Tales of Kenzera: ZAU will take its players on a very emotionally charged journey. The story was inspired by the creator’s own grief from losing his father, and this real emotional turmoil adds so much depth and heart to the story for players to stay invested throughout the game. Depending on how invested a player is, it can affect how much time they spend exploring every facet of a game — and how long it takes for them to complete it.
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How Long To Beat Tales Of Kenzera: ZAU
Estimated Story Completion: 8 Hours
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU can be stretched out over several days for someone playing it for a few hours a day. It also comes down to how much of the game you plan to complete. If you are just playing for the story and not bothering with collectibles, then your journey will end a lot sooner.
Ignoring collectibles is generally something players should avoid in Metroidvania games, as they can provide you with important upgrades that will help you overcome some of the harder obstacles. Getting your hands on all of the game’s Reflection Points will provide game lore, but also health boosts.
Once you have all of the abilities for Tales of Kenzera: ZAU unlocked, it can utterly trivialize bosses to help accelerate your overall time. What's more, the inclusion of abilities such as a “double jump” and “midair dash” are usually abilities that come much later in a Metroidvania to prevent players from getting into certain areas too soon. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU decides to do the opposite, giving players an incredible amount of mobility early on.
Estimated Full Completion: 10 Hours
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is the perfect beginner Metroidvania game, as players will never feel lost. Yesteryear's Metroidvanias have lots of secrets and points to return to once you unlock new abilities. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is very generous in letting players know where they need to return to if they pass anything by, making it a very easy game to explore.
If you're looking for a longer journey, then turn your eyes to something like Hollow Knight, but if you are a fan of Metroidvanias, then Tales of Kenzera: ZAU will still be a game you will enjoy playing in either a single sitting or spread out as a slow burn. Doing everything the game has to offer is indeed the best way to enjoy the game, and once you unlock everything, the only real challenge is overcoming all of the Spirit Rituals.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
- Released
- April 23, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Surgent Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
