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Tales of Kenzera: ZAU |OT| Raised by Father, These Are My Origins

doops.

doops.

Member
Jun 3, 2020
2,513
2x1_NSwitch_TalesOfKenzeraZau.jpg

GAME INFO

Developer: Surgent Studios
Publisher: EA Originals
Genre: Metroidvania, Action-Adventure, Puzzle-Platformer
Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series S|X, Switch, PC (Steam, Epic and EA)
Price: $19.99, £17.99 (Currently free with PS+ Extra) and EA Play Pro (only on PC) [Pricing varies by region]
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Game Length: ~10-12hrs

Metacritic: 76/Opencritic: 76 [Review Thread]

ABOUT

Wield the dance of the shaman. Reclaim your father's spirit.

A grieving boy begins to read a Bantu tale written by his late father. Adventure into the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera as Zau, a young shaman who bargains with the God of death to bring his Baba back from darkness.

With your cosmic powers and untried courage, you advance into unknown mythological lands. Once bursting with life, Kenzera is now rife with lost ancestral spirits. As Zau advances toward his goal, 3 mighty beings lie in wait, fearsome in their strength yet somehow strangely familiar. Will you embrace the dance of the shaman?

BECOME THE WARRIOR SHAMAN

Embark on a poignant single-player story shaped by actor Abubakar Salim's (Raised by Wolves, Assassin's Creed: Origins) own experience with grief, discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after devastating loss. As Zau, you must face your own emotions to become a worthy Nganga: a spiritual healer.

THE DANCE OF THE SUN AND MOON MASKS

Wield cosmic powers from the Sun and the Moon to defeat restless spirits in rhythmic combat, from ordinary warriors to the mighty Impundulu or GaGorib. Manipulate time and crystallize enemies using the power of the Moon mask or launch fiery spears with the Sun Mask, all in meticulously hand-crafted animations.

SET FOOT IN A MYSTICAL REALM

Discover a universe inspired by Bantu tales, rich with untold lore of chaos and order, memories of ancient shamans, sacred spirits and fascinating creatures. Journey through mystical 2.5D realms awash with color and depth, emboldened by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai's enchanting original score.

TRAILERS AND MEDIA


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI3uqATbdn8

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq3QhYNLzFQ

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tZWEQSB2bw

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYa1tzJpe2Q
 
Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,541
Houston, TX
I'd play it today, but I have a deadline to hit. I'll definitely get on this by this weekend.
 
Captain of Outer Space

Captain of Outer Space

Come Sale Away With Me
Member
Oct 28, 2017
11,407
Been enjoying this so far. Props to it for just saving exactly where you're at when you want to quit and not forcing you to run back to a save point or bust you back to a checkpoint. It could maybe use messaging to tell you that you're not losing progress, but that's still cool to see in one of these Metroid-likes.
 
manustany

manustany

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,578
The Space
Played an hour and... meh, it doesn't speak to me.
It could be a lot of things though: I just spent nearly 100 hours with Rebirth and I recently played two great metroidvania (Ultros and PoP). Will play some more tomorrow and see if gets better.
 
Captain of Outer Space

Captain of Outer Space

Come Sale Away With Me
Member
Oct 28, 2017
11,407
Maybe the audio issues I've been having are due to my hearing issues, but I'm hoping the audio randomly switching between muffled and normal has been noticed by others here. It was kind of freaking me out for a bit. I had it set on TV for most of the recent session I was playing and headphones for the first hour or so.
 
Kurtly64

Kurtly64

Member
Dec 11, 2017
34
Played about an hour and liking it, love all the abilities you get up front. This will 1000% be compared to Pop, and it doesn't really stand a chance to that metroidvania masterpiece imo, but it's doing its own thing and seems like a much smaller game overall which I can appreciate after Rebirth and Dragon's Dogma II. Unique, definitely not Wakanda, setting too!
 
bezuzu

bezuzu

Member
May 3, 2023
449
I've done about 2hrs. Some thoughts:
  • Disappointed with the visuals on PS5...seems a bit too blurry for the type of game
  • Combat feels a bit too basic for me at the moment, hoping it opens up a bit more
  • Movement feels fine but there are some oddities with input I think. Like when opening the map/closing it again your character gets stuck for a few seconds. I've also noticed it's possible to get stunlocked and there's also some delay after you dodge? I did an event where you go up on an elevator and got stunlocked in a corner between the vines and two ranged enemies.
I think it's okay so far, not sure if I'll finish it atm.
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Keeper of the White Materia
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,673
Played about an hour on PS5 earlier today. It's an absolutely gorgeous game. Still getting use to the combat when swarmed by enemies, but it's fun!
 
robotnikus

robotnikus

Member
Oct 24, 2023
155
Finished off the 1st boss, started the next location a bit and well, it's 42% already lol.
Very streamlined metroidvania with zero secrets (not counting collectibles and challenges).

