Tales of Kenzera: ZAU dev discusses the game's metroidvania mechanics and exploration of grief

At this year’s Game Awards, actor Abubakar Salim treated the audience to a look at his upcoming game Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. Inspired by Salim’s journey of grief after losing his father, Tales of Kenzera is a Metroidvania that follows warrior-shaman Zau as he works with the god of death Kalunga to bring his father back to life.

For IGN Fan Fest, Salim sat down with Daemon Hatfield to give everyone insight on what we can expect from the latest EA Original. The game marks the first project out of Salim’s Surgent Studios.

Games about grief–Gris, What Remains of Edith Finch, and even God of War to name of few–have emotionally resonated with players and Tales of Kenzera looks to strike a similar chord as a fascinating new entry in a burgeoning thematic genre. From gorgeous gameplay to level biomes that encapsulate varying emotional states–expect all that and more when Tales of Kenzera: ZAU drops on Switch April 23.