Although not usually one to make concrete statements, I have a feeling that 2024 could be the year that the Metroidvania genre makes a comeback in a big way. We’ve already seen some stellar side-scrolling action from titles likePrince of Persia: The Lost CrownandUltros, and we’ve yet to get our hands on - fingers crossed -Hollow Knight: Silksong, whichshouldarrive sometime this year. And now with Surgent Studios' Tales of Kenzera: ZAU in the mix with only just over a week away until it releases, it feels like we are seeing Metroidvania-style gaming take on even more emotionally challenging subjects and raising the bar to new heights.
In a game that deals with loss, grief, and how to keep moving forward when faced with grueling mental health struggles, combat naturally takes a major role as ZAU comes up against monsters in his quest for answers. At a virtual preview event, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU’s director and lead designer discussed the game’s fighting elements and what games inspired them.
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There Is No Right Or Wrong Way To Play ZAU
Speaking about what players will come across when experiencing the combat in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, Abubakar Salim told press that he wanted people to have a lot of free movement when encountering fight scenes.
“It’s like a dance. I told the team that I wanted this character (ZAU) to have a lot of agency and a lot of freedom, because that way there is no right or wrong way of playing,” Salim continues. “It’s down to you, the player, whether you want to play it surgically and logically or if you want to play it chaotically and frantically so that’s a reflection of that journey of grief because sometimes you feel like you’re in control of your own emotions, and sometimes you feel like you’re completely lost.”
When it comes to crafting a brand-new game like Surgent Studios has, it’s hard not to take inspiration from other great games, especially when it comes to combat mechanics. Lead designer Zi Peters talked about the different combat systems that ZAU uses and, by incorporating two masks, players will be able to either use melee or switch to a side-scrolling shooter to take on enemies.
“You got to call back to the classics. We certainly paid attention to Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night”. Speaking more about ZAU’s combat gameplay inspirations, Peters said, “We paid close attention to Devil May Cry in terms of its stylistic interplay between the weapons and the high dynamic interaction and God of War as well, so we cast a wide net in terms of our inspirations, but we also wanted to keep at the forefront the emotional inspiration behind the story and bring that through the level designs and the gameplay.”
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
WHERE TO PLAY
Wield the dance of the shaman. Reclaim your father’s spirit. Brave the beautiful and treacherous land of Kenzera with the God of Death in Tales of Kenzerz: ZAU, a Metroidvania-style adventure crafted by Surgent Studios.
