Last year during PlayStation’s Future of Gaming event, Ember Lab unveiled their first-ever title. Having a background in creating animated commercials and shorts, Ember Lab’s first game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, showcased incredibly well. The reveal trailer impressed many, by displaying a visually robust atmosphere in what looked to be a sprawling action-adventure. Initially slated for a late 2020 release, Kena was pushed back to 2021. Kena: Bridge of Spirits was officially released on September 21st, 2021. As good as Kena displayed last year, how well does the final product hold up? Does it hold up to games of a similar nature?
Spirit God In The Making
Our story centers around Kena, an up-and-coming spirit god looking to follow in her father’s footsteps. While searching for the sacred place of power, she stumbles onto an abandoned run-down village. The inhabitants of this ancient community are spirits of the past, the remains of deceased villagers who passed away with unfinished business. These spirits, as well as the entire forest, have been engulfed in corruption. Early on, a mysterious masked spirit reveals himself to be the cause for chaos, releasing corruption, decay, and monsters into the world. Upon meeting the spirits of two children, Beni and Saiya, Kena pledges to restore the peace.
Fresh But Familiar
When Kena: Bridge of Spirits was initially shown, it was difficult not to compare it to the likes of Zelda or Horizon Zero Dawn. While initially appearing similar to Aloy’s spear, our main protagonist Kena carries around a staff. Acting as the main melee weapon in combat, the staff is fairly versatile. Kena can perform quick attacks, as well as stronger, more time-consuming moves. In addition to being her melee weapon, the staff can also be used for long-range combat; Kena’s staff has the ability to transform. Kena: Bridge of Spirits differentiates itself from other, similarly structured games, with the use of the Rot. The Rot are small, animal-like, creatures that act as companions to Kena; they are heavily involved in both combat and exploration.
Fun & Challenging Combat
In battle, Kena must initially use her staff to weaken enemies, building up Rot Courage. This courage builds up via a meter, located near Kena’s health bar. Once full, Kena is able to use one of her unlocked Rot Abilities. One of the first abilities unlocked is Kena’s Spirit Bow. This allows her to shoot Rot at distant monsters and objects. Rot Abilities are used during combat, as well as to solve puzzles and clear passages. Building up courage will also allow Rot to consume energy located inside blue flowers. This energy restores Kena’s health bar, when in battle. Blue flowers are scarce, so it’s crucial to save them until they are actually necessary. Combat can get quite challenging, requiring precise timing of Kena’s shield and parry attacks.
Rot Companions In Battle
There are various Rot Ability upgrades to be unlocked throughout Kena: Bridge of Spirits, which are acquired by obtaining Karma. Karma is created by defeating specific enemies, repositioning various fallen statues, and clearing out the corruption spread throughout the woods. The upgrade abilities include arrows, hammers, bombs, and more. These upgrades allow for greater diversity in battle, experimenting with what works best for each enemy. Fighting enemies needs to be a strategic balance of melee combat and Rot Abilities. Some situations may see the Rot directly attacking foes, whereas others may simply immobilize them.
Upgrades Galore
By entering the upgrades menu, Kena can exchange out her collected karma. Her upgrades are made available via skill tree upgrades. These include enhancements such as additional melee attacks, strengthened shields, weapon enhancements, and more. By the end of her journey, Kena will have a more robust move set at her disposal. In addition to combat, Rot Abilities are essential to progress through certain sections of the map. Corruption will block many passageways, which will require certain actions in order to clear them out. Many corrupted barricades will require Kena’s Rot to combine themselves into one larger being. Kena can then control the creature with her staff, destroying the corruption blocking her path. The use of Rot throughout Kena: Bridge of Spirits adds a unique element to gameplay.
Genuine Joy
Kena: Bridge of Spirits controls entirely from a third-person perspective. While the inspiration taken from larger open-world games is apparent, so are its platforming roots. Kena’s ability to run and jump feels very reminiscent of 3D platformers from the past. Kena will need her mobility to obtain the various collectibles spread throughout. These include the Rot, cosmetic items for the Rot, gems, lost memories, and more. The most important collectible in Kena: Bridge of Spirits has to be the Rot themselves. The more Rot companions Kena is accompanied by, the higher “Rot Level” she will advance. This will allow her to unlock stronger abilities, causing more damage to her foes.
Collecting The Rot
Collecting 100 of the hidden Rot may seem like a daunting task, however finding all of them isn’t necessary for completion. This actually strengthens replayability, as most players will not find all of the hidden Rot in their first playthroughs. Those having difficulty finding their companions can use their Spirit Mask ability. At any time, Kena can put on her mask, revealing clues leading to nearby Rot. Kena’s spirit pulse ability also proves to be helpful in revealing the Rot in hiding. On PlayStation 5, the DualSense’s haptic feedback also comes to the player’s aid. When nearby a hidden Rot, the controller will imitate its heartbeat. The haptics will intensify the closer Kena gets to the Rot. While not essential, it’s a great addition that adds extra immersion to the overall experience!
Unlockables
One of the more important discoveries Kena will encounter is Meditation Spots. When found, Meditation Spots allow Kena to permanently increase her health. These locations appear after boss encounters, but can also be found hidden throughout the lands. The majority of Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ collectibles revolve around customizing your Rot; there are a total of 51 hats spread across the game. They can be found a la carte, purchased with acquired gems, and unlocked via cursed chests. These additions add some customization to the experience, however, are a bit underwhelming. Unlockable costumes for Kena herself, or alternate weapon skins, would have been way more interesting.
Rot-magotchi
Speaking of the Rot. At any point throughout Kena’s journey, she is able to directly interact with them. By pressing the right directional, players can control the Rot’s interactions with Kena; this includes them sneezing, dancing, and giving Kena a kiss. While I found this feature to have no indispensable functionality, it adds an extra layer of interactivity. Many players may use these sections to break away from the main story and relax. This section could have been more meaningful, had it somehow actually tied into story progression, something the game, unfortunately, neglects to inform players. Nonetheless, these pet simulator-esk sections do give life to the little round creatures and certainly don’t detract from the overall experience.
A Visual Powerhouse
Ember Lab has a history with animation and it definitely shows. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is graphically stunning. The art style has a very Pixar or Dreamworks-inspired aesthetic. Cutscenes play out like a charming scene from an animated movie. While gameplay has lived up to expectations, it’s hard not to say the graphics are one of its main selling points. The environments are incredibly dynamic, constantly changing from bright and cheery to dark and gloomy. Brightly lit wooded areas are full of rich vibrant colors, whereas corrupted zones are very dark and eerie. Kena’s environmental interactions, such as coughing while near a corrupted area, can’t be neglected. These add an additional layer to the overall liveliness of the world she inhabits. By expertly combining a whimsical soundtrack, lively animations, and energetic visuals, the world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits truly comes to life.
Closing Thoughts
When Kena: Bridge of Spirits was initially shown off last year, many were skeptical. Kena looked visually impressive, however, its gameplay status was still unclear. Thankfully, Ember Lab’s first entry into gaming is a knockout! Kena is an incredibly thought-provoking tale, that explores what happens to those who pass away. The charming story, Disney quality visuals, and well-calculated gameplay mechanics all make for a vastly enjoyable experience. While Kena is plagued with some difficult bosses, the overall experience is one not to be overlooked.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits launched exclusively on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on September 21st. It is available now on PlayStation Network and Epic Games for $49.99 USD. For more information on the game and to purchase it digitally, visit Ember Lab’s official website.
A digital copy of the game was provided for the purpose of review.
