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Tales of Kenzera: Zau - Reviews Thread

sloppyjoe_gamer

Gold Member
You’re the mirror image of an era poster.

Ive been a member here since 2008, you havent even been here 2 yrs LMAO and you intentionally twisted my words to make it look like i was saying this mediocre Zau game was ruining our hobby when i was talking about the bullshit going on with SBI. Major oof on your part.....anyways, enjoy your mediocre game.
 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
It's $20 so I may give it a shot once I am done with the games I recently bought or started. Gabe / Mike from Penny Arcade loves it, and I tend to enjoy whatever he suggests, so there's that too.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Ive been a member here since 2008, you havent even been here 2 yrs LMAO and you intentionally twisted my words to make it look like i was saying this mediocre Zau game was ruining our hobby when i was talking about the bullshit going on with SBI. Major oof on your part.....anyways, enjoy your mediocre game.
No, I did very specifically say:

A small company run by a few idiots can't destroy video games lol.

So no, Sweet Baby Inc cannot destroy video games. This is why you're getting laughed at with your overreaction.

The game being mediocre is a lot more relevant to this thread than whatever SBI is doing and this should be the focus of the discussion.
 

sloppyjoe_gamer

Gold Member
No, I did very specifically say:

A small company run by a few idiots can't destroy video games lol.

So no, Sweet Baby Inc cannot destroy video games. This is why you're getting laughed at with your overreaction.

The game being mediocre is a lot more relevant to this thread than whatever SBI is doing and this should be the focus of the discussion.

You also said:

"Talk about an overreaction. This seems like a decent enough game based on Bantu mythology. Nothing about it is "destroying our hobby"."

If you're going to use your own words to try to debunk what i said, at least be accurate. To the ignore list/ERA transplant list you go.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
You also said:

"Talk about an overreaction. This seems like a decent enough game based on Bantu mythology. Nothing about it is "destroying our hobby"."
Yes, nothing "ABOUT IT" because SBI is involved with this game, duh.

2008 and still can't read, huh?
If you're going to use your own words to try to debunk what i said, at least be accurate. To the ignore list/ERA transplant list you go.
The irony that you're the sweetest baby in this thread lmao.
 
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Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
FYI....looking like the whole SOB story the creator had at the TGA when this was first announced was fishy. The dude was aligned with SBI as an insider. So tired of these lowlifes destroying our hobby.....



14608107_1180665285312703_1558693314_n.jpg




What the fuck.


Can we just ban all mention of Sweet Babyt outside of the Sweet Baby thread.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
FYI....looking like the whole SOB story the creator had at the TGA when this was first announced was fishy. The dude was aligned with SBI as an insider. So tired of these lowlifes destroying our hobby.....



EDIT- I can post this in the SBI thread if mods feel appropriate

After all their astroturfing it looks like it didn’t pay off. 162 concurrent players right now, all-time peak was 287, on launch day.

 

Dr. Claus

Banned
So you played the game and know this?
I have done enough research to say definitively that it has.

This. The gloom and gloom tactic is exactly what is constantly employed by extremists to push an agenda. "ZOMG, they're trying to make all our children gay!"

Like, come on man lol.

Glad that there's no blatant agenda in the game so far. I played the demo and there was really no sign of SBI. I might get it later because I do want to support games that have have a basis in unsung cultures and myth. That this is based on African mythology is awesome. Shame the game seems unremarkable from a gameplay standpoint, however.
Your continued need to gaslight and create strawman arguments is the same tactic employed by extremists. Maybe Era is more your pace?
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I have done enough research to say definitively that it has.
Yet a poster who has played the game says the opposite. I wonder who we should believe, the one who experienced it, or the other loonie who "researched" it via Twitter posts.
Your continued need to gaslight and create strawman arguments is the same tactic employed by extremists. Maybe Era is more your pace?
I'm not the one crying about SBI and blocking people merely because they're involved with a game lmao. "Destroying gaming", sure. Your takes are the mirror image of era posters. You're just sitting on the other side of the crazy car.
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
Yet a poster who has played the game says the opposite. I wonder who we should believe.
A user with a history of defending this crap, especially when it is being pushed on their favorite plastic box! Definitely hard to figure that one out! /s

I'm not the one crying about SBI and blocking people merely because they're involved with a game lmao. "Destroying gaming", sure.
Neither am I. But you are the one throwing the hissy fit, refusing to engage in good faith, and throwing childish insults left and right because people are tired of grifters taking hold in the industry.

