Joe Richardson
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Eventually, we all will contend with grief. It can come in many forms and from many different sources. Surgent Studios’ (founded by Abubakar Salim) debut game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, is a 2.5D story-driven, action-exploration game all about facing those emotions and discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after a devastating loss, and it’s coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog at launch on April 23rd, 2024! (Available with PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium memberships).
Players will take control of Zau, a young warrior-shaman from Amandla, who seeks out Kalunga, the God of Death, to bargain with him to bring his Baba back from the realm of the dead.
Wielding two powerful masks imbued with the cosmic power of the sun and the moon in a beautiful and chaotic dance, Zau travels across Kenzera, a rich mystical realm inspired by Bantu tales, fighting tough ancestral spirits and platforming obstacles to find the 3 mighty beings that have eluded the God of Death.
Zau will discover and unlock new powerful abilities and skills during his quest to become a worthy Nganga and reclaim his lost Baba. These include mighty Spirit Attacks like the ferocious Lunar Beam blast that can be unleashed to obliterate enemies using the Moon Mask…
…and the engulfing fire Supernova that can be used to scorch nearby foes with Shamanistic fire using the Sun Mask.
Throughout Zau’s adventure, players will earn experience from exploration and combat. This experience can be spent on skill points split between two skill trees, one for the Moon mask and one for the Sun mask. These skills will enable Zau to become more powerful and learn new formidable attack combos and feats , becoming a fierce warrior-shaman.
Along his journey, Zau will also find ancient Shaman Shrines which gift him unbelievable abilities, such as the power of Gliding across the plains to cover long distances or slow his descent…
…or the cosmic Pulse ability which can enable him to to break down and reconstruct barriers in his path.
Players will discover a rich universe with untold lore of chaos & order and journey through mystical biomes inspired by the emotions and questions that humans face along the journey of grief, giving you key thinking points to reflect on as you and Zau travel across Kenzera. Like the gloomy swamp-filled Woodlands and the Deadlands, home to fatal lava pools, biomes all bursting with colour and depth.
Humanity and healing is at the heart of Tales of Kenzera: Zau. On this journey, Zau will encounter other characters who are also going through their own personal journey of grief, who aid him to learn and grow from their experiences.
Players will find great Baobab trees during their adventure. These trees offer great meaning to Zau, as his Baba would take him to these very trees to meditate. While exploring these, you will witness those moments of remembrance and healing that Zau goes through without even realising.
These enthralling visuals are accompanied by a captivating and enchanting original soundtrack by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai.
Zau will also encounter Yumboes, creatures who hail from a world of ever-present joy, and offer respite to Zau at their campfires. You can also fast-travel between discovered campfires.
There’s not long to go until you can explore the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera and embrace the dance of the shaman with the launch date scheduled for April 23, 2024.
We look forward to seeing PlayStation fans exploring Surgent Studio’s Bantu inspired universe and their adventures with Zau when Tales of Kenzera: Zau launches later this month!
Dave the Diver was also announced today as a Day 1 PlayStation Plus Game Catalog title. Learn more from developer Mintrocket.