"Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a light Metroidvania that would bring a tear to a glass eye - a personal and moving tale in a stunning game world."
- Stuart Cullen, TechStomper
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Reminiscent of The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like 2024's definitive example of mismanaging Metroidvania 101 tenets. And it's a shame to be that harsh when its inspiration feels like a wonderful antidote to the soulless company (EA) backing it and the commercialized entity (TGA) which first advertised it. Through an impassioned sense of grief, Abubakar Salim wanted to craft a story that authentically tries to wrestle with those same feelings. That's a great achievement of the medium as a potential creative outlet. Unfortunately, though, it's saddled to a haphazardly-designed game that falls short of sustaining that enthusiasm and squaring up against its contemporaries."
Antony writes: "We talk with composer Nainita Desai on how she poured grief and acceptance into Tales of Kenzera: ZAU's stirring soundtrack."
WTMG's Jordan Hawes: "Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a great concept that was clearly pushed forward by a good writer and storyteller. There is a deep narrative here that I enjoyed and it really carries the whole package here. While it starts out as a fairly simple, run-of-the-mill metroidvania gameplay wise, it is unfortunately brought way down by its lack of polish and design. Too often I felt like I was fighting the game itself instead of actually enjoying a good challenge. While the story shines bright, its enjoyment is diminished by its frustrating gameplay design."