Stop the projection and take the L, Gaiff. Everyone can see what you are trying to do.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
A user with a history of defending this crap, especially when it is being pushed on their favorite plastic box! Definitely hard to figure that one out! /s
So rather attack the person rather than the argument? We have a name for this fallacy.
Neither am I. But you are the one throwing the hissy fit, refusing to engage in good faith, and throwing childish insults left and right because people are tired of grifters taking hold in the industry.
The ones refusing to engage in good faith are the likes of you who so far have in no way defended their stance of the game pushing any kind of agenda because they haven't played it. Your sloppyjoe buddy posted a bunch of tweets that had very little to do with the content of the game and went on a tangent about SBI "destroying our hobby". He rightfully got laughed at yet here you are backing him with the same nonsense. Pray tell, what kind of agenda is being pushed with this game to justify your overreaction?
Stop the projection and take the L, Gaiff. Everyone can see what you are trying to do.
Everyone is laughing at you and your buddy. I have no love for SBI, but you guys are completely ridiculous. As I said before, you're the mirror image of era posters.
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
"I don't care about SBI, I have no love for them."

*proceeds to spend entire thread rabidly defending them*

Uh huh.
No one is defending SBI and certainly not me. I'm defending shitting on a game merely because SBI is involved with it. I think that some of the stuff the game does is awesome and stated the following in the demo thread:

Not bad for a first attempt. I'm torn. On one hand, its setting is incredibly rare in the gaming landscape. I do want to support a developer trying their hand at African-inspired myths and legends. On the other hand, it has Sweet Baby Inc's stink on it.

I'll look at more gameplay videos. I liked what I played in the demo.

Sounds fair that I'm defending the game but not SBI? If, however, the game is rife with a politically-driven agenda and all that bullshit, go nuts and put it down. So far, this doesn't seem to be the case. Not according to the three people I've spoken with who played it at least.
 

Dr. Claus

Banned
So rather attack the person rather than the argument? We have a name for this fallacy.

The ones refusing to engage in good faith are the likes of you who so far have in no way defended their stance of the game pushing any kind of agenda because they haven't played it. Your sloppyjoe buddy posted a bunch of tweets that had very little to do with the content of the game and went on a tangent about SBI "destroying our hobby". He rightfully got laughed at yet here you are backing him with the same nonsense. Pray tell, what kind of agenda is being pushed with this game to justify your overreaction?

Everyone is laughing at you and your buddy. I have no love for SBI, but you guys are completely ridiculous. As I said before, you're the mirror image of era posters.

More projecting and gaslighting. Do better, Gaiff.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
More projecting and gaslighting. Do better, Gaiff.
You haven't played the game and when I brought up a poster who has, you attacked his character rather than what he said. I then asked you directly what kind of agenda the game is pushing since you've apparently done your research on it, and this is your response. And you have the nerve to say that I'm not the one debating in good faith. Not a single counterpoint from you. None. Just "you project and gaslight", obviously not knowing what these terms even mean.

Sure.
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
You haven't played the game and when I brought up a poster who has, you attacked his character rather than what he said.
I pointed out the users history and tendencies. No where did I “attack” their “character”.

I then asked you directly what kind of agenda the game is pushing since you've apparently done your research on it, and this is your response.
This is the response to someone who refuses to engage in what people actually say, instead twisting their words and making radical assumptions to dismiss and demean the other users.

And you have the nerve to say that I'm not the one debating in good faith. Not a single counterpoint from you. None. Just "you project and gaslight", obviously not knowing what these terms even mean.

Sure.
It is clear you are unable to handle a real conversation and project your failings and misunderstandings onto others. Yes, every post of yours involves some sort of gaslight attempt, strawman argument, or other logical fallacy.

There is no point in discussing anything with someone who refuses to show good faith in a conversation.

You are the most Era-like poster in this thread by a country mile. Do better.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I pointed out the users history and tendencies. No where did I “attack” their “character”.
You're using their character as an indictment to their credibility. You're not addressing the argument they put forth but who they are. This is what we call an ad hominem, but I suspect you knew this.
And still nothing about this game. At this point, it's clear you're full of it and your "research" amounts to a whole lot of nothing. You have no interest whatsoever in discussing it as I've repeatedly asked you about the game and what kind of agenda it pushes but you blatantly ignored it every time.

Carry on.
 

