If you're a big Metroidvania head, this one will probably end up being too simple for you. It's a very straightforward romp through a genuinely gorgeous world, and the mechanics are simple, but satisfying.

As a story, it's heartwarming and lovely, and I would love my nieces and nephews to play this when they're a little older. It has great messages about grief, acceptance, and finding one's place in the world, and seems perfectly written for a YA crowd.

Big thumbs up, but it's also pretty short (I blasted through it on Balanced in a couple afternoons), so pick it up on sale.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a beautiful metroidvania with a lot of dull combat. Things start off promising with a gorgeous setting and excellent voice acting. The avuncular tone of the protagonist's sidekick is unique, and overall I loved the afro-futurist vibe. The combat seems like it's going to be a fluid dance between two supernatural stances, but you really just do the same moves over and over again against the same enemies. Platforming is really loose, and I kept unlocking shortcuts that seemed pointless given the generous distribution of fast-travel points. Equips and upgrades were pretty unexciting, so I can't see this getting much better further down the line.

An amazing game, with a beautiful story, art style, and music. Gameplay is also a lot of fun as well - it starts out pretty hard and then gets easier as you become more skilled at the game. Some people consider the instant kill spikes too punishing and while they are, they don't really stop you from enjoying the game. In terms of being Metroidvania, it's pretty linear with minimal backtracking, though going back to some areas with new abilities can make some challenges easier. The lore of this work and this game are also worthy of you attention.

The biggest element of this game is the story; there are two taking place 1) a boy named Zuberi mourning the loss of his father and encouraged by his mother to read a story his father was working on 2) the story of Zau (who you play for 90% of the game) traveling the land of Kenzera to become a Shaman, bringing peace to the land in the hope of reuniting with his father. Sprinkled through the story are many beautiful life lessons that Zau, Zuberi, and other characters learn. As you grow in skill, Zau grows in wisdom. The game has a beautiful portrayal of masculinity and father-son-relationship that is intimate, strong, and authentic. The Afrofuturism and African inspired mythology are also really well done and are a huge treat if you love Black Panther and Youneekstudios comics, you'll absolutely love this!

PAU!