Kena: Bridge of Spirits Reviews
It can be a bit schmaltzy at times with its overly cute designs, and its target audience might be surprised by the impressively challenging combat, but you can’t go wrong with it on any console. It Kena kino? Almost! But it’s something to tide Nintendo fans over for a little while.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits does everything right: the game feels like it was developed by a team that cares about polishing and delivering the product, and that's really cool, something that can be felt in all the main elements of the game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Kena is smooth as a pebble - a game engineered to be so unoffensive there's no reason not to play it, or to play it at all.
With its elegantly simple combat and beautiful world, Kena: Bridge of Spirits harkens back to the days of the N64/GameCube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch.
Looks better than it plays, but it's got a good heart.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a short but sweet action-adventure game with a heartwarming story and great graphics that make it feel like a Disney movie.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a very good game that feels like it’s already been left behind by modern genre conventions. There’s nothing all that frustrating in that - we shouldn’t expect games, especially those made by studios the size of Ember Labs, to be constantly groundbreaking, but so much of Kena feels borrowed from elsewhere that it’s difficult to call it great. It’s a solid, enjoyable experience, and charming enough that you won’t care that you’ve played versions of it before. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a pretty nice wheel nonetheless.
An agreeable adventure that's transformed into something special by its enchanting aesthetic
The world is fun to explore, and your time is rewarded with secrets galore and hats for your little Rot followers
Kena: Bridge of Spirits uses a different perspective on familiar gameplay ideas to create tons of exciting combat and a deep emotional connection with its world.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits promises magic, but can’t deliver much of it
Between those mechanical systems and cleverly arranged zones in and around the starting village, Ember Lab makes sure that players have stuff to look for and interesting systems to play with once they discover those puzzles. (And I haven't even mentioned the seriously cool, late-game magical ability that I'm not going to spoil.) By narrowing its magical abilities to only a few pickups, K:BoS emphasizes a simple, accessible path to adventurous treasure hunting. The result is the opposite of a standard "Metroidvania" in which new abilities often do a meager job unlocking new things in old zones. If you're hoping for a massive adventure with 19 different items that each expose new regions, K:BoS doesn't deliver. Personally, I enjoyed its tighter focus, which still opened previously explored regions for further investigation (complete