EA's 'Originals' line continues with the company revealing Tales of Kenzera: ZAU at this year's Game Awards show. It will be launching on all platforms including the Nintendo Switch on 23rd April 2024.
This is a new single-player action-adventure platformer that brings a "new experience of finding hope and courage after loss".
As highlighted in the official PR, players will step into the shoes of Zau, a grieving hero on a mission to bring his beloved father back from the grasp of death. He's guided by Kalunga, the God of Death, and must make his way through mystical 2.5D realms to harness the cosmic powers of the warrior shaman.
Here's some of the inspiration behind this project, along with a look (above).
"Inspired by Surgent Studios founder and BAFTA-nominated actor Abubakar Salim’s own personal journey dealing with the loss of his father and their deep mutual bond of video games, Tales of Kenzera: ZAUcelebrates Abubakar’s father through a metroidvania style action-adventure platformer while showcasing how greatness comes from resilience."
"Unfolding in the beautiful, yet treacherous, lands of Kenzera, Tales of Kenzera: ZAUis inspired by Bantu tales, rich with untold lore of chaos and order, memories of ancient shamans, sacred spirits and fascinating creatures. Players can wield and expand cosmic powers from the Sun and Moon masks to defeat restless spirits in rhythmic combat; they can manipulate time and crystallize enemies using the Moon mask powers, or launch fiery spears with the Sun Mask – all in meticulously hand-crafted animations. Set to multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai's enchanting original score, Zau’s quest to become a worthy spiritual healer takes place across several unique and vibrant environments."
In case you missed it, the EA Originals line provides support to emerging game developer talent by "enabling creatives to bring their bold and visionary storytelling to a global gaming audience".
This title will be priced at $19.99 USD (or the regional equivalent) and pre-orders are available now. This pre-order also includes the following goodies:
"two shaman points unlocking up to two skills in-game, Kalunga's Blessing visual effect variant, as well as Tales of Kenzera: ZAUdigital companion comic, Soulshifters, which dives deeper into the rich lore of Kenzera.*"