The Game Awards 2023 has revealed yet another upcoming game, and this time, it is Tales of Kenzera Zau, a thrilling metroidvania that seeks to explore grief in a new way.
Tales of Kenzera Zau will use puzzles, combat, and its bosses as a way to tackle loss and set players on a spiritual journey that will help them come to terms with it. The trailer introduces us to Zau, the protagonist, who is set on a path to find his father.
We also get to see the fantastic visuals and in-game fights, which are set in various hostile locations, so it looks like players will have to face lightning and lava while facing up against the goliath bosses. Ending with the god of death approaching the protagonist, Tales of Kenzera Zau looks like it will keep players on their toes from start to finish.
The metroidvania is currently set to release on April 23, 2024, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Players will also be able to pre-order it right after The Game Awards 2023.
Tales of Kenzera Zau is being developed courtesy of the EA Originals. This label within Electronic Arts' own EA Partners program is designed to support the development of independently developed video games. The scheme is responsible for a range of charming indie titles, including Lost in Random and It Takes Two, the latter of which has pride of place on our best co-op games list. However, EA Originals has not been an unmitigated success with wizard FPS Immortals of Aveum underwhelming fans with its bland mechanics and cliched storytelling.
That said, the inspirations behind Tales of Kenzera Zau suggest that the game will be anything but cliched. The game's Steam page mentions that the title was "inspired by Bantu tales", a rich tapestry of beliefs, myths, and legends belonging to the Bantu peoples of Africa. While any approach to this topic will require a delicate touch, it's heartening to see an EA title looking to African culture for inspiration.
For more beautiful titles like this, be sure to check out the best roguelike games as well as the best single-player games.
