storytelling and cultural representation over perfect gameplay mechanics. Play it if you’ve experienced loss and are looking for art that understands that journey. Play it if you want to support more diverse cultural perspectives in gaming. Don’t play it if you’re primarily looking for mechanically complex metroidvania gameplay or if frustrating platforming sections ruin your enjoyment of games.
At $18 for approximately 7.5 hours of main story content (10 hours for completionists), Tales of Kenzera offers good value for players who will connect with its themes. It’s shorter than many metroidvanias, but this focused length works in its favor – the story doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the emotional journey doesn’t get diluted by padding.
