Tales of Kenzera: ZAU

The main pros of the game

• Visuals and Art Style: The game is praised for its beautiful graphics, vibrant colors, and unique art direction inspired by African culture, which stands out in the gaming landscape.
• Storytelling: Many players appreciated the emotional depth of the story, focusing on themes of grief and loss, and noted strong voice acting that enhances the narrative experience.
• Gameplay Mechanics: The combat and platforming mechanics are generally considered fun and fluid, with a variety of abilities that allow for creative combat strategies.
• Cultural Representation: The incorporation of African mythology and themes is highlighted as a refreshing change in the gaming industry.

The main cons of the game

• Performance Issues: Users reported optimization problems, particularly on lower-end devices like the Steam Deck, where frame drops and battery drain were common.
• Camera and Controls: The camera often lags behind the player, leading to frustrating deaths during platforming sections. Controls were described as occasionally unresponsive or floaty, affecting gameplay experience.
• Repetitive Gameplay: Many reviews mentioned that combat becomes repetitive, with limited enemy variety and predictable patterns, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
• Linear Design: The game is criticized for its linear level design and lack of exploration, with many players feeling that it does not fully utilize the metroidvania genre's potential for backtracking and discovery.

The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users

• Depth in Combat: Players expressed a desire for more complex combat mechanics and enemy types to enhance engagement and challenge.
• Exploration Elements: There were calls for more opportunities to explore and discover secrets, as the game often points players directly to objectives without much room for deviation.
• Skill Tree Variety: The skill progression system was seen as underwhelming, with some users wishing for more options and meaningful upgrades to abilities.
• Puzzles and Challenges: Many reviewers noted a lack of challenging puzzles or mechanics that would encourage deeper engagement with the environment and gameplay.

Conclusion

• Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU is a visually stunning game with a heartfelt story that resonates with players, particularly due to its cultural significance. However, it faces criticism for performance issues, linearity, and repetitive gameplay, which may not satisfy fans of traditional metroidvania experiences. While it has solid foundations, many players hope for improvements in future titles from Surgent Studios.

Summary generated on: October 30, 2025