Summary
Tales of Kenzera: Zau’s Surgent Studios has revealed new gameplay footage from its next title codenamedProject Uso, after the game was announced recently. Described as an “afro-gothic RPG,”Project Usois said to be inspired by games likePlanescape: Torment, and while existing in theTales of Kenzera: Zauuniverse, the single-player, isometric successor will be “darker, more visceral, and gritty.”
The studio has developed a fully functional prototype ofProject Uso, and the artwork will follow a stylized palette instead of photorealism. While Surgent Studios seeks a partner to publish its second title,Tales of Kenzera: Zaujoins some of thebest Metroidvania gamesout there and was a standout title in the 2024 release slate. Going by footage from the studio’s next project, it looks like the team has another hit on their hands.
Shared exclusively with VGC, Surgent Studios’ boss Abubakar Salim presented gameplay footage fromProject Uso,while discussing the ideas that fueled the title’s premise and the returning theme of death. Gameplay showcased the project’s gothic environments and tone, introducing characters like The Voice Within and the God of Chaos Eshu.Project UsofollowsTales of Kenzera: Zau’s afrofuturism inspiration, and Salim touched on the driving force behind the game, explaining, “Zau was the exploration of ‘who am I without a parent?’ Uso is going to be ‘who am I as a parent?”
Tales of Kenzera: Zau’s Abubakar Salim Shares Project Uso Gameplay
Tales of Kenzera: Zauwas influenced by Moon Studio’sOrigames, includingOri and the Blind Forestand its sequelOri and the Will of the Wisps, and other Metroidvania games, infused with Bantu mythology. This time,Project Usowas inspired byDungeons & Dragons’mechanics and boasts its own RPG system. The game’s Crucible system gives the project a “fast-paced, real-time feel,” and requires players to roll against themselves. This innovative endeavor echos Salim’s passion for making bold and exciting games instead of cautious ones, and continuesZau’s theme of death. However, instead of challenging the God of Death to navigate grief healthily inZau,Usolooks at defying death, which leads to the creation of an android built to “cradle the spirits of the dead.”
Salim recently starred as one of thenew characters inHouse of the Dragonseason 2and is beloved for voicing Bayek inAssassin’s Creed Origins. The actor and developer founded Silver Rain Games, a studio later renamed to Surgent Studios and releasedTales of Kenzera: Zauas the debut project.Project Usois currently in production and has no release window attached, but the successor title is one to watch forZaufans.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
WHERE TO PLAY
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, three mighty beings lie in wait, fearsome in their strength yet somehow strangely familiar. Will you embrace the dance of the shaman?Embark on a poignant single-player story shaped by actor Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief, discovering how love gives us the courage to press on after devastating loss. Wield powers from the Sun and the Moon to defeat restless spirits in rhythmic combat and become a worthy Nganga: a spiritual healer. Discover a rich universe with untold lore of chaos & order and journey through mystical 2.5D realms awash with colour and depth, emboldened by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai’s enchanting original score.
