How Ori Inspired Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Moon Studios' Ori video games are widely celebrated as modern masterpieces for their stunning visuals, immersive gameplay, and beautiful soundtrack combined with heartfelt storytelling. As beloved as they are, it's no surprise that the Ori video games were also a big inspiration for developer Surgent Studios' debut title, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a Metroidvania about grief set in a colorful and whimsical world. Ori wasn't the only influence, as it also draws influence from African Bantu folktales, various other Metroidvania games, and more.

The Best War Games recently attended a preview event for Tales of Kenzera: Zau which helped shed more light on the game's mix of influences and inspirations. The Best War Games also sat down with Surgent Studios' lead designer Zi Peters and art lead/character artist Ackeem Durrant to discuss how games like Ori specifically inspired Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

How Ori Inspired Tales of Kenzera: Zau's Visuals, Worldbuilding, and Gameplay

During the Tales of Kenzera: Zau preview event, Peters cited several classic and modern Metroidvanias as inspirations for its level design and gameplay, including Hollow Knight, Guacamelee, Super Metroid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and, of course, the Ori video games. Peters also named Devil May Cry and God of War as inspirations for the game's combat. However, when asked how games like Ori and Hollow Knight specifically inspired Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Peters spoke about how Ori's "visual beauty" and "worldbuilding" were an inspiration, "and certainly, from The Will of the Wisps, as they pushed more into the combat sort of sense." Combat and gameplay-wise, Durrant also added that Ori's backflip directly inspired the same move of Zau's.

Alongside Hollow Knight and Baba is You, Durrant also cited Ori as an inspiration for Tales of Kenzera: Zau's art style and visuals. Durrant explained the contrast of Zau's colorful art style as a game about grief and loss is also influenced by Bantu culture, where funerals are brighter, more celebrated events than in Western culture. The game also deliberately includes various seemingly conflicting dualities from life and death to protagonist Zau's Sun and Moon mask. Durrant also talked about the influence of African culture in Zau's level design with its tall Baobab trees with their tree of life symbolism, something that could also potentially be an interesting comparison with Ori's Spirit Tree.

It's clear when looking at Tales of Kenzera: Zau how much it pulled from the Ori games and Bantu culture, but the developers did mention everything from comics to anime as well. How it derives all of this into a new, cohesive product capable of standing on its own remains to be seen, but it's interesting nonetheless.

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