Tales Of Kenzera: Zau Review – Magical Tale Of Grief And Sorrow

Grief is a powerful and often unspoken force that can guide us toward moments of peace. Along the way, we learn to live with it. I didn’t expect to feel emotionally weighed down while playing Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, but here I am – trying to navigate both the puzzles and my feelings. This game beautifully portrays loss and grief, and I am excited to delve deep into this review.

Story And Setting

Tales of Kenzera: Zau begins with the cutscene showing us a modern and futuristic African city, much like Wakanda in the Marvel Universe. We see our protagonist, seemingly lost in his thoughts, standing on the terrace. He decides to come inside his suite and for one moment, he thinks about entering the room. However, he couldn’t gather the energy to do so.

Zau is a character from a mystical world, but I feel a connection with him because he is a human being just like all of us.

The cutscene was good at showing how the main character was feeling even though nobody was speaking. Zau is struggling to deal with something bad that happened, and you can tell from the way he talks to his mom. He’s not ready to move on from what happened to his dad, and it’s affecting him a lot.

Portrayal Of Grief And Dealing With Loss

Zau is growing up and he needed his father by his side to guide him. Unfortunately, he met his demise a while ago. Filled with confusion, sorrow, and anger, Zau picks up his father’s book, which contains the Tales of Kenzera. He embarks on a journey to meet with the God of Death. His goal is to confront three powerful spirits. In exchange, Kalunga The God Of Death will fulfill his promise to return his father’s soul.

Zau is a character from a mystical world, but I feel a connection with him because he is a human being just like all of us. It’s hard to accept that he suffered a tragic loss at a young age. No matter how strong someone is, they need closure, especially when such a tragedy is unexpected and unforeseen.

It is an untouchable love letter from a son to a father, which gradually unfolds as you move along, clearing puzzles and discovering secrets.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau takes players on an incredible journey where the main character, Zau, finds comfort and learns to accept his grief. Throughout the game, Zau reflects on the lessons his father taught him and finds valuable morals in the messages he received. It’s almost like a memoir of his father, which Zau keeps close to his heart at all times.

It is an untouchable love letter from a son to a father, which gradually unfolds as you move along, clearing puzzles and discovering secrets.

Gameplay

Tales of Kenzera is a Metroidvania platformer that emphasizes exploration and uncovering new locations. Just like a standard Metroidvania game, you will find that locations are largely interconnected. Each level you unlock can be accessed by the previous location and vice versa. 

Tales of Kenzera: Zau’s movement mechanics had the biggest impression on me. I was not expecting free-flowing movement through the puzzles, which made the experience more fun. Thankfully, there is no cooldown on dashing and double jumping. I was unstoppable, but there are times when environmental hazards can ruin your journey, and one wrong key press will send you to your demise.

Zau is a character from a mystical world, but I feel a connection with him because he is a human being just like all of us.

The most irritating part of the gameplay was the puzzles that involved finding keys. The breakneck pacing of the game definitely took a hit whenever I encountered these puzzles. The worst part was that the keys were scattered around the map, making it necessary for me to search for them in different corners. For instance, I had to find two keys just to open a door, which took a long time and made me feel bored.

Harnessing Duality – The Sun And The Moon

As a young boy, Zau’s father taught him valuable shamanic abilities that he can now use to his advantage on his journey to confront the enraged spirits. He can switch between wearing a Sun mask and a Moon mask, each of which grants him unique powers and skills to overcome his enemies.

The Sun mask is more melee-based and solely focuses on dealing burst damage in close combat. In a spectacular brawler fashion, you can launch your enemies towards the wall and kill them by impact damage. These are just the basics that you acquire early on in the game. Don’t worry; you can learn more skills by unlocking them from the skill tree.

The most irritating part of the gameplay was the puzzles that involved finding keys.

My personal favorite would have to be the Moon Mask. It makes it easier to control larger crowds of enemies, especially if they are far away. The long-range attacks also help shoot down aerial combatants, but where the Moon Mask truly shines is its ability to freeze water.

By freezing large chunks of flowing water, you can create a temporary ground that you can traverse and even climb on. Just like the Sun Mask, you can upgrade your skills as you progress.

Visuals And Performance

Tales of Kenzera: Zau boasts some of the best visuals I have seen in a Metroidvania game. Every aspect of the world design feels distinctive, and while the map is interconnected, every location feels like its own world. My mind was blown by the vibrant color palette and amazing mystical visuals that show us the world where Zau lives.

Any screenshot you choose will fit perfectly as wallpaper. The jungle biome is filled with green, lush trees, while the desert area is yellow, which significantly enhances the storytelling experience. Each location is brimming with life and mythical lore that you can’t help but adore.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau boasts some of the best visuals I have seen in a Metroidvania game

Performance-wise, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is rather light on specs since it is technically a 2.5D side-scrolling Metroidvania. I was constantly gaining 100+ fps, even at graphically pleasing locations. I didn’t notice any significant drops during ability spamming combat situations. It’s impressive that Tales of Kenzera is widely accessible to most people because of its low demanding specifications, which is definitely a plus in my book.

Verdict

After completing the final mission, I found myself experiencing a mix of emotions. Part of me felt sad, while another part felt content. Tales of Kenzera: Zau takes you on such an emotional journey that it’s impossible not to become fully invested in it. I wish the storyline was a bit longer, but other than that, I am extremely pleased with this excellent addition to the Metroidvania genre.

Tale Of Kenzera: Zau does not shy away from mature themes and delivers a great emotional experience that resonates with the players. The journey of the protagonist, Zau, is the highlight of this game, and the way they portray the bond between father and son is heart-warming and touching.

The path towards acceptance and overcoming grief is depicted in such a way that it will stay in my mind for a long time, if not forever. Also, I can’t help but notice the title of the game. Tales of Kenzera: Zau sounds like one chapter of the many tales, and I cannot wait for what developers cook next time.

This is all I have to say in this Tales of Kenzera: Zau Review. Explore our other fantastic reviews.

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