Getting these stucking for a few seconds also.

I will finish it, but no strong feelings towards it. I'd regret if I bought for full price, but as ps+ offer it's fine.
 
chronos4590

chronos4590

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,358
Didn't realize this is $20, and the reviews looked good enough to also support. But I'd going to compare how the game runs on platforms and decide from there. I'd get on ps5 but depending on how it runs, I might consider a switch copy
 
Messofanego

Messofanego

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,285
UK
chronos4590 said:
Didn't realize this is $20, and the reviews looked good enough to also support. But I'd going to compare how the game runs on platforms and decide from there. I'd get on ps5 but depending on how it runs, I might consider a switch copy
Click to expand...
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According to a couple of reddit users:
"I've played about 2 hours now, both in handheld and dock mode. I don't like the performance to be honest. I'm not sure about the exact frame rate, but it feels like 30-ish."

"Had the luxury of getting Switch and PC versions. Zau doesn't fare well on Switch like Prince if Persia did and feels like it doesn't keep a solid 30 FPS. "


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94TJMB-nFBg

It seems to be at 29-30fps according to that opening 30min video, and the drops of 26-27fps are more in in-game cutscenes.
 
Jahranimo

Jahranimo

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,036
Yeah I can attest to the Switch performance for early on. The first couple of cutscenes do have some stutter, but when it comes to gameplay it definitely sits at or around 30fps. Should be a brisk playthrough in handheld!
 
cyress8

cyress8

"This guy are sick"
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
4,454
being broke, to being semi-broke.
Got it already installed for my Steam Deck and will finish up during the weekend and next week. When they first released the demo, it had some fps drops during certain sections with water that I hope have been smooth out. That was my only issue during my play on the Deck.
 
elenarie

elenarie

Game Developer
Verified
Jun 10, 2018
9,869
Excited to play through the game during the weekend. Wishing the team much success with it.
 
chronos4590

chronos4590

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,358
Messofanego said:
According to a couple of reddit users:
"I've played about 2 hours now, both in handheld and dock mode. I don't like the performance to be honest. I'm not sure about the exact frame rate, but it feels like 30-ish."

"Had the luxury of getting Switch and PC versions. Zau doesn't fare well on Switch like Prince if Persia did and feels like it doesn't keep a solid 30 FPS. "


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94TJMB-nFBg

It seems to be at 29-30fps according to that opening 30min video, and the drops of 26-27fps are more in in-game cutscenes.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Thanks for the info!
 
dbcyber

dbcyber

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,412
UK
Glad dying doesn't set you back at all. It's a lot of fun, finished Act 1 last night and looking forward to continue it. Menu only shows a few acts so should be able to beat it in under 10 hours.

I haven't played Metroidvania since Hollow Knight, I sort of have a love/hate relationship with the genre because a lot of the time they overstay their welcome for me. Yes I love Hollow Knight but my god did I have to stop and start playing a few times over a year to finish it.
 
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Mesoian

Mesoian

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 28, 2017
26,699
This game is cool, I just wish enemies didn't have collision. I'm dying so much on the combat trials because I'm sliding off of the shield guys and getting wombo'd.
 
klauskpm

klauskpm

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,261
Brazil
The game is great. There are some parts it could do better, like unforgiving checkpoints and some backtracking that is useless, but the rest is solid. It has a great story, characters, and voice acting. And while in combat I feel like I'm combining and juggling my enemies. It feels really cool.
 
Bishop89

Bishop89

What Are Ya' Selling?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,830
Melbourne, Australia
tried this last night. Not bad.