DarkBatman

SBI’s Employee of the Year
Neither am I. But you are the one throwing the hissy fit, refusing to engage in good faith, and throwing childish insults left and right because people are tired of grifters taking hold in the industry.
Oh, and this here isn‘t a hissy fit and refusing to engage in good faith for you?
Lots of SBI sympathizers in here today who signed into their GAF accounts by mistake instead of their Reeee ones.....yall can GFY :)
Last time I checked GFY wasn‘t the best way to engage in good faith.
By the way, this comment came after I dismissed the SBI criticism as ridiculous because I had played the game for a few hours and was greeted by entertaining gameplay instead of an agenda. But hey, feel free to keep pretending that only your side is arguing correctly.
 

Dr. Claus

Banned
How the fuck do EA manage to bankroll shit like this and Immortals of Aveum but there's no money for a Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 remasters, even when the first remastered collection made a profit?

It's like EA are specifically trying to insult me personally.

Red Alert and Tiberian Sun isn't made with DEI Money, that is why.
 

DarkBatman

SBI’s Employee of the Year
Not much of a "war" going on. One site tries to make it clear that involving disaffected idiots doesn't destroy an entire video game and the other side is crying in a completely exaggerated manner because a small, unimportant company with a few employees is 100% destroying their favorite hobby.
I fixed it for you.

Seriously: This thread proves that all this SBI nonsense is often used to cry around in completely idiotic ways. Do I welcome the company's actions? Absolutely not. Does this mean that every game they have worked on in whatever form needs to be demonized? Definitely not.

After 10 hours with Tales of Kenzera: Zau, I have to say that it is very entertaining. Not earth-shattering, but worth a look, especially for fans of the genre as it is a PS+ and $20 game. I haven't noticed any agenda yet. The only problem is that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was released a few months before, which is very similar to the whole thing - and Tales unfortunately seems a bit weaker in direct comparison.
 
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vkbest

Member
Seriously: This thread proves that all this SBI nonsense is often used to cry around in completely idiotic ways. Do I welcome the company's actions? Absolutely not. Does this mean that every game they have worked on in whatever form needs to be demonized? Definitely not.
SBI and similar consulting companies are a cancer for the industry. They need to be removed already or they simply will grown.
 
The only reason it’s getting discussed is because of the involvement with SBI
And that's the problem. The well has already been poisoned and barely anyone in this thread or elsewhere who are caring to discuss the quality of the game itself. There's no point in making an |OT| if everyone chooses to talk about everything but the game itself.

Imagine putting in the work to understand what makes good video games while building your own studio. You and your studio have your specific story to tell within a specific culture, and you make it into a decent metroidvania game. With some connections and EA's help, you then price it at 20 bucks and put it on gamepass so that more people can enjoy it if they want to.

Then by the time it comes out, the internet landscape has changed and your game has been marked on some list gamers hate. Now your game won't even be given a chance. The winds have changed and you suddenly experience the repercussions from something completely out of your hands due to an entirely different company, that you couldn't possibly predict.

That has to suck.
 

Tangerine

Banned
And that's the problem. The well has already been poisoned and barely anyone in this thread or elsewhere who are caring to discuss the quality of the game itself. There's no point in making an |OT| if everyone chooses to talk about everything but the game itself.

Imagine putting in the work to understand what makes good video games while building your own studio. You and your studio have your specific story to tell within a specific culture, and you make it into a decent metroidvania game. With some connections and EA's help, you then price it at 20 bucks and put it on gamepass so that more people can enjoy it if they want to.

Then by the time it comes out, the internet landscape has changed and your game has been marked on some list gamers hate. Now your game won't even be given a chance. The winds have changed and you suddenly experience the repercussions from something completely out of your hands due to an entirely different company, that you couldn't possibly predict.

That has to suck.
I agree it must suck.

But it's cause and effect. Did they think they'd remain hidden and if uncovered for what they are doing, did they expect to be embraced by the community? I understand why people are pissed.
 

winjer

Gold Member
And that's the problem. The well has already been poisoned and barely anyone in this thread or elsewhere who are caring to discuss the quality of the game itself. There's no point in making an |OT| if everyone chooses to talk about everything but the game itself.

Imagine putting in the work to understand what makes good video games while building your own studio. You and your studio have your specific story to tell within a specific culture, and you make it into a decent metroidvania game. With some connections and EA's help, you then price it at 20 bucks and put it on gamepass so that more people can enjoy it if they want to.

Then by the time it comes out, the internet landscape has changed and your game has been marked on some list gamers hate. Now your game won't even be given a chance. The winds have changed and you suddenly experience the repercussions from something completely out of your hands due to an entirely different company, that you couldn't possibly predict.

That has to suck.

Yes, it must suck, but it wasn't the gamers that decided to hired SBI.
It was the studio that decided to poison the narrative when they hired SBI and decided to turn it political propaganda.
 
