Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5) Review
Updated: May 16
Developer: Ember Lab
Publisher: Ember Lab, Maximum Games
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Platforms: PS4/PS5, PC
Overview: Being able to play a game that looks like a Pixar movie has been a dream for gamers many years in the making. Just about every review for Ratchet and Clank games makes these comparisons whenever they release. It appears now that Ember Lab has thrown its hat in the ring and it is one of the closest attempts to the Pixar-like dream to date.
Not only is Kena: Bridge of Spirits a beautiful game, but it also features surprisingly difficult combat that requires a large amount of concentration. This contrast in visuals and gameplay may turn off a few, but overall I had a pretty good time following Kena's journey to reach the sacred Mountain Shrine.
Story: A young woman named Kena travels to an abandoned village in search of the Mountain Shrine to become a better spirit guide. Spirit Guides in this world help guide spirits to the afterlife after resolving whatever it is that binds them to the physical world. Along the way to the village, Kena encounters an immensely powerful spirit that is corrupting the surrounding forest. The spirit retreats to spread the corruption elsewhere.
The player also gets introduced to the cutest little companions called the Rot. With the help of the Rot and the lingering spirits of the abandoned village, Kena will be able to piece together past events that led to the demise of the village.
The stories of these spirits are one of the stronger driving plot points in the game. There's a huge mysterious explosion that kicks off the beginning of the corruption and every spirit's final moments offer a different perspective on this moment. Since there is such a focus on this one mystery, other side plots that are introduced, don't get developed at all and seem like cut content.
Gameplay: Kena is an action-adventure game that takes a lot of its cues from Soulsbourne games. The game can be difficult without proper prioritization of enemies and not exploiting weaknesses. Fortunately, there isn't any stamina management to worry about while you whack away at foes. The Rot can also be used during combat, either locking an enemy down, healing Kena, or empowering one of Kena's moves.
These abilities can be unlocked and improved using Kena's simple upgrade system. Through story progression, more abilities that can be improved are unlocked and can be used to help solve the many puzzles in Kena. Platforming is very prominent and feels satisfying to get off some properly timed actions to make it across obstacles.
The Rot can also get involved in puzzles by eating corruption to open up new pathways or clearing up shrines. Shrines are a nice source of experience to help upgrade abilities. The puzzle and platforming aren't difficult but feel like a very nice change of pace from mowing down enemies. The boss battles in Kena are completely different monsters.
It's these battles that can create the most frustration for players since the difficulty spikes come out of nowhere. This is where the Soul-like inspiration takes life and trial and error becomes necessary. Almost every enemy in Kena has a weakness that can be exploited and using this to your advantage is a must during boss battles. A lot of the time, these bosses will two or three-shot players, and their weaknesses won't be immediately clear.
Presentation: Kena: Bridge of Spirits is one heck of a beautiful game. The only few negatives made against the game are very nitpicky and nuanced. Due to being a cross-gen game, Kena has to make compensations in certain visual departments. The cutscenes specifically are locked at 30fps and it can be jarring when playing at a constant 60fps.
I also feel like there was a missed opportunity to further build out the world and tell stories using world design. To compensate, there is a collectible called Spirt Mail which can be returned to a mailbox in the village hub area. Upon returning the Spirit Mail, the player gets a very small glimpse of life pre-corruption and that area is available to explore.
The animations are fairly underwhelming and don't fully accentuate the visual appeal of the game. Most attacks feel weak, and even the big moments when using a special attack don't feel very powerful. The dissonance in animation and damage output can add further frustration against higher HP opponents on a subconscious level.
Unfortunately, the music is another sour point of the game. The soundtrack in the game uses the same instruments and a similar cadence for most songs, making a lot of the tracks indistinguishable from one another. The tracks are also very short and are prone to looping again and again. There's no greater offender than the theme that plays while visiting the abandoned village hub area.
Final Verdict: 8/10
Kena can be a charming action-adventure game for some players. The puzzles aren't too difficult and the mysteries surrounding the spirits are captivating. Even though Kena looks extremely pretty in action and during cut scenes, they aren't fully realized. There was always a feeling that this game was close to pushing the envelope, but under some scrutiny, never quite matched the likes of other games in its genre.
It's actually shocking to think that Kena is an indie game, but it still deserves AAA respect. The journey was well worth going on, even if it can be frustrating at times. Just a word of warning, some bosses will require Souls-like mental fortitude to defeat and enjoy this game. The one year also included some DLC costumes, so players will have a chance to enjoy cosmetic changes if they are jumping in for the first time or replaying the game!
*Watch 22 minutes of Kena: Bridge of Spirits gameplay below!
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