Kena Bridge of Spirits Review: One of the Best Adventures of the Year

From the moment the Kena staff are lit with magnificent magic, the world around them sizzles with excitement, creating an enchanting atmosphere for one of the best adventure games I have played in recent times. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is Ember Lab’s debut game, but it has the sophistication and beauty you’d expect from a studio that has been doing this for decades.

With environmental puzzles around almost every corner and secrets waiting for those who can solve them, Bridge of Spirits has a big heart for adventure. That heart beats constantly as new areas are discovered, each beat pushing you in different directions to unearth hidden treasures and items that will help rejuvenate a fallen society.

Kena (pronounced “Kay-nuh”) is an inexperienced spirit guide who must locate wayward souls who are reluctant to leave this death spiral. Before you send them on your way, you need to learn about their lives and ultimately what happened to them. As you explore the land, its pasts are unraveled and its triumphs and difficulties are learned through short flashbacks that make the story sing in intriguing ways and help develop its key protagonists. Many of these revelations unfold into beautifully animated story sequences that fill with emotion and are amplified by an exceptional soundtrack featuring traditional Balinese music. I found myself humming the excellently composed low-key tunes, some sung by Ayu Larassanti, the same actress who brings Kena’s voice to life. How cool is that?

The serenity of the experience extends to the world. Be prepared to enter photo mode multiple times during your game. Bridge of Spirits is as beautiful as games come, and that beauty encourages exploration – you’ll want to see this entire kingdom of fantasy. Ember Lab artists bring out every little detail, whether it’s within the vast forest that Kena travels through or the little creatures she encounters along the way. These adorable tiny blobs are called Rot and they are one of the most sought after collectibles in the game. They play a huge role in both the game and the story, but more importantly, they wear cute hats (another item to track down). You don’t know what the Rot are or why they are helping Kena, but you keep gathering them (up to 100 in total) and hope that they will continue to be your allies as the story progresses.

As Kena traverses the sun-drenched forest, she will come across areas of corruption littered with thorns, mud, and gray vines that lead to a pulsing red patch called the Tangled Heart. When Kena enters these locations, enemies materialize from the red mist and combat ensues. Throughout the entire game, Kena only uses her staff to defeat these enemies, but this simple weapon is as adaptable as it sounds.

Kena’s movements are swift, and the baton’s melee punches land with a satisfying punch. He can roll, block, and evasive parries to stun opponents. These battle sequences buzz with intensity, are so much fun, and expand with complexity as Kena learns to use the baton in new ways.

Some of the staff increases are unlocked through purchase, but the most important additions are earned by progressing through the story. Along the way, Kena learns how to turn her staff into a bow and channel its powerful energy to create bombs. Marking an enemy with a carefully placed bomb is great fun, but the bow is the real star of the fight. It feels amazing and is designed with pinpoint precision in mind. When Kena leaps into the air and pulls on the bowstring, time slows down, allowing an arrow to hit the exact spot you want, be it a small weak area on an enemy’s chest or a lantern hanging underneath. a galloping giant. Getting these shots is an enriching experience, and you are tasked with doing it consistently. It’s such a satisfying game hook.

The Rot, those adorable companions I mentioned earlier, also play an important role in combat. They can heal Kena, stun enemies, and change the rules of the game against bosses. These conflicts turn the difficulty into 11 and demand near perfection in their timing and strategies. Don’t be surprised if these bosses throw you around like a rag doll and you often die. The difficulty jump is surprising and is one of the areas where the game suffers a bit. The difficulty level can be changed at any time, but with unsatisfactory results: going from overwhelming intensity to child’s play.

Bridge of Spirits also relies heavily on the same puzzle mechanics, especially in the late game, where almost every vertical movement pushes Kena to drop a bomb and detonate it with an arrow to create a path forward. While I appreciate how clever the puzzles are and how fluid the platform is, using the same motions is tiring and takes some of the fun out of exploring.

Ember Lab was candid about the Kena launch and said it could be completed in a weekend. Given how much I love this experience, I wish it would last longer, but the shorter footprint works well, especially for seeing all the world has to offer. The final act is the only aspect that feels rushed. The story ends very well (in ways I didn’t expect), but some of the big reveals and conflicts come and go in an instant and are not given the same level of attention as at other moments in the game.

Bridge of Spirits stumbles a bit at some points, but confidently runs into the heart of the adventure, rewarding the player with many secrets and visuals that are almost always worth admiring. If you love Zelda-like games or are just looking for an experience that makes you smile every step of the way, you can’t go wrong with Kena: Bridge of Spirits.