There is a lot about Tales of Kenzera: ZAU that stands out from other upcoming titles in 2024. Its African setting and utilization of Bantu mythology and folklore are immediately unique within the gaming space, as is the game's story. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is the first game by Surgent Studios, a production house started by the actor Abubakar Salim. The game tells the story of Zau, a young man who is grieving the loss of his father. Despite its use of supernatural elements, the game pulls from Salim's own experience of losing his father, making the title a deeply personal reflection on grief, loss, and acceptance.

When Tales of Kenzera: ZAU begins, one of the first things the player sees is the quote, "Every story begins at the end of another...." After a brief introduction in which Zau summons the god of death so that he can barter for the spirit of his recently deceased father, the player is dropped into the game's Metroidvania world with the task of hunting down three great spirits. There is something undeniably poetic about this beginning and the title's use of the Metroidvania genre. As the game begins, the player is dropped into a new and alien world that, by the end of the player's experience, will come to feel familiar and perhaps even comfortable.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Might Have Unexpected Competition in Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Tales of Kenzera: Zau joins the next game in the Prince of Persia series as one of 2024's early titles and as a Metroidvania from a AAA publisher.

What is a Metroidvania?

The name of the Metroidvania genre is derived from the Metroid and Castlevania series. These games, in spite of their greatly differing aesthetics, share a similar approach to world design. In the genre, players are typically dropped in a large side-scrolling world. As one explores, they will encounter obstacles, some of which they will not have the means to overcome. As one completes objectives, new abilities are unlocked, allowing the player to backtrack to old areas and explore what was previously inaccessible. Backtracking through and gaining familiarity with the worlds of Metroidvania titles is one of the genre's biggest appeals. This structure has itself become familiar, as the last decade has seen a boom in indie Metroidvania games.

Metroidvanias Explore the Act of Overcoming Adversity

The structure of the Metroidvania genre has endured for decades because of how satisfying its games are to conquer. When starting one, the player is often unprepared for what comes ahead. Some of the hardest Metroidvania games have extremely punishing combat and are easy to get lost in, but as one builds their character's abilities and comes to know the world that they reside in, a sense of familiarity and confidence develops. As exemplified by Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, this structure that is central to the Metroidvania genre is perfect for exploring the process of grieving for a loved one.

How Does Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Depict Grief?

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU takes full advantage of its Metroidvania structure in depicting grief. Zau, like his father, is a shaman. When he sets out, he is reckless and consumed by sadness and anger. Near the start of the game, this leads him to endanger his life as well as that of a girl. In order to attain the spirit of his father, Zau must accept his loss and learn from his ways in order to grow and move on. This mirrors the player's experience of being dropped into an unfamiliar world and being forced to accept and learn its rules to progress through the game. Biogun and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feature a unique take on the Metroidvania genre, but Tales of Kenzera's synergy between story and gameplay sets it apart.

As the player comes to terms with the new world presented to them in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, its protagonist comes to understand life without the presence of his beloved father. This shared journey presents a unique approach to storytelling in the genre and could eventually make Zau one of the most iconic Metroidvania protagonists. The title is still unreleased, but a demo is available for it, meaning that players craving something new to play can get a sneak peek at Tales of Kenzera: ZAU ahead of its launch in April 2024.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is scheduled to release on April 23, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.