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Rate five things you know, from any shelf. Your archetype shows up in about a minute, and gets sharper with every log.
Rate five things you know, from any shelf. Your archetype shows up in about a minute, and gets sharper with every log.
Platform, Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
OpenCritic76IGDB74
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a 2.5D metroidvania developed by Surgent Studios and published under the EA Originals label. The game follows Zau, a young shaman who bargains with Kalunga, the God of Death, to revive his father.
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Dark, inward, richly built and overwhelming.
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A few lines from each review; the whole review is on the critic's site. Not part of Taste Buds's numbers.
DualShockersRachael FiddisApr 20249/10Tales of Kenzera: ZAU never felt like it overstayed its welcome nor was it ever loaded with bulk and fluff to make up for its 8-12 hour playtime. While there are plenty of collectibles, a trinket system to unlock abilities and upgrade benches, its most important feature is its story and, coupled with the undertone of mental health struggles in the face of grief, Bantu mythology, an incredible score, and next-level art design makes this amazing debut title remarkably different to anything else on the market.
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DestructoidJamie SharpApr 20249/10I believe it will help anyone who plays it understand themselves more, especially if they feel the darkness life can throw at them has changed them somehow. It’s a beautiful game, an essential game, and the groundwork for what I hope becomes a franchise that takes those things in life some of us have been taught to bottle up and presents them front and center.
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But Why Tho?Kate SanchezApr 202410/10Legends of Kenzera: ZAU is a triumph of storytelling. It's immersive and thoughtful in every element of Zau's journey. But the narrative, for all of its impact, doesn't stand alone. Instead, the difficulty and complexity of traversing Kenzera complement and add a tactile nature to the emotional endeavor of moving through grief.
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TheSixthAxisAdrian BurrowsApr 20245/10Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is an ambitious game, and this kind of endeavour should be applauded and encouraged. Seeking to harness the difficult topic of grief in the form of a Metroidvania was always a big ask. Unfortunately, on this occasion, it proved a challenge that simply hasn't been met.
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Push SquareLiam CroftApr 20245/10Tales of Kenzera: ZAU tells a touching, personal story of family, grief, and loss, but it's wrapped up in a game that makes appreciating that narrative a lot harder than it should be. A Metroidvania in only the most basic of ways, its combat and platforming are spoilt by basic design and structure, as well as controller issues and frustrating one-hit kills. At its best when left to simply tell its story, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU falters once you have to start playing.
Read the reviewSnippets via OpenCritic, where 66% of critics recommend it.
IGDB rating 7.1/10 from 28 ratings.
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