Tales of Kenzera ZAU boasts two stunning fighting styles tied to mythological masks, both inspired by a single martial art that originated in Nigeria, according to the animation lead.

"Early in development, there were actually three different masks," explained animation lead Griffin Warner in a Twitter video.

"But the mask that ultimately made the cut was the game's original melee combat strongman, whose animation set was based on a martial art with Nigerian roots called dumbeh."

The inspiration this third mask left long after it was cut from Tales of Kenzera: The inspiration this third mask left long after it was cut from Tales of Kenzera: Zau is obvious. Instead of limiting Dambe to just one of the masks, the Sargent Studios team boiled the martial arts down to two main premises and incorporated them into the remaining Moon and Sun masks.

In danbe, the fighter uses a cloth-wrapped hand, called a spear, to attack his opponent quickly and accurately. In 2.5D, characters are often shown in side or three-quarter profile."

This style of attack inspired the Mask of the Sun, which focuses on striking and close combat; armed with two spears, it can quickly take down hordes of enemies or fly across the map.

"The combat and animation were changed several times during development, but the influence of the dambe on the two masks should be very clear," says Warner.

"In fact, the quick combo of the sun mask was completely overhauled and reworked in just a day or two earlier this year. But it came together really quickly."

Then there is the moon mask, which focuses on long-range attacks, defense, and maintaining distance from the enemy. In "Tales of Kenzera," there are ample opportunities to use both: which mask you choose will reveal your personality. I would probably use the Moon Mask when fighting the enemy. It may sound unfair, but it definitely keeps my blood pressure at a reasonable level if I can keep my distance from the oncoming enemy.