Massive Black Panther vibes at the start lol

Feels very metroidvania'ish with having to unlock abilities to progress through certain parts of the map, at least thats the impression I got from the first area where i went left first instead of right lol
 
Stainless

Stainless

Member
Feb 26, 2018
607
Nashville,TN
The game definitely pushes you in a linear path, so if you're not able to reach some areas, you will get abilities later that will allow you to progress. Not a fan of some of the backtracking since there's so much platforming involved, but so far it's not overly excessive. I do wish there were more travel points to help with this.. Combat is better now that I swapped controllers due to an X button that was sticking!!

There were a couple of annoying platforming checkpoints in Act II right before the Kikiyaon boss fight that took me several attempts

Gonna push through and hopefully finish by the weekend so I can get into harold halibut or another crab's treasure.

Thanks doops for making the OT!
 
basic_text

basic_text

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,044
Derby, UK
It's alright and pretty much a metroidvania by numbers. Difficulty doesn't seem particularly challenging and you start with most abilities like dash/double jump so I'm guessing all the unlocks are combat based?
 
amon37

amon37

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,011
I hate the fact that if you pop the map and are holding sideways on the controller after you exit the map you don't keep walking and have to let go of the analog stick press right or left again. No other metroidvania does this. Very annoying
 
Tret Crimshank

Tret Crimshank

Member
Nov 7, 2022
206
Played about 90 minutes or so and I'm enjoying my time with the game but it has some real issues. I love the narrative beats and the voice acting is on point. Combat is also fun and I like having the option to switch and combo between the two masks.

But the control's responsiveness seems to be off, like Zau just doesn't want to do the thing I'm telling him to do sometimes. This gets frustrating on some of the many fast-paced platforming sections. Fortunately the respawn system is very forgiving and you can pretty restart each challenge right away. Zau also has a weight to him that is really jarring coming from The Lost Crown, where I had so much air control with the prince.

The combat seems be lacking precise hitboxes as I've had several instances where I felt like I should have dodged an attack, which also leads into the poor hit feedback. There was an elevator combat section that was far more difficult than anything before it, and having to deal with groups of unflinching enemies in closed quarters (with spike walls to boot) was really frustrating so early on.

The_Iceman2288 said:
This might be obvious but what are the coin things I'm collecting?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I also wanna know what those do, I think I've gotten two of 'em with no indication of what they are.
 

Wouwie

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,464
It took me a while to get into this (and forget Prince Of Persia, i guess) but i'm enjoying it now, especially the platform sections. I also enjoy the various mechanics being introduced. The combat is serviceable, at least with a limited amount of enemies. There's definately some issues, especially with how the character controls but i'll leave that for when i finish the game. At this point, i'm actually looking forward to playing more (i'm still in Act 1).

edit: just had a gamebreaking bug during fast travel. Upon reloading my game, i'm now stuck outside the playable area. So i guess i'll have to restart from the beginning.
 
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Alek

Alek

Games User Researcher
Verified
Oct 28, 2017
8,482
Wanted to like this but it's not clicking with me. The combat feels off, the narrative elements don't feel like you can really take them in at your own pace, much more forced upon you than other games of this type and I'm really not a fan of the games visuals even if the artstyle is appreciable.

The music and artstyle is cool, I love the theme of the game as a high level concept but in execution it feels as though there is too much visual clutter. It might just be me but everything feels very bright and it just makes the game feel quite overwhelming.

The combat also feels stiff and very basic, even though you do have some cool concepts in there with the mask and power switching.

In general it seems like a game where the experience of it, is worth far less than its component parts. Conceptually all of these things should come together to make a great metroidvania or a great action platformer, but as it stands the quality just isn't there.
 
Alek

Alek

Games User Researcher
Verified
Oct 28, 2017
8,482
I've persisted for another 5 hours or so, been playing it all today actually and it's alright. I wouldn't say I've changed my mind on the above, but I do think that the story and characters make it worth tolerating the mostly mediocre gameplay.

The combat is the worst and less so because of how your character controls and more so because of the encounter design and enemies. The enemies to me, are visually not that distinct and move very quickly. I can still just about read what's going on but it's a bit of a clusterfuck when they start overlapping each other and whatnot. The worst thing though, is that the game escalates difficulty by giving enemies tons of health and shields. The shields in particular are very annoying because they prevent you from dishing out any combos or anything like that until the shield is broken, and after a short while they also regenerate.

