When Abubakar Salim first introduced himself on stage, it was quite easy to write him off as yet another tokenized BIPOC actor called in by The Game Awards committee to add a little bit of diversity to the stage.

However, Abubakar was quick to prove that assumption wrong, as he quickly asserted the true reason for his appearance–and shared with the world an emotion-laced introduction to a game that instantly proved he was more than the acting work he was known for in Raised by Wolves and Assassin’s Creed: Origins.

He was a fellow gamer and industry change agent sharing the beauty of his culture through games. And share he did, as he spoke to his history with games (hyped up fellow Golden Sun lovers) and revealed the emotional origin story behind his studio’s first, upcoming game, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.

Changing the African narrative in Games

Dressed in an all-black suit, with an African-inspired scarf by designer Ikiré Jones adorning his left side, the statement made by Abubakar Salim is a powerful one. Especially during The Game Awards (TGA), which was already riddled with one mecha and post-apocalyptic game trailer after another.

A first-generation Briton of Kenyan descent, he spoke about the shared connection he and his father had with games, and of using the art of games to honor those we’ve lost. All within the backdrop of his cultural heritage and those of the Bantu people.

And then he presented the trailer, which revealed a game that stood out from the others in the best way possible, promising a unique gaming experience unlike any we had seen so far.

Set in the lands of lands of Kenzera, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a single-player 2.5D Metroidvania-style game that invites players to share in Abubakar Salim’s own experience with grief and devastating loss. 

With strong connections to Bantu lore and mythologies, the game also offers the chance for people to experience a unique journey of healing. 

As the main protagonist Zau and with the guidance of the God of Death, Kalunga, players of the game will seek to become a worthy Nganga, spiritual healers or ritual specialists stemming from the traditional beliefs of the Bantu peoples. 

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is infused with references of duality both in gameplay and the relationship between the realms of existence–of life and of darkness. This is evident as the main character wields the power of the Sun and the Moon in the form of two magical masks to stave off restless spirits as he seeks a way to bring his Baba (his father) back.

Looking at the trailer and hearing the origin story, it’s clear that this game goes beyond black representation. It is a true exploration of everything that makes us human within a universe that feels at the same time both familiar and new.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that by doing so, the game itself is helping open the door just that much more for others who continue to push for greater visibility of in-game representation. 

This spiritual and diverse narrative is felt across other multicultural communities, many whom may feel a sense of familiarity due to the African diaspora. It reminded me of my conversation with Jose Tirado when he spoke about the need for depth of representation within Latinx in Games.

“there’s only a dozen or so main characters that are Latinos. And most of those are caricatures. They’re the amalgamation of what white people think of as a Latino. Now there’s some good ones and they’re getting better… But generally, they don’t understand how deep it goes. And I think that’s one of the big things that we have to talk about.”

-Jose Tirado, Latinx in Gaming Founder

The same can be said of proper characters and games representing the African and Afro-indigenous cultures being made by those of African origins. In doing so, there is a challenge to what defines the African experience and allows us to immerse ourselves in the truer tales they can speak to the best. 

The sharing of this upcoming game title at The Game Awards emphasizes of how far the games industry has come in recent years–and also of how far we have left to go. 

Yet, it is exciting to see how cloud and mobile gaming continues to grow in African markets like South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya. And with it the opportunity to support the creation of more African-led stories and games.

In this regard, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU joins a growing number of titles from Kenyan studios like Usiku Games, Jiwe Studios, and Weza Interactive Entertainment.

Shortly after the trailer was shared, Lead Web Producer and former colleague, Rob Johnson, revealed that Surgent Studio and the EA Origins team officially launched the game’s new website in Swahili – an EA game first!

Differentiation truly matters in the video games industry and the stories game creators share can resonate powerfully across cultures.

It is why supporting games created by diversity-first studios are so important for the BIPOC community. People love to play games with stories they relate too and can connect with.

There should be a sense of much-deserved pride for Abubakar Salim and his team as they prepare for the release of their upcoming game title.

I know I’m looking forward to experiencing the game first hand.

And am sure Abubakar’s Baba is being deeply honored in the most beautiful way possible.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is currently available for pre-order and is expected to go live Apr 23, 2024.

The title will be available on Xbox, Playstation, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and more.

Featured Image: Electronic Arts

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