Tales of Kenzara: ZAU Developer Unveils FixForce, a Chaotic Co-op Extraction Platformer About Repairing the World with Scrap

Surgent Studios, the team behind Tales of Kenzara: ZAU, has just revealed its next project, and it's a complete departure from their previous work. The new game, titled FixForce, is described as a chaotic cooperative extraction platformer where players take on the role of robots tasked with fixing machines using random parts found scattered throughout the environment.

In FixForce, up to six players form a robot repair crew dispatched to various locations to mend broken structures within a set time limit. Each malfunctioning machine displays the specific parts required for repairs, which are hidden across the level. However, collecting these components isn't straightforward—many are trapped behind obstacles like impassable bodies of water, perched atop tall towers, or guarded by hostile enemy robots.

To overcome these challenges, players must utilize their robot's building abilities to strategically pick up and place objects, creating pathways for themselves and their teammates to reach essential parts. The game introduces a humorous twist on player death: if a robot is damaged by an obstacle, its head pops off, requiring teammates to locate both the head and body and reassemble them to bring the player back into the action. Teams earn points based on how many machines they successfully repair before time runs out.

Ahead of the announcement, I had the opportunity to play a round of FixForce with the developers, and the experience lived up to the silly chaos promised in the trailer. It's easy to get sidetracked by experimenting with the various objects in the level and constructing bizarre, impromptu structures. The game also fosters spontaneous, hilarious moments—like when one developer attempted to toss platforms to rescue me from an island but instead hit me directly, sending me plummeting into the water.

This lighthearted and playful direction marks a stark contrast for a studio that recently released a game centered on grieving the loss of a loved one. Founder Abubakar Salim acknowledges this shift, stating in a press release, "As FixForce came together, we saw the pure chaos and hilarity it was unleashing and made the decision to move quickly and publish it ourselves. Yes, FixForce is completely unlike anything we've ever done before, but look: we made one game about grief and another about abuse and thought, 'can we have a little bit of silly, stupid fun for a second?' I promise we'll go back to dark and depressing after this."

It's worth noting that FixForce is not the same project as Salim's previously announced 2024 game, Project Uso, nor is it the horror title revealed last year to be published by Pocketpair. Surgent Studios clearly has multiple projects in development, but their urgency to release something quickly aligns with their long-term ambitions and the financial challenges they faced in 2024.

FixForce will launch in early access on March 12 for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, with a full release planned for Xbox as well, according to the studio.