Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Review: "An Honest & Necessary Conversation About Grief"

is a new game that explores the depths of grief, a topic often avoided in and outside of games. Published by EA Originals, Electronic Arts’ indie-focused label, is a project born out of Surgent Studios’ Abubakar Salim’s own journey through grief. The metroidvania was announced at The Game Awards 2023 by Salim himself, who shared a portion of his story and how the game came into being. is an homage to Salim’s late father, Ali Abubakar, who died over 10 years ago from cancer.

Four years ago, Salim decided to make a game about that loss as a healing mechanism. The title is centered around the spiritual shaman named Zau who, like Salim, lost his father. The jist of the plot is that Zau makes a deal with Kalunga, the god of death, to guide three ancient spirits to the afterlife in exchange for the revival of his father, who he endearingly calls “” This story is told through metroidvania-driven gameplay, which guides Zau to the far reaches of Kenzera as he meets new people, who assist him in his journey toward healing.

is a supreme metroidvania and already one of the best of 2024. The title lets players control Zau with two distinct masks. The Mask of the Sun grants him incredible melee and close-combat power, while the Mask of the Moon allows him to attack enemies from a distance, and alternating between them is as simple as pressing a button. While the start of the game may feel a bit clunky when getting used to these different skill sets, by the end of the campaign, players should be executing combos seamlessly.

's skill tree present in the game is somewhat simple, but it offers just enough options to keep players entertained while they progress and gain more points to invest. Players can power up their regular attacks, boost the range and damage of their ultimates, and even gain unique skills, such as the ability to deflect projectiles. The combat of the game is also rather simple, but it accomplishes its purpose: players slowly master the techniques as they are