I agree it must suck.

But it's cause and effect. Did they think they'd remain hidden and if uncovered for what they are doing, did they expect to be embraced by the community? I understand why people are pissed.
Yes, it must suck, but it wasn't the gamers that decided to hired SBI.
We don’t even have the full detail of what role SBI played in this game. That would take actual investigatory research that a lot of people aren't willing to do. An example of research:




  • It is directly stated in the video that the game is from a brand new studio and it's the dev's first game(For a game rated around the 70s, that's not a bad thing)
  • He talks about how difficult game development is and how you can hit a stride then immediately hit a brick wall in the form of a bad bug. Cuts had to be made in order to make sure that the game was fun to play, including other masks and enemies that didn't make it out of concept phase.
  • Abubakar Salim says he is the director and did casting as well. He used his acting experience and connections as help.
  • He describes the story as the main character losing his father and has to face the god of death to attempt to bring his father back. It's about his journey of grief. (No political/agenda evidence so far)
  • He wanted to base this on African Mythology and mix it into the stories and history his dad would tell him growing up
  • He talks about how the game is a reflection of his own grief regarding the passing of his father. He states 'you write what you know(personally), and pull from a place of truth to tell a good story'.(reviewers have pointed out the touching story)
  • He talks about how he sees Metroidvanias as similar to grief in a way by saying 'you are thrown into a complicated space that you have to navigate your way out of by being given the tools to do so'.
  • He says 'the game is colorful because when someone passes around you, the world continues to spin and be what it is which is a beautiful earth...but it also has it's dangers regardless of how beautiful it is'.
  • He says 'death in certain cultures, like the one I'm familiar with, is not seen as an end but as a celebration of passing on and pushing forward'.
  • He talks about games like Sonic 1, Ori, and Hades as inspirations.
  • He talks about how cool it was the Halo series had a level in New Mombasa.
  • He brings up DBZ as a small influence(another series that dealt with death in a different way).
  • He talks about respecting the gamers as much as developers when creating a game(part of the reason why he wanted it to be only 20 bucks)
  • His advice to other indie devs is to not chase trends and to trust their vision and share their own perspectives.

Does any of this really sound that bad to anyone here? From what I'm seeing so far (keyword: so far) I don't see a single chip on this guy's shoulder. Him and his team are not pointing politics nor outrage at anyone of any race or background. So why should they receive the backlash for another company's problems?

Edit: In addition, to my knowledge, SBI are not receiving compensation per sale from this game. So promoting the death of this game is mainly hurting the pockets of the developer themselves, who like I've stated above, have been caught in the crossfire of something they had no bearing on.

It was the studio that decided to poison the narrative when they hired SBI and decided to turn it political propaganda.
No one here has played the game to confirm or deny the existence of propaganda in the video game. It is an assumption being made from an assumption. I just don’t see the fairness in that.

If anything, guilt by association is why the purple site is the way they are. This is where the disconnect lies for me when it comes to the disdain for SBI.
 
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winjer

Gold Member
No one here has played the game to confirm or deny the existence of propaganda in the video game. It is an assumption being made from an assumption. I just don’t see the fairness in that.

If anything, guilt by association is why the purple site is the way they are. This is where the disconnect lies for me when it comes to the disdain for SBI.

Are you really so naive to think that they would hire a company specialized in political propaganda, not to insert political propaganda in a game?
Of course an SBI game will have political propaganda. That is a given, because that is what they do.
 
Are you really so naive to think that they would hire a company specialized in political propaganda, not to insert political propaganda in a game?
Wouldn't it be just as naive to think the opposite point of view with zero evidence? Neither of us have played the game yet you're taking a hard stance based on assumption.
 

winjer

Gold Member
Wouldn't it be just as naive to think the opposite point of view with zero evidence? Neither of us have played the game yet you're taking a hard stance based on assumption.

Seriously, are you trying to be a contrarian just for the sake of it.
Why would a anyone hire a company that specializes in political propaganda if not for that exact purpose?
 
Seriously, are you trying to be a contrarian just for the sake of it.
No, I'm literally not. I'm asking people for evidence, and I'm being met with 'because bad company is bad and anyone who associates with them is bad'. Again, how is this any different than era's way of thinking?
Why would a anyone hire a company that specializes in political propaganda if not for that exact purpose?
I don't know, maybe if someone out there provided the thread with actual evidence of political propaganda in Tales of Kenzera Zau and additionally evidence that SBI is being paid per copy sold of this game, I would believe you more.

