Kena: Bridge of Spirits

A lot of the time when you buy a game, you can roughly gauge what you’re investing in. Whether it be a vast single player RPG, a relaxing cosy farm sim, a multiplayer PvP sweat fest, or something sporty to make you feel like less of a potato sat on the sofa. I ask you this, when was the last time you played something that just made you feel? Something that, as you play, you take a moment to stop and just take in what is happening. This is exactly what Kena: Bridge of Spirits did for me. This absolute gem, originally released in 2021 by Ember Labs for PlayStation and PC, makes its journey to Xbox on August 15th. I can’t believe this beauty passed me by those few years ago, but this further release has not only revitalised its own spirit, but in some ways mine as well.

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This is an abridged version of our GAME NAME video review, which can be seen here:

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You play as Kena, a young spirit guide who uses her powers to aid those who have deceased in passing from the physical to the spirit realm. This responsibility has been inherited from your father, and the story revolves around helping the spirits in a specific village (that is suffering from a growing plague). Your quest is to ascend to the mountain shrine, as the power that dwells there draws to the power that lies within Kena herself . This concept of helping spirits to find peace is very much reflected in another brilliant title called Spiritfarer. Both these games excel at one of the most important details in a single player experience in my opinion, and that is making the player give a crap about the characters. Not just focusing on the protagonist, but building relationships with others and making you care about helping the spirits move on. What’s remarkable is that Bridge of Spirits can do this without reams and reams of dialogue and text, but with fewer and more impactful moments. I adored every character and every moment I shared with them, I was so invested in each of them and their stories, I just wish we got to see a bit more of them before they moved on. 

Meet the Rot; who act as our little spirit companions throughout our quest. These little fellas help solve puzzles, move objects, obtain items and even fight during combat. Immediately they remind me of Pikmin, and much like Pikmin they are bursting with personality, especially when you can customise them all with hats! Something so simple, but oh my days, I loved seeing their goofy faces wearing them, and it allows for a sense of individuality between them all. Honestly, I thought my wife was going to explode with joy as I showed her the rot entourage in their headgear, and she rates the game 10/10 from this factor alone. (Note to self, buy cute hats.)

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At A Glance

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These hats, along with the rot themselves, act as collectibles found throughout the world. As you find more rot, your horde grows and grows, and as you explore each nook and cranny, the little troopers pop up and wait for you along the landscape almost like tiny cheerleaders. Other such collectibles include charm stones that, when equipped, enhance certain abilities. Flower shrines that offer gems when prayed at, cursed chests that provide a challenge to open. Meditation spots that increase health, and spirit mail that unlocks more of the main village. There is a very helpful checklist on the map for these collectibles broken down by each area, so naturally, we were going to one hundred percent this bad boy. This included going for the difficulty and secret achievements as well. 

The charm constantly pours out the screen as you explore the world that is very much inspired by Eastern locations and culture. Its beautiful artistic style pairs so well with the energy the game brings, sometimes it felt like watching something straight out of a Pixar animation. This equally applies to the gorgeous accompanying soundscape, with layers of music built up that morphed seamlessly between environments. This is something that struck me just moments into starting the game. You begin in a dark cave, illuminating your path in crystal blue light bouncing between the walls, hollow percussion sounds with a hint of woodwind playing in the background. Then as Kena emerges into the stunning forest of emerald green, a crescendo of sound blossoms, enriching her with energy and life. There were so many moments I caught myself just stopping and going “wow”, where I would leave the sequence going at a meditation spot, and my wife and I would bask in the peaceful ambiance.

When the peace is over, the combat begins. I found the mechanics fluid, with controls that were responsive and not too complex. Using a combination of light and heavy attacks with your staff, along with later unlockables such as the bow, you can string together simple and effective moves. As you battle, you gather courage orbs to then get the rot involved. Using an orb would allow you to use techniques such as the mighty rot hammer or a powerful piercing rot arrow. There is also a simple ability tree that further adds variation to combat, like the multi arrow and parry attacks. These abilities are unlocked by using one of two currencies collected, with the other being used to purchase the rot hats and the different outfits for Kena. These outfits are found by completing trials that unlock as you progress through the story, adding further replayability and challenge to the game.

The transition from Playstation to Xbox has so far been pretty fluid, as I have had absolutely no trouble performance wise. Controls have felt crisp, visuals sharp, frames indeed by the second, 60 of them to be precise, and in 4K. Load times are negligible, as are respawn times when you die. I would say however that my only, and very minor issue, came from the rot cloud ability and the camera angle, in that for a short time it seemed to either lock or freak out when the ability ended. One time, by accident, I activated the cloud as a cut scene started, so they just seemed to stay in that form until I moved on, again a minor issue, and if anything – funny.

I have absolutely loved my time playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits; I’ve struggled to find any real fault besides just wanting more of everything. I asked my wife her opinion, but she was too busy customising the rot with unicorn and mushroom hats to pay any attention. With a run time of about 10 hours for the story, and double that for 100% completion, I still can’t get enough of every captivating detail. The visuals and soundscape, the character investment, the platforming and combat, and the emotion that comes with it all. This game explodes with charm and feeling, and if you haven’t experienced it for yourself, I simply cannot recommend it enough.

In the interest of full disclosure, VGamingNews was provided with a copy of the game in order to conduct this review.

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