Tales of Kenzera: Zau

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 855 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Tales of Kenzera: Zau Game Cover
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
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"Tales of Kenzera: Zau" is a single-player Fantasy Platformer game with an intriguing story of a grieving boy who becomes a warrior shaman, Zau, to reclaim his father's spirit. With stellar graphics, a compelling gameplay, and an ingenious soundtrack, players will journey through the beautiful yet treacherous lands of Kenzera, facing formidable foes and mythical characters. This emotionally-driven game is inspired by actor Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief, making it a wholesome and memorable experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Epic Games
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 855 reviews
story361 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Beautiful visuals and art direction that create an immersive experience.
  • Compelling story that explores themes of grief and loss, resonating with many players.
  • Fluid movement and combat mechanics that feel satisfying and engaging.
  • Limited enemy variety and repetitive combat encounters that can become tedious.
  • Linear level design with minimal exploration and backtracking opportunities.
  • Some frustrating platforming sections and hitbox issues that lead to cheap deaths.
  • story692 mentions

    The story of "Tales of Kenzera: Zau" is a heartfelt exploration of grief and loss, centered around a young shaman's quest to reclaim his father's soul, intertwined with African mythology. Players are drawn into a beautifully crafted narrative that resonates emotionally, supported by strong voice acting and stunning visuals. While the gameplay may have its flaws, the compelling storytelling and rich cultural elements make it a standout experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.

    • “The story is a wonderful blend of mythology and a personal tale.”
    • “This is the story of a young man learning to move forward after the death of his father through the frame of a story rooted in African folklore, and it's done spectacularly.”
    • “Tales of Kenzera: Zau tells a touching, personal story of family, grief, and loss, but it's wrapped up in a game that makes appreciating that narrative a lot harder than it should be.”
    • “The story feels bland, and I don't feel engaged with the main character or his journey.”
    • “You can tell that the story of loss is deeply personal to the developers, but everything is just skin deep; the story is not told in a way that makes you feel any sort of attachment to the characters nor any intense emotions.”
    • “The story is nothing to write home about, but I want to give it a bit more of a pass because it's not excessively intrusive and does lead to a fairly tender ending.”
  • gameplay298 mentions

    The gameplay of "Tales of Kenzera: Zau" is characterized as a solid yet somewhat conventional metroidvania experience, featuring enjoyable mechanics and fluid traversal, though it suffers from a lack of depth and variety in combat and enemy design. While the dual-mask mechanic adds an interesting layer to combat, some players find it cumbersome and the overall gameplay can feel clunky or frustrating at times. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging story, and emotional resonance, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Fluid and fun gameplay, gorgeous art, and a touching story.”
    • “The gameplay is responsive and feels great.”
    • “With its heartfelt story, compelling protagonist, and solid metroidvania gameplay featuring excellent pacing, Zau's journey is one that resonates, especially for those grappling with similar grief to the young shaman.”
    • “Easily the most frustrating mechanic you pick up on your journey, the countless times I'd aim Zau just a tad above or below the middle of the breakable wall just to slam my head against it and die/have to redo was terrible.”
    • “The level design is rudimentary, lacking convenient shortcuts, elevators, or unlockable passages to streamline gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay, particularly the chase sequences, feels like a rough draft compared to the genre's best.”
  • graphics216 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, vibrant art style, and beautiful environments that enhance the overall experience. The Afro-futurist aesthetic and attention to detail in the artwork contribute to a unique cultural representation, making the visuals a standout feature. However, some critiques mention issues with hitbox discrepancies and a lack of high-quality assets, which slightly detract from the otherwise impressive graphical presentation.

    • “Incredible visuals/graphics, setting and environments are gorgeous.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely beautiful.”
    • “Awesome visuals: the graphics are just stunning, kinda like watching a high-end animated series.”
    • “Not only is this game an extremely mediocre janky metroidvania with a terrible art style, but the head developer of this game is openly racist and sexist, saying that white men are dangerous and make her feel 'unsafe'.”
    • “Your character feels floaty and odd to control, the camera feels a bit too zoomed out, and the art style is colorful, but still somehow feels very generic even with all the cultural references.”
    • “Coupled with compromised visuals and performance on Switch, veterans of the genre may want to give this one a miss.”
  • music183 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beautiful composition and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. The soundtrack, influenced by Sub-Saharan African themes, is described as both vibrant and soothing, effectively complementing the game's visuals and voice acting. Overall, the music stands out as a highlight, contributing significantly to the immersive experience of the game.

    • “The game has a refreshing world to discover and a fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “The music is incredible too.”
    • “A lovely story surrounded by bright vibrant colors, incredible moving music, and a deep story that touches every soul hardened by grief.”
    • “The only redeeming aspect of the game is its soundtrack.”
    • “There's some epic music, some good platforming but it's ruined for me every time Zau opens his mouth.”
    • “The visual style, the music, and the cultural inspiration all hit me dead on, but the video game part was ultimately a disappointment.”
  • emotional141 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Tales of Kenzera: Zau" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, which explores themes of grief, family, and personal growth. Players report being deeply moved by the narrative and character interactions, often reflecting on their own experiences with loss. The combination of engaging gameplay, vibrant art, and a touching story creates a compelling emotional journey that resonates with many, making it a standout experience in the metroidvania genre.

