In Memory of His Dad, Studio Founder Abubakar Salim Sets First Game in Bantu-Inspired Mystical Realm, Telling A Heartfelt Story About Finding Courage Within Oneself After Loss
Today Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) and Surgent Studios unveiled an upcoming single-player action-adventure platformer, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, inspired by real-world loss and resilience. Developed by Surgent Studios – a transmedia production studio founded and led by BAFTA-nominated actor Abubakar Salim – Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a heartfelt platformer metroidvania that invites players to step into the shoes of Zau, a grieving hero on a mission to bring his beloved father back from the grasp of death.
Abubakar Salim, founder and CEO of Surgent Studios, was inspired by his own personal journey dealing with the loss of his father and their deep mutual bond of video games. “For a long time, I’ve struggled to find a way of communicating my journey with grief. To now be able to do that through Zau’s story of loss, growth and healing in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels so right. Games, to me, are the most powerful medium to share stories. My late father introduced me to the medium, and what better way of honoring him, our relationship and love than through this experience?”
Published under the EA Originals label, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU immerses players in the mystical 2.5D realms of Kenzera, inspired by the Bantu tales of chaos and order, the memories of ancient shamans, sacred spirits and fascinating creatures.
An enchanting original score by multi-award-winning composer, Nainita Desai, complements gameplay which allows players to wield and expand cosmic powers from the Sun and Moon masks to defeat restless spirits in rhythmic combat, manipulate time and crystallize enemies, and launch fiery spears with the Sun Mask.
Jeff Gamon, General Manager of EA Partners, says: “The EA Originals founding principle is to provide means and support to emerging game development talent, enabling creatives to bring their bold and visionary storytelling to a global gaming audience. Our enthusiasm for Abu’s touching vision that draws from his family history and a millennia of Bantu mythology drove our support and belief in Surgent Studios from their start several years ago.”
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU will be available April 23, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and EA app. Pre-orders are available now and include two shaman points unlocking up to two skills in-game, Kalunga’s Blessing visual effect variant, as well as Tales of Kenzera: ZAU digital companion comic, Soulshifters, which dives deeper into the rich lore of Kenzera. To stay up to date on Tales of Kenzera, visit https://www.ea.com/games/tales-of-kenzera/zau.