When I decided that this generation I would be picking up a Playstation, there was a lengthy list of exclusives I had my eyes on. Developed by the small studio, Ember Lab, Kena: Bridge of Spirits was on that list. Being this developer’s first published game after a line of very well-animated shorts, including a Legend of Zelda fan film and other small spots, I was amazed to see the level of quality that Ember Lab was bringing to Kena at a $40 price point. After playing, I can confidently say it is a steal. Kena brings the light-hearted feel of a Disney animated feature film, and creates a gameplay space around it that is vibrant, fun to experience, and easy to learn while still proving challenging in its own right. Although, not everything is perfect. With shortcomings in character building, and a slightly repetitive gameplay loop it hits a few roadblocks along the way.
NARRATIVE
Bridge of Spirits follows the character of Kena, a spirit guide who has traveled to a fallen village where she aims to free troubled souls. Most of the story focuses on these spirits as the story of how the village fell is shown piece by piece. It’s a great way to tell the story and Ember Lab did a great job incorporating likable supporting characters who were never over-bearing. This allowed me to take in the space around me as I played. I was left alone to consume the cursed, but lush forest around me as I moved task to task and fought enemies.
All of this is great, but there were a few points I felt had fallen flat by the end. While the setup of who Kena is and why she came to this village is engrossing at first, it never really became something that was brought to a head in the story. Without spoiling anything, Kena never felt like a fleshed-out character to me and was more of a vessel for the player. This was a little disappointing since the ideas behind the character had potential, but never fully reached them.
Another missed opportunity was the main villain. He was serviceable as villains go but he didn’t feel like a real threat to me throughout the game. This has nothing to do with who he is or what his intentions are but more to do with the lack of appearances throughout the game. The game was telling a story that was beyond good and evil but the presence of a villain looming over Kena as she worked to heal souls and the land would have added tension and uncertainty at times for the player and for Kena.
GAMEPLAY
In terms of gameplay, Bridge of Spirits brings a batch of ideas not necessarily ripped from other games but inspired by them. Ember Lab is a developer who clearly has a passion for games and story-telling and I feel they took elements that they loved from titles they had played and incorporated them in their own way.
For the duration of the game, Kena wields a staff that she utilizes for many different tasks from melee to ranged bow and arrow combat. I liked that the combat system was packed into one weapon, it kept things simple and eliminated the need for inventory management, which kept the pace from being bogged down. I have heard people compare this bow and arrow to Horizon Zero Dawn’s combat, but I disagree. While things are similar, Bridge of Spirits uses the bow and arrow as a weapon as well as a tool in other sections of the game.
Coupled with the staff combat there is also The Rot. The Rot are reminiscent of pikman but have their own way of contributing to the game’s combat. They can hold enemies in place for a limited time as a default move, but as you explore and get more of The Rot you will be able to get Rot upgrades. These will give you access to unlocking special moves that incorporate these adorable companions into your regular attacks and can deal big damage if timed correctly. All of these elements still make for combat that can be challenging while still remaining fair.
Enemy designs are creative and fit with the look of the world and the different classes you engage with add variety to fights. Different enemy types also force you to make decisions on how you engage them in larger groups which keeps combat fun. The bosses are great too. Not one boss design is recycled and all their attacks are unique to one other. The only issue I find is with the common fights you come across. Each time you are walking and stumble across a rotted area of the forest, you know you are about to fight a small group of enemies, heal the area, and move on. Nothing feels like it is specifically out to get Kena since the player is always moving to the enemy instead of the other way around. It’s not a bad idea and it makes sense with the story but feels predictable and more like a side mission of “percentage of the land healed” rather than what a main story mission would consist of. A lot of games do this but I feel like it stands out here because for me there didn’t feel like there was a central villain. More like these creatures were attacking Kena because she came to their home, not because they wanted to stop her from completing her goal.
The gameplay loop is where things got a bit repetitive for me. The main story beats follow the cycle of “fetch these three things and then the story can advance”. I don’t mind this type of thing, but when it is the main bulk of what the game consists of, it leaves me wanting something more and makes me feel that although the story is telling me the sections are different, the gameplay is countering that feeling.
WRAP-UP
All of this to say, Kena Bridge of Spirits brings a solid amount of content and amazing presentation for a $40 price and Ember Lab deserves to be applauded for a great first full game release. Even with a few shortcomings in gameplay set pieces (aside from boss fights) and some narrative pitfalls, the game is beautifully animated and fun to experience with engaging combat and exploration. I hope to see more of Kena in the future or whatever work these developers bring to us next.
Score: 7.8/10
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