Abubakar Salim is a man of many, many talents. One day, you might find him shining on-screen as Alynn Hull in HBO’s House of the Dragon; another day, you might find him possibly working on his next gaming project. As the founder of Surgent Studios, balancing his career in prestige media with his love for video games comes about as naturally as breathing to him.
Unsurprisingly, however, Salim often finds himself as the only proper gamer on set, with people only bringing up the industry’s most generic names in conversations. However, Salim loves nothing more than introducing his colleagues to the intricacies of gaming, pulling them into a world they’re often unfamiliar with.
While you may know Salim for his role as Alynn of Hull in HBO’s House of the Dragon or as Father in the sci-fi series Raised by Wolves, he’s also made a name for himself in the video game industry.
You might recognize his voice from Assassin’s Creed Origins, where he brought Bayek of Siwa to life back in 2017 and wishes to do so once again. His more recent work includes Eros in Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, or perhaps from his very own studio’s game, Tales of Kenzera: Zau.
That said, being a gamer while portraying characters on screen comes with its own set of quirks for Salim, it seems. In a recent interview, the man pointed out how, on set, most people’s understanding of gaming remains excruciatingly limited, saying: “The first thing they think of when it comes to games is FIFA.”
Now, most people who are into gaming would probably feel discouraged upon hearing that and may even try to move away from the conversation, but that isn’t the case for Salim.
In fact, the guy often looks at it as the perfect opportunity to steer conversations towards giving his co-stars a crash course in gaming, from the intricacies of design to the broader world of interactive storytelling, something that seems to have occurred more than once on the set of House of the Dragon:
“Especially with House of The Dragon, what’s really exciting is you say, ‘I’m playing games, or I’m making games,’ and they’re like, ‘What does that mean?’ And then you open them to this new world.”
Seeing the interview, it’s difficult not to feel that Salim’s love for games goes far beyond just playing, voice acting, or making them. There’s a genuine appreciation for the medium’s strengths as an art form that he loves educating others about.
Perhaps that deep appreciation and experience with the medium is also what led to the creation of his studio’s very first title, a deeply personal story that Abubakar Salim couldn’t have shared any better than through a video game.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau is a truly special title that feels like a culmination of Abubakar Salim’s own journey as an artist combined with his love for gaming. As the debut title from Surgent Studios, if you haven’t played it yet, trust us, you’re missing out on one of the best narratives in a game this year.
It’s a game that draws from the man’s personal experiences in life and grief while offering a well-crafted adventure that manages to stand out in the crowded market of Metroidvanias.
Plus, with its Bantu culture-inspired lore and heartfelt narrative, you can tell this is a project born out of genuine passion. After all, ZAU isn’t just another title under EA Originals; it is well and truly a testament to how deeply Salim understands video games as an art form.
From the compelling character of Zau, a young shaman fighting for his father’s soul, to the rich world filled with spirits and monsters, there’s a lot to like here, especially for a first-time title.
All that is to say, Surgent Studios is definitely the one game development team to be on the lookout for. Members of this team may have been hit with a kind of controversial layoff earlier this year, but if this game is anything to go by, their future titles will still be just as exciting.
With all that said, what are your thoughts on Salim’s daily adventure of introducing people to gaming? Did you give Tales of Kenzera: ZAU a try earlier this year? Let us know in the comments below!
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