At the 2023 Game Awards, British actor Abubakar Salim, best known for his role in Raised by Wolves and as the voice of Bayek in Assassin’s Creed: Origins, appeared on stage to introduce the world to his passion project, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. It is an original Metroidvania-style game and the very first title developed by Surgent Studio, which was founded by Abubakar and is being published by Electronic Arts. The story of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is now ready to unfold on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.

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 (father) back from darkness. With his cosmic powers and untried courage, Zau heads into unknown mystical lands. Once bursting with life, Kenzera is now rife with lost ancestral spirits. As Zau advances towards his goal, three mighty beings lie in wait, fearsome in their strength yet somehow strangely familiar. With Kalunga as his spiritual guide, Zau must embrace the dance of the shaman and embark on a journey of spiritual healing, where the hardest moments unmask who he can truly become

At first glance, it looks and plays quite similar to the recently released Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. However, not long into the game, it truly stands out on its own with unique characters, creative gameplay mechanics, and progressively challenging puzzles. Players take control of Zau, traversing gorgeous but dangerous lands, battling monsters, and taking on the three mighty beings.

The controls are simple, and the game is easy to pick and play. Zau will have a few abilities at the beginning and throughout the game, players will be able to add new abilities via the skill tree and through story progression, which come in real handy to take on the bigger challenges ahead. Being a 2.5D side-scrolling Metroidvania-style game, Zau has the usual skills of running, jumping, double-jumping, and dashing, but his unique abilities come in two forms with the Sun Mask and Moon Mask.

The two masks can be switched at the press of a button. The Sun Mask is more melee-focused, equipping Zau with two flaming spears and must get up close to the enemy using light attacks for combos and heavy attacks for bigger damage. The Moon Mask is best suited for long-range attacks, shooting projectiles and can even freeze enemies, especially ones flying around or in hard-to-reach areas, but also has a short-range heavy attack if an enemy gets too close.

As players progress through the game, they’ll gain new abilities for both masks which are essential for not only the enemies they’ll be facing but also the puzzles they’ll be solving. The puzzles can be challenging and give that sense of accomplishment after solving them, especially as they get progressively harder later in the game. Platforming, timing, and coordination also come into play when solving these puzzles.

There are a few occasions where it can be difficult to see what’s ahead because the camera doesn’t move or pan out to help players see the obstacles so they can work out a strategy. Thankfully having unlimited lives and just restarting you from the last checkpoint makes this less of an issue, so there’ll be plenty of chances to study the layout and plan for the obstacles ahead.

Some puzzles won’t be able to be solved and certain areas can’t be accessed until specific abilities are unlocked, but fast travel is available to instantly transport Zau to certain points on the map and get the puzzles done. The map also helps keep track of collectibles found and what has yet to be discovered. There is plenty to collect and the map comes in handy for the serious collectors and Trophy/Achievement hunters.

Zau will encounter various enemies in different shapes and sizes, some with different conditions to take them down. Some enemies will have an armour meter over their health bar known as Spiritual Shields, which require Zau to be wearing either the Sun Mask or Moon Mask depending on the colour of the armour meter to break through and finish them off, but the armour meter can automatically refill adding to the challenge.

The boss battles are truly sights to behold, with Zau attempting to slay the large beasts, each with a wide array of different attacks for players to memorise and anticipate, that will keep them on their toes. The boss battles are incredibly challenging, and exhilarating and are not to be taken lightly. There are three difficulty settings, Relaxed, Balanced, and Challenging depending on players’ preferences.

Abubakar Salim founded Surgent Studio (formerly Silver Rain Games) in 2019 just to make this game a reality. Despite being born and raised in England, he embraces his African heritage and expresses it proudly through Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. The game’s story is based on Bantu mythology and was inspired by Abubakar’s own experience of grief over the loss of his father, who he describes as a remarkable storyteller and this game is a tribute to him. Being an avid gamer himself, Abubakar chose to tell some of these stories in the form of a video game and it is an engaging coming-of-age story about a boy dealing with loss, grief, and finding his own path. There aren’t as many games, movies, TV shows, and other media focusing on Africa’s diverse culture, history, and mythology, so it’s fantastic to see a game sharing a piece of that with the world.

Abubakar and the team at Surgent Studio have been going all out with the game’s promotion and people have been feeling that passion since the day he walked up onto the stage at the Game Awards while trying to hold back his tears back in December. On top of his other roles behind the game’s development, he also only voices the main protagonist, Zau. Abubakar’s first voice role in a game was as Bayek of Siwa, the main character of 2017’s Assassin’s Creed: Origins which earned him a nomination at the BAFTA Games Awards, and has also voiced characters in World of Warcraft, Diablo, Xenoblade Chronicles, and more.

His performance as Zau will no doubt be a big highlight of his career, as you can hear the passion in his voice anytime he speaks in the game. Other talented voice actors include Dominique Moore as Lyana, Simona Brown as Sabulana, and Steve Toussaint as Bomani, who are all of African descent with impressive acting credentials and portray important characters Zau will meet along the way. The chemistry between all the characters really draws you into the story.

The most notable among them is Tristan D. Lalla as Kalunga, a spiritual guide in the form of an elderly man who helps guide Zau along his journey. He and Zau have plenty of conversations in cutscenes and during gameplay, telling each other about their pasts, the history of the lands and ruins, and occasionally find each other at odds. They also have some amusing conversations with some sarcasm from both sides, but all of it helps give each a lot of character development, even Kalunga who’s already had quite a life, but sees something special in Zau, even when he makes irrational decisions.

The art style incorporates a lot of African themes from the character’s appearances, locations, and Bantu mythology. The visuals are colourful, vibrant, and full of life, even using colours to convey different emotions such as anxiety, fear, and acceptance. The game’s soundtrack was put together by award-winning composer, Nainita Desai, mixing traditional African music with modern synths and beats. It has something for every occasion whether things are calm, building tension, or getting intense, especially during the boss fights where intensity and excitement build up. Hearing the rhythms of African drums with chanting never sounded so good in a game.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is truly a passion project of Abubakar Salim. Opening his own game development studio was the best idea to help make his dream a reality and make the game in his vision. African culture, history, and mythology are represented in a big way through this game, and it is only the beginning for Surgent Studio. The price tag of $26.95 AUD shouldn’t be an indication of the game’s quality, as there is so much to enjoy and discover.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has been one of the most highly anticipated games of 2024 and it absolutely delivers. It’s safe to say that Abubakar Salim’s father would be proud. “Every story begins at the end of another.”

Written by: Sammy Hanson