Tales of Kenzera: Zau Reviews
Tales of Kenzara: Zau is a touching and emotional metroidvania that very literally and metaphorically portrays the pain of loss and the subsequent grieving process. The narrative is very strong and its world is a delight to discover and explore, just missing a more robust combat system and the resolution of some problems to be an experience that takes us to heaven. Still, I have no doubt that fans of this genre will find an absolutely captivating and memorable experience here.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU will take you on one hell of an adventure as it tells a story of grief and overcoming it. The combat and movement mechanics will definitely have you losing more time than you’d like as you explore this masterpiece in design. However, you might also end up learning a few things about yourself and maybe even find closure in a recent loss of your own as you experience Zau’s story, and Zuberi’s resolve. So, while Zau’s father’s story might have come to an end, his story also started there.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau captivates me with an exciting, personal story and a great presentation in an unusual setting. Less gripping are the generic Metroidvania gameplay elements. There should also be more enemy variety and more challenging enemies. Due to the relatively short playtime of around eight hours, the lack of variation is not an absolute dealbreaker. If you're looking for a short action platformer with an emotional story, I can recommend this game. If you're looking for a Metroidvania in the style of Hollow Knight, you'd better pass.
Review in German | Read full review
Ultimately, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU doesn’t revolutionize the Metroidvania genre, but it does offer a compelling and deeply moving journey that is worth experiencing. It’s a celebration of life, loss, and the courage to continue against all odds, wrapped in a visually stunning and thoughtfully crafted world.
Tales of Kenzera: He associates Zau's mechanics and direction with a lack of ambition rather than accessibility. This game, which lasts only 10 hours, treats brevity as part of the design. Ultimately, the story is about letting go, accepting life's harsh limits, and finding meaning in the time you have. As short as Tales of Kenzera is, it makes sense of what players need to encounter.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a solid metroidvania that provides 7 to 10 hours of very good fun. However, it is not a perfect title. It has a flaw in almost every category. Nevertheless, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. This game is like a diamond, but full of imperfections and lack of polish. Personally, I had a great time with this production. Between game sessions, I couldn't wait to get into Zau's character again. If another Tales of Kenzera is created, I will be very eager to check it out.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: Zau was made with affection for it's source material and it shows. It celebrates life and death, as it's embedded in African culture. The colorful environments are a grand backdrop that pleases the eye. The ten hours of play offer enough new gameplay elements to stay refreshing. The main drawback of the game is it's imbalance in difficulty and controls
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a good action-platformer with a great emotional impact, but it smacks of a wasted opportunity due to a too light approach to metroidvania mechanics and some problems with the controls. It however remains an enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU unfolds as a poignant narrative, serving as a profound tribute to the enduring strength of love and the remarkable resilience embedded within the human spirit when faced with the challenges of confronting one’s deepest pain. Through its intricate storytelling and emotive depth, the tale navigates the complexities of emotional turmoil, weaving together threads of vulnerability and courage. Each character’s journey becomes a mirror reflecting the universal truths of human experience, where love emerges as both a source of profound healing and a catalyst for transformative growth. Within the intricate tapestry of the narrative, the reader is invited to witness the beauty of redemption and the profound catharsis that accompanies the journey toward self-discovery and acceptance. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU stands as a testament to the resilience of the human heart, reminding us of the boundless capacity for love to transcend even the deepest of wounds.
Tales of Kenzera gives the player access to a beautiful world with a colorful presentation inspired by African culture. The levels, battles and upgrades are well developed, but it all feels a bit minimal. For a player who plays few action platformers or metroidvania titles, this is a game that you can pick up without any prior knowledge. It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the controls feel less fluid at a certain point and I hope that this will be resolved in an update. The focus is on Zau's journey and the loss of an important person in your life. Unfortunately, the weight of this message is not reflected in the gameplay and that is a great loss.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Minor gripes with the linearity of its world can be forgiven when the gameplay that backs up the narrative is so enthralling. While I doubt I’ll go back for the collectables, the lessons that Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has to teach will stay with me long after I put down the controller.
[Tales of Kenzera: ZAU] has its hiccups, but the music scores, the vocals, the beautiful settings, its overall feel; it really makes you feel empowered. The "I CAN DO ANYTHING" kind of powerful! For a simple baby-level Metroidvania gamer like me, I enjoyed it for what it is.
An absolute bargain for the price.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a fun platformer mixed with a genuinely moving story of grief, all in a setting we rarely see in games.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU offers players a gorgeous world and captivating story, but some of the gameplay challenges might prevent you from seeing it all.
Although Tales of Kenzera: Zau cannot shine with outstanding gameplay innovations, it does offer rock-solid, well-balanced and very fluid Metroidvania gameplay. The two masks in particular fit perfectly into the beautifully staged African setting and considerably expand the agile Zau's range of abilities. It's also nice how fluidly and responsively everything can be controlled and how much passion went into the soundtrack, the voice acting and the story. There's also little to complain about in terms of level design, although the bottom line is that we would have liked even more variation in the enemy types.
Review in German | Read full review
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU doesn’t reinvent the metroidvania genre and if anything, is quite watered-down. However, its emotional story and refreshing African influence deliver a surprising yet short game that I high recommend you all play at least once.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau, as a narrative-driven adventure, is a must-play due to its unique lore, world, and memorable characters that keep you engaged until the end. However, as a Metroidvania, it doesn't offer too many innovations but rather more of the already established foundations of the genre, such as moderately challenging platforming, basic combat, and little else in the way of new skills and exploration. It is a short and sweet indie game that respects your time, and, with a friendly price point, it's definitely a great meditative weekend adventure to get into that gives you some exhilarating 2D action while exploring some aspects of grief and identity that only Tales of Kenzera: Zau can offer in its unique presentation.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a triumphant debut for Surgent Studios. At $20, and available on day one for PlayStation+ subscribers, any fan of the action-platformer genre would do well to check it out. Zau’s journey through loss will stick with me for a long time, and the excellent gameplay already has me itching to play through it all again.