    • “The story is the game's strongest suit, reaching emotional touches you don't often see in games.”
    • “This game shows you can have the challenge of a metroidvania wrapped into a beautiful, heartfelt narrative that grabs you from the gorgeous opening screen and never lets go.”
    • “Tales of Kenzera: Zau tells a touching, personal story of family, grief, and loss, but it's wrapped up in a game that makes appreciating that narrative a lot harder than it should be.”
    • “The story and characters are boring; there is nothing special about any of them, and the protagonist feels rushed with no growth until a sudden, unrealistic maturity.”
  • optimization55 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback. While many players noted significant performance improvements since the demo, some still experienced crashes, bugs, and frame drops, particularly on the Steam Deck. Despite these issues, the game generally runs well on a range of hardware, with smooth gameplay reported on powerful PCs and a solid experience on lower-end systems, though some minor stuttering and presentation issues were mentioned.

    • “Great game in my opinion, despite some dips here and there; it is very well optimized.”
    • “Performance is good from a powerful PC all the way down to the Steam Deck.”
    • “Performance is good on my GTX 1070 and controls are snappy.”
    • “Crashes and won't boot, poorly optimized.”
    • “Some bugs and issues with optimization, and it doesn't seem to be the longest game, but it's still a good time.”
    • “Performance on Steam Deck had some issues, with some hefty frame drops at certain points, but nothing that rendered the game unplayable.”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game. While some players appreciate the lack of backtracking and find the collectible hunting enjoyable without feeling grindy, others criticize the tough levels and poorly designed arenas that can lead to tedious repetition and frustration, especially when facing difficult challenges or poorly placed checkpoints. Overall, the grinding aspect can test patience, particularly for those who dislike extensive retries.

    • “Tough levels: if you're not into grinding through a level a few times, this might test your patience.”
    • “Arenas are poorly designed and become tedious, especially in the presence of traps, necessitating complete sequence restarts upon any misstep.”
    • “Personally, I love games like this and Stray, and hate games that demand hours of grinding, tons of backtracking, and dozens of attempts retrying things on a 'nightmare' difficulty to platinum.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting smooth performance on platforms like the Steam Deck and PC, while others encountered significant issues, including crashes and glitches. While many enjoyed the gameplay without major bugs, a notable number of users experienced frustrating stability problems that detracted from their overall experience.

    • “Runs great on the Steam Deck OLED as well.”
    • “No glitches to be found.”
    • “Graphics are really nice and runs great on my PC.”
    • “Couldn't even get the game to run after restarting my PC and trying 5 times; it's clearly a buggy mess with stinky sweet baby fingerprints all over it.”
    • “There are also some glitches and oversights that hamper the experience.”
    • “While the game runs smoothly for the most part, I did encounter a few glitches here and there.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the engaging chemistry between characters, particularly Zau and Kalunga, whose interactions are both funny and realistic. The witty banter between the main character and the god of death adds a layer of humor that is often touching, making the emotional moments feel genuine rather than forced. Overall, the humor is well-integrated into the narrative, enhancing the storytelling experience.

    • “Abubakar Salim nails it as Zau, and his chemistry with Kalunga is funny and realistic.”
    • “The highlight is definitely the story and the dialogue between the main character and the god of death, who have frequent banter that's funny and often touching.”
    • “I never got into the story, and this is where Zau just takes you along easily – with some good humor and heartfelt emotions which never seem forced or overdone.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Overall, players express a desire for enhanced replayability features, such as rogue-like elements or tower climbing mechanics, to increase the game's longevity. Some users appreciate the option to skip certain sections, which adds to their willingness to replay, while others feel the lack of exploration diminishes the game's replay value. Comparisons to titles like Hollow Knight highlight the expectation for more engaging replayability in this genre.

    • “Wish they add some sort of roguelike or tower climbing kind of thing for endless replayability!”
    • “If you're looking for that sort of replayability, I'd recommend Hollow Knight.”
    • “There's just no exploration or replay value - essential attributes for the genre.”
    • “Wish they add some sort of rogue-like or tower climbing kind of thing for endless replayability!”
    • “(Also, thank you to whoever provided the skip for the chase sections. I didn't enjoy those much, and knowing I can skip them in the future really makes this more replayable!)”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique setting and art style, with beautiful music that complements the overall experience. While the soundtrack effectively enhances the world-building, some players feel that the tracks lack standout hits. Overall, the atmosphere is considered immersive and well-crafted.

    • “The music is beautiful and complements the game's atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “The soundtrack is definitely competent and helps build up the world and atmosphere very well.”
    • “Unique setting, art style, music, and atmosphere in general.”
    • “The soundtrack is definitely competent and helps build up the world and atmosphere very well, but none of the tracks were bangers for me.”
  • character development4 mentions

    The character development in the game is generally well-received, with praise for the moving story and strong world-building, though some players feel that the character Zau could have benefited from more depth. Overall, the character design and voice work are highlighted as standout features, contributing to an engaging experience.

    • “Beautiful, moving story, fun, challenging gameplay, phenomenal voice work and world building, S-tier character design and artwork, the attention paid to Bantu lore. Honestly, the only thing that would put this even further above and beyond than it already is would be if this was an open-world RPG.”
    • “It could have used more character development with Zau, but overall, it was good.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players expressing disappointment that it is in early access (EA) and lacks sufficient advertising. Additionally, the requirement for an online connection, particularly on handheld devices like the Steam Deck, has been noted as a drawback, despite the game's overall positive reception regarding its story and graphics.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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