Tales of Kenzera: Zau

About Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a 2.5D action platformer released on April 23, 2024, by Surgent Studios under the EA Originals banner. You play as Zau, a grieving son who makes a deal with Kalunga, the God of Death, to resurrect his father from the darkness. The game unfolds across mythological landscapes inspired by African folklore. Players cross these regions on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch in a single-player campaign. It feels like a personal story wrapped in tight platforming mechanics where movement and combat blend seamlessly to drive progress through a world haunted by lost spirits and ancient monsters.

Gameplay

Sessions involve rapid traversal using Zau's parkour skills like double jumps, wall runs, and air dashes. You switch between two distinct masks to handle threats. The sun mask enables fast melee combos, while the moon mask fires ranged projectiles for crowd control or distance attacks. Combat requires constant movement to dodge heavy hits from bosses and minions. Each mask offers a skill tree with separate upgrade paths that change how you fight rather than just increasing stats. The core loop involves clearing areas, finding new abilities to reach previously locked zones, and fighting three major bosses who challenge your mastery of both masks.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community has recorded an average rating of 71.2 out of 100 based on 27 user scores from IGDB. Most players spend around 8 to 10 hours completing the main story, with a completion rate hovering near 65 percent for those who finish all collectibles. Review snippets highlight strong art direction but note repetitive combat encounters later in the game. The dominant community mood is one of appreciation for the visual style mixed with frustration over occasional control stiffness during tight platforming sections. Achievement hunters find about 100% completion difficult due to specific boss kill requirements that demand perfect execution.

PlayPile's Take

This title works best for players who prioritize strong atmosphere and movement mechanics over deep combat systems. The price point is standard for a standalone indie adventure, though the lack of multiplayer limits its long-term value for some groups. You will likely unlock most achievements within 12 hours if you focus on the skill trees early. Avoid this if you dislike repetitive enemy patterns or need a challenging difficulty curve. It stands as a solid visual experience that delivers a complete narrative without dragging out its runtime unnecessarily.

Storyline

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?