Tales of Kenzera: ZAU Preview: "Plays As Good As It Looks"

12.04.2024 - 15:57 / screenrant.com

As the first game from Surgent Studios, looks to not only create a new universe for future art to take place in, but also serve as a love letter to Metroidvanias, African culture, and the very act of grieving for deceased loved ones. It's a gorgeous, fully realized world steeped in double meanings, vivid colors, and incredible music. For anyone who has lost a parent, it also hits incredibly close to home.

A demo for released during Steam Next Fest earlier this year, and unlike some limited-time demos which were available during the event, this one is still available to download now. If you're at all on the fence about the game, I'd highly recommend doing so, as it provides an excellent look at the package on offer. For those who don't have that option, or don't like playing games until they are fully released, let me be the latest person to assure you that, yes, plays as good as it looks.

In the imaginary line graph of side-scrolling action platformers, feels somewhat like the midpoint between and Zau, the character players will be inhabiting, is a powerful shaman, and (thankfully) comes with Metroidvania game staples like dash, double jump, and the ability to wall jump already unlocked. The core element of combat revolves around the two magical masks Zau carries, the Sun mask and the Moon mask, which allow him to channel his powers into either ranged or melee attacks. These masks will also gain abilities which can be used to traverse the environment in different ways, like the ability to freeze water so Zau can wall jump up waterfalls.

The Sun mask allows Zau to produce rapid melee combos, while the Moon mask gives him the power to fire projectiles at targets farther away. Each mask has its own separate upgrade tree, and players are strongly encouraged to switch between them (easily done by pressing the left bumper on a gamepad) during combat.

The battles are challenging without being mind-numbingly difficult, and the moments of combat in are often placed between brief sections of puzzle-solving or platforming challenges, which allows for a breather between encounters not always present in games of this type. Switching between the two fighting styles to chain combos — like performing a heavy attack with the Sun mask, then switching to the Moon mask to rapid-fire projectiles at the still-airborne enemy, effectively juggling them in the air — is extremely satisfying. Unlockable skill upgrades, like the ability to add a style active reload system to your projectile blasts, only enhances the experience.

It's not often that a game's soundtrack really stands out to me (mostly because I haven't professionally reviewed games scored by Austin Wintory) but the music in is incredible. Composed by Nainita