Tales of Kenzera: Zau

The Punished BacklogAnthony Franklin II

9.5/10

In our Tales of Kenzera: ZAU review, learn whether this African-inspired EA Original from Surgent Studios hits the right notes.

GGReconJoshua Boyles

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a triumph for Surgent Studios. The team has clearly thought long and hard about how to best depict this tale of grief and has presented it in a way that perfectly parses how it feels to come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

eXputerMoiz Banoori

Tale Of Kenzera: Zau does not shy away from mature themes and delivers a great emotional experience that resonates with the players.

KeenGamerMark O’Callaghan

9/10

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a great game from Surgent Studios' freshman studio. It tells a deeply personal story about someone going through grief and the journey behind it. This game leaves a great impression and is a strong contender to win the Games for Impact award at the Game Awards.

Nintendo World ReportNeal Ronaghan

8.5/10

Thankfully that low point is the outlier, but this is still overall a stellar video game. Lasting in the ballpark of 8-10 hours, Tales of Kenzera is a well-paced Metroidvania that is a blast to play, featuring novel unlockable abilities, a good challenge, and most of all, an incredible story. Just be ready to shed a tear or two, especially if you’re in my shoes of being a parent to a young kid because hoo boy - that whole father/son element is played to perfection. The story is a true triumph and the gameplay supports it perfectly.

WellPlayedJames Wood

8/10

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU infuses the action platformer with earnest, emotional storytelling and a vibrant, compelling world to explore.

Checkpoint GamingEdie W-K

7.5/10

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is the debut project of Surgent Studios, a multimedia studio created by Abubakar Salim, who voiced protagonist Bayek in Assassin’s Creed Origins. The titular Zau is a young shaman who journeys through a short but tight Metroidvania world to return his beloved dad (‘baba‘) from the land of death. Inspired by Salim’s own journey of grief stemming from the death of his father from cancer, the game offers a rare portrayal of genuine African mythology, traditions, an...

Playstation UniverseDavid Carcasole

7/10

Tales Of Kenzera: ZAU is a solid debut title from Surgent Studios, with its strongest aspects coming from the art style, world design and a truly impactful story. It's gameplay however lacks the same depth, and doesn't do enough to set itself apart in a genre crowded with some of the best games ever made.

GamingBoltShubhankar Parijat

7/10

Tales of Kenzera: Zau delivers a genuinely touching and heartfelt story in a rich and mystical world, even if it lets itself down with its combat, platforming, and design.

WayTooManyGamesJordan Hawes

6.5/10

There has been a large resurgence of metroidvania’s lately, and to be honest, I’m here for it. We’ve been getting fantastic games like Blasphemous 2, Metroid Dread, Ender Lilies, and even larger publishers are getting in on it with the recent Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Now EA is stepping up to the plate with Tales of Kenzera: Zau, using its EA Originals publishing arm that supports promising indie games. Tales of Kenzera: Zau caught my eye when it was announced at the 2023 Ga...

StevivorMatt Gosper

6.5/10

The premise of Tales of Kenzera Zau is simple at its core, but wrapped in a more complicated story: Zuberi is a young man who has just lost his father to illness, reading the last story his father ever wrote.

VGChartzLee Mehr

5.5/10

Surgent Studios' debut title is a tale of two extremes: enthusiasm for this heartfelt story about grief and apathy for the Metroidvania around it.For all of the justified resentment towards The Game Awards and EA, it speaks volumes to their better [...]