I am open to believing in your opinion about Tales of Kenzera Zau, but I'm not just going to do it merely because of hearsay.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Seriously, are you trying to be a contrarian just for the sake of it.
Why would a anyone hire a company that specializes in political propaganda if not for that exact purpose?
As I explained before, this is era logic. Remember when they outright banned Hogwarts Legacy from being discussed because the author of the IP is "transphobic", without caring about supporting a developer that doesn't necessarily share those views, nor acknowledging that the game has nothing transphobic about it? It was a guilty-by-association conclusion which is exactly what is being done in this thread. I like to think Gaf posters are more nuanced and reflective than this.

The whole SBI ordeal blew up back in February, that's when they were outed. Prior to that, most of us didn't really know what they were doing or how much of a bunch of lunatics their leaders were. This game had been in development way before that so who's to say the developers were aware of how racist and unhinged SBI is? It wasn't public knowledge, so surely, we can give Salim the benefit of the doubt on that one.

If a game were to start development now with what we know of SBI, then I'd agree not to support them because they'd be fully aware of what they're getting into. Apparently, Salim Abubakar is "distancing himself" from SBI, whatever that means. That SBI is a consulting firm to promote diversity doesn't bother me, it's how they go on about it that does and the history of their leaders and employees such as Kim Belair or that other cuck who was spouting anti-white rhetoric.

I think we should ask ourselves the following questions about this game before unceremoniously boycotting it.

1. How much involvement of SBI is there?
2. What's the timeline and were the developers aware that SBI are a bunch of misandrist racists?
3. How does it impact the game? Do we get beat over the head with progressive propaganda or could we even tell SBI is involved without looking online?

I couldn't care less about what happens to SBI but throwing a developer under the bus for being merely associated with them to me is the exact same thing as throwing Hogwarts Legacy under the bus for being associated with JK Rowling. As I said before, I do like the fact that this dev attempted to create a game based on African mythology and think it'd be a shame if the message the industry as a whole received from this whole ordeal if this game flops is: No one wants a game based on African mythology. Sure, giving the middle finger to SBI is cool but not at the expense of hurting a dev with those ideas.

PS: If those guys make another game and hire SBI, then feel free to flame me to your heart's content.
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
As I explained before, this is era logic. Remember when they outright banned Hogwarts Legacy from being discussed because the author of the IP is "transphobic", without caring about supporting a developer that doesn't necessarily share those views, nor acknowledging that the game has nothing transphobic about it? It was a guilty-by-association conclusion which is exactly what is being done in this thread. I like to think Gaf posters are more nuanced and reflective than this.
No one is banning discussion of the game. People are saying they refuse to play games that involve a particular company that is known for pushing political agendas, hiring active racists, and being awful writers. Trying to claim this is akin to "banning" discussion is idiotic and further shows how far you reach for disingenuous assertions for strawman arguments and gaslighting.

The whole SBI ordeal blew up back in February, that's when they were outed. Prior to that, most of us didn't really know what they were doing or how much of a bunch of lunatics their leaders were. This game had been in development way before that so who's to say the developers were aware of how racist and unhinged SBI is? It wasn't public knowledge, so surely, we can give Salim the benefit of the doubt on that one.
Sucks to be them. If you enjoy the game, continue to enjoy it. Don't complain because some of us refuse to touch a game that involves this particular company. That is our choice, just as it is yours to enjoy and buy games that involve said company. DEI has and always will be a racist concept that many of us want absolutely nothing to do with. SBI didn't suddenly create DEI nor were they the first to help push it in gaming. The developer had all the time in the world to realize that DEI is a cancerous, regressive concept.

If a game were to start development now with what we know of SBI, then I'd agree not to support them because they'd be fully aware of what they're getting into. Apparently, Salim Abubakar is "distancing himself" from SBI, whatever that means. That SBI is a consulting firm to promote diversity doesn't bother me, it's how they go on about it that does and the history of their leaders and employees such as Kim Belair or that other cuck who was spouting anti-white rhetoric.
The fact that you continue to claim this says all we need to know about why are you going so hard trying to silence, gaslight, and create strawman arguments in this thread.

Here's the facts. The creator worked with SBI to create "Bebe Sucre" which literally means "Sweet Baby" in French. The man hired them, worked with them, and began a business with them. You can keep trying to go to bat for this man and claim that he had no idea, that he wouldn't have worked with them after the "february" incident, but it is clear as day and plainly shown through folks like Grummz with mountains of evidence that he is intimately involved with the company and their cancerous views and ideology.
 

IAmRei

Member
I dont like the artstyle, and the mc is not attractive, and the gameplay side is not helping either.
 
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