Stories of Kenzera: ZAU developer Surgent Studios is creating an Aphrogothic RPG inspired by Planescape: Torment

Stories of Kenzera: Zau developer Surgent Studios is making what screams “Aphrogothic RPG” inspired by video games like Planescape: Torment, and is “looking for a financial partner to bring it to life.”

Speaking to VGC, studio head Abubakar Salim confirmed a sound for the game, for which the studio is currently seeking investment.

The game, codenamed Venture Uso, is an isometric role-playing game. “It’s still in the Tales of Kenzera universe, but it’s darker, more visceral, more raw,” Salim advised us.

“The best way I can describe it is a single-player, isometric, Afro-Gothic action RPG.

“The story (with Zau) is that, as a shaman, you are challenging the God of Death as a way of looking at the idea of ​​managing pain in a healthy way, so I came up with the idea of ​​what would happen if a reader was inspired to defy death. himself, so they create this android that is designed to cradle the spirits of the dead.”

“And what if that spirit is not a human being, it is a God, Eshu, the God of Chaos, so now you have these two mentalities in one framework? “That’s something I thought would be cool to explore.”

Salim tells us he imagines the game will be priced similarly to Stories of Kenzera: ZAU, which launched at $19.99/£17.99.

“I like to respect the player’s money and time,” he advised us. As for the scale of the sport, he says he’s not looking to create a sport that is “photorealistic.”

“We really want to focus our time and attention on the mechanics, the gameplay and the overall feel, because I think that’s what’s really key,” he said. “That’s what’s going to make it really sing.”

“As passionate Dungeons & Dragons players,” said Abubakar, “the Surgent team and I knew we wanted to try to create our own RPG system. As a way to give Project Uso a fast-paced, real-time feel, we created the Crucible system, which requires players to play against themselves.”

Surgent Studios has developed an absolutely practical prototype of Venture Uso and is actively looking for a spouse to deliver it on time. Last month, the promoter laid off its team of workers because it is seeking investment for the project.

In the past, the company has laid off many builders.

Kenzera Stories: ZAU was once immune before this generation. Released as an EA Untouched name, the game generally earned certain reviews upon release, with a Metacritic rating of 76.

VGC’s Stories of Kenzera review called it a “challenging and moving Metroidvania.”

“Tales of Kenzera: ZAU feels like a studio stretching its legs for the first time,” we wrote. “Visually inventive and packed with great platforming, it’s let down by average combat and exploration.”