Kena: Bridge of Spirits was deemed a massive success shortly after launching on PlayStation 4, PC, and PlayStation 5 back in 2021. Published and developed by Ember Lab, this phenomenal action-adventure game is finally coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles on August 15th.
After spending time playing through the game this past week, I now fully understand why all of the high praise is justified. If you’ve been waiting to experience Kena: Bridge of Spirits on an Xbox console then you’re in for an absolute treat. Here are more of my thoughts on why this should be on your radar.
Simply Charming
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a third-person perspective action-adventure game set within a fictional world. The story follows a young spirit guide named Kena as she embarks on a journey to find the Sacred Mountain Shrine. As she explores an abandoned village, Kena encounters small companions known as The Rot and a powerful masked spirit adversary responsible for causing corruption throughout the forest.
While the story seems very straightforward, most of the personality and charm come from the characters. Kena cares very deeply about restoring peace and tranquility to her surroundings. The Rot act as playful yet resourceful creatures who help her navigate unexplored areas. This combination of a strong main protagonist with a small supporting cast of characters keeps the overall experience captivating from start to finish.
Breathtaking visuals
When Kena: Bridge of Spirits was revealed a few years ago, many compared the visuals to something you would see out of a Pixar animated movie. Ember Lab founders Mike and Josh Grier both have extensive backgrounds as animators for commercials and short films. This is a contributing factor as to why the game looks phenomenal and the transitions from cutscenes to gameplay are beautifully seamless.
Speaking of performance, Kena: Bridge of Spirits runs smoothly on both Xbox consoles. The Xbox Series S version runs at 4K/30 FPS while the Xbox Series X version gets a boost of 4K/60 FPS. Regardless of which Xbox console you ultimately decide to play on, I can personally guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. I didn’t encounter any technical issues or frame rate drops while playing on my Series X which means that they did a fantastic job on optimizing all across the board.
Familiar, yet addictive gameplay
Kena: Bridge of Spirits essentially starts as a game focused on exploration and adventure. By using Kena’s pulse ability, you’re able to illuminate distinctive parts of an area and detect nearby Rot worth collecting. Within the first few minutes of the game, you’re taught how to use your staff for light, heavy, and charged attacks. Kena also has magical abilities that can be upgraded over time and used to aid in both the puzzle and platforming mechanics of the game.
Playing through a game like this feels very familiar to games you might have played in the past. If you enjoy titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn or Zelda, then you’ll feel right at home with this Bridge of Spirits. Using The Rot for puzzle-solving solutions is a lot of fun. I also enjoyed how easy it was to upgrade Kena’s weapons and abilities just by playing through the story. There isn’t anything necessarily groundbreaking about the mechanics as a whole but everything that is included here makes it an easy pickup and play title for everyone.
Outstanding soundtrack and voice acting
Music plays an important role in setting the tone for any project because it can help pull viewers into the experience even further. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a perfect example of a soundtrack that does exactly this and more. The upbeat and dramatic shift in tones allows you to truly feel every high and low point of Kena’s adventure. The boss battles are also a ton of fun thanks to the music and streamlined combat aesthetics.
When it comes to character performances, I thought that Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti did an incredible job as Kena. Much like with music, a good performance can bring a character to life and make their motives relatable to an audience. Virtually every character in the game fits perfectly within the world which makes this an overall good time.
Final Verdict
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a fantastic story-driven action-adventure game with charming characters and wildly fun combat mechanics. Ember Lab simply knocked this game out of the ballpark and I’m very curious to see what they work on next.
This review was written based on a digital review copy of Kena: Bridge of Spirits for Xbox Series X provided by Ember Lab.