It just prevents the combat from feeling fluid. I feel like I'm trying to play hit and run just breaking enemy shields before I can ever really start to do anything. The instant kill spikes in many of the games arenas are also extremely annoying in conjunction with the fact that enemies can't be clipped into, and their attacks stagger you moving your position significantly. Speaking of spikes the game is also very spiky in terms of difficulty too, I can see a lot of players getting frustrated when the game suddenly asks you to complete a minute long platforming segment under very narrow time pressure with an ability you've just acquired, while the rest of the game is happy to respawn you almost in the position where you died.

It doesn't feel like it has the right amount of polish, as a bit of user research would have been able to identify these issues. It's all very long hanging fruit, really and most of it isn't all that difficult to fix either. The combat could be better with enemies with less shields, spikes shouldn't instant kill you during combat, and the game should have a few more fast travel spots dotted around. Some of the hardest segments should probably just be a little easier, with lighter time pressure and if they could prevent enemies obstructing you in combat that would make the game feel much better. A collection of little changes would elevate the experience very significantly, I think especially because the games narrative and level design are pretty good, all the hard work is nailed down but it's just hardening where you polish and tweak that seems to be missing.

And despite those issues I do still find the game appealing. Like I said above the narrative and characters have really pulled me in and I really like the unique feel of the game. Also previously I complained about the visual style being overwhelming but I actually think the game looks great the further you go into it, the darker areas like caves, jungles and mines have a really great contrast between your character, the enemies and the background and your attacks really stand out in a way that looks very pleasant in these darker environments. Most of the game seems to be like that outside of the very vibrant initial area.

For me I think it's a solid 7 with the issues it has now, but I could see it being an 8 or 9 if they resolved some of those issues discussed above. I would also be very optimistic about anything the developer does next because I think they had a really cool story to tell here with a unique perspective on that, so I'd definitely be up for another game from them even if this one feels quite flawed.
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 28, 2017
26,699
And done.

This truly does feel like the teams' FIRST game, as there's a lot of little mechanical issues that really pile up the longer the game goes on. But it is a masterclass in how to tell a compelling story in a video game. I hope the game does well enough for the Kenzera line to become a meaningful series. I also hope that future games borrow a little less from other games and try to create its own gameplay identity. The game chases Ori a little too hard in places and those areas fall flat because of it.

Alek said:
The combat feels off, the narrative elements don't feel like you can really take them in at your own pace, much more forced upon you than other games of this type and I'm really not a fan of the games visuals even if the artstyle is appreciable.
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I actually think the narrative placed on top of the gameplay is one of the things the game does extremely well. They purposely put in a lot of runway for contemplative moments or conversations between the characters so you can take it all in, rather than suddenly being forced into a combat or platforming situation and being cut off. It's actually quite refreshing as I can't think of a single game that actually does this well except this one. The strongest thing the game has it the way it delivers it's narrative and not making that clash with gameplay is the smartest gameplay decision they make.

But yes, the game is zoomed out far too much during combat encounters and you gain nothing for it, especially since combat for elements no on screen is paused. I couldn't tell you what Zau's two forms look like because you can't see them very well at any point in the game. More screen time is given to Zau without his powers than with. It's trying to do a lot to make sure you know everything that's happening in combat at once but fails in doing so as most tells and combat patterns are extremely difficult to see from so far away.

The pacing of the timed sequences is also pretty terrible. Go too fast and you'll hit a seam in the connecting sections that instantly kills you. Go to slow and die naturally. Go too high and you don't trigger a platform cycle, go too low and you may trigger a instant death cloud too early. None of them are terrible hard, but they just feel very messy, especially the final one.

I enjoyed myself for the most part, but the bits of frustration have nothing to do with how the gameplay was planned, but how it was executed.
 
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klauskpm

klauskpm

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,261
Brazil
Mesoian said:
The game chases Ori a little too hard in places and those areas fall flat because of it.
Click to expand...
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I was feeling the same. I've finished it and I can see some inspirations it took from Ori. Some are good, but others I don't know why they bothered. Like, running from danger while having things that insta kill you and poor checkpoints. It wasn't good in Ori, it isn't good here.

That said, I thought the game was great and had a good length for its story and content. I hope the team can do more things, and I'm looking forward to it. I finished it under 10 hours and collecting almost everything.
 
finally

finally

Member
Jul 22, 2019
1,285
The voice acting seems off for Zau, however I'm not a native English Speak so my opinion doesn't really matter.

Also the dodge is weird and enemies are hard to see.. Anyway the game may feel good if you haven't played ton of great metroidvanias before.
 
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