Summary
Tales of Kenzera: ZAUis definitelyone of the more overlooked hidden gems to release in 2024, possibly thanks to the release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown just a couple of weeks before the game launched. Very much a passion project for creative director and Assassin’s Creed Origins voice actor Abubakar Salim, the title quickly became a hot topic online over its main character andSalim’s own views on diversity in the industry.
Thankfully, the negative attention that Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has attracted over the months since its release hasn’t stopped developer Surgent Studios from experimenting with the same world, as it recently announced its next projectin an interview with VGC. While it’s very early in development right now, and doesn’t have an official name, the title is called Tales of Kenzera: Project Uso, and will differ greatly to the developer’s first game.
Tales Of Kenzera: ZAU Developer’s Next Game Is A Planescape-Inspired RPG
While ZAU was a classic metroidvania, Abubakar Salim has explained that Project Uso will be an “Afro-Gothic action RPG” inspired by the likes ofPlanescape: Torment, with an isometric camera angle to boot. Salim also mentions that this game will be darker, grittier, and “more visceral” than ZAU, though still set in the same universe, and that it will cost around $19.99/£17.99, the same price as ZAU.
In fact, this game may not even be that far from release either, as Salim has claimed Surgent Studios already has a fully functional prototype. Unfortunately, the studio has also been dealing with funding issues recently,having placed the team on notice for redundancy earlier this week, in hopes that a partner can be found for Project Uso. If a partner isn’t found, we can likely assume that plans won’t go ahead.
Hopefully, someone out there will help foot the bill for Project Uso, as it looks like a pretty promising RPG from this brief glimpse. It looks great, has an interesting world to build upon, and Surgent Studios has worked hard to make it unique, having made its own RPG system called the Crucible system, that the game will be built on top of. Fingers crossed someone comes forward to bring Project Uso to life.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
WHERE TO PLAY
Wield the dance of the shaman. Reclaim your father’s spirit.A grieving boy begins to read a Bantu tale written by his late father. Adventure into the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera as Zau, a young shaman who bargains with the God of death to bring his Baba back from darkness.With your cosmic powers and untried courage, you advance into unknown mythological lands. Once bursting with life, Kenzera is now rife with lost ancestral spirits. As Zau advances toward his goal, 3 mighty beings lie in wait, fearsome in their strength yet somehow strangely familiar. Will you embrace the dance of the shaman?
