Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU News

Hello again, everyone!

Thank you so much for all your support on the Tales of Kenzera: ZAU demo so far. After years of development, it feels completely surreal to have so many people experiencing Kenzera at last.

Pre-orders for ZAU opened the night we revealed the game to the entire world at The Game Awards on 7 December, 2023. Since that day, we've been completely floored by the sheer number of people willing to take a risk on a new studio and a new storyworld.

We're thanking all pre-order buyers with hand-crafted in-game content that, honestly, we spent a lot of time debating over as a team. Today, we're doing our first ever deep dive into Kalunga's Blessing - the visual effects variant that early buyers of ZAU will be able to toggle on and off as they please.

In this video featuring creative director Abubakar Salim, Art Lead Ackeem Durrant and Lead Animator Griffin Warner, we break down exactly what the variant looks like, how we built it, and what it means to be blessed by the God of Death.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We hope you enjoy! Pre-order buyers also get a digital companion comic, 2 shaman points and a 10% discount.

- The Surgent team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2739950/Tales_of_Kenzera_ZAU/

by Ellie Day, Senior Copywriter at Electronic Arts

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Prepare to embark on a poignant single-player story inspired by the rich myths of Bantu cultures, in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. This metroidvania-style game will be available on Steam starting April 23, 2024, taking you on a thrilling emotional journey based on actor Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief, and discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after devastating loss.

[h3]Welcome to Kenzera[/h3]


These lands are both beautiful and treacherous, and it will require all your skill and courage to navigate them successfully. You will rise to the challenge as Zau, a young shaman who bargains with the God of Death to bring his Baba (father) back from darkness. Your journey will take you through mystical realms rich with untold lore of chaos and order, memories of ancient shamans, sacred spirits, and fascinating creatures. Every journey must begin somewhere, and yours will start in Patakatifu, the great crossroads that connects all the lands of Kenzera.

[h3]The Sanctuary[/h3]

Patakatifu is a place of both beginnings and endings. Built in honor of the Great Spirits, many would visit the ancient pool to remember the past, reflect on the present, and look forward to a hopeful future. It is here where you will bargain with the God of Death, Kalunga, and from here your adventures will start.

[h3]The Great Spirits[/h3]


Patakatifu is dominated by three enormous statues representing the three beings Zau encounters on his journey, but they also demonstrate how grief connects us: they cry together and their tears collect and blend in the pool below.

You'll immediately notice that the dominant color in Patakatifu is purple – this represents the spirituality of the site and conveys the reverence and respect people afforded to the three powerful figures depicted in stone.

The markings on the ground call back to African symbolism, and similar patterns are used in all facets of the world of Kenzera, from clothing to architecture. The statues themselves reference the designs of African masks, whose influence can be seen throughout the game.



[h3]Finding Your Way Home[/h3]

This sanctuary includes one more element that may not be quite as obvious at first, but look off in the distance and you will see the mighty branches of a baobab tree. These trees are massive, surviving in incredibly harsh conditions and thriving on next to nothing. That resilience is also revered in this space, as you can see from the swirling purple aura around it. The tree grounds Zau and always shows him where home is – as his village is nestled at its base.

[h3]The Journey Begins Soon[/h3]

Are you ready to discover a universe inspired by Bantu tales? You don't have long to wait, and you can pre-order Tales of Kenzera: ZAU now to make sure you start your adventure with some special perks – including a 10% discount, Kalunga's Blessing visual effect variant, 2 shaman points for unlocking in-game skills, and the “Soulshifters” digital companion comic*

*Conditions and restrictions apply. See http://ea.com/games/tales-of-kenzera/zau/disclaimers for details.

The countdown to the full release of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has officially begun.

We’re barrelling toward 23 April at breakneck speed, tackling bugs and polishing with everything we’ve got.

ZAU is already so different compared to the demo, and as we push through the final stretch of development it’s really starting to dawn on us that it will actually be out in the world in just a few short months.

We started this journey in 2019 and, though that may seem like a short development period on some scales, for us it’s a monumental achievement of which we’re already very proud.

Your support and enthusiasm mean the world to us, propelling us forward as we draw ever closer to that release date. Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement!














https://store.steampowered.com/app/2739950/Tales_of_Kenzera_ZAU/

Head into the Surgent Roundtable Stage channel on our Discord server right now and listen in as your and the communities questions about Tales of Kenzera: ZAU get answered by the team who worked on the game

Ready to join the Discord? Click here to get your invite and join in the live Q&A!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2316580/Tales_of_Kenzera_ZAU/

It's not every day that a vampire plays your demo.

The Tales of Kenzera: ZAU demo playthrough with Neil Newbon and Abubakar Salim went live on Monday, and the response has already been incredible!

As a team we've watched the entire stream about 10000 times because we can't actually believe that Astarion has played our demo.

Our favourite parts are:

1. When Neil discovers a colony of moles beneath a push block (we've fixed this bug by the way)
   
2. When Abu accidentally admits that he viewed his entire life as a Pokemon game as a child
   
3. When this pair of expressions happened:
   

Ah, the duality of man.

Let us know your favourite moments in the comments! Our social team is editing down shortened versions and we'd love to know what you want to see on our Instagram.

- The Surgent team

Watch the livestream on the ZAU Steam page now:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2739950/Tales_of_Kenzera_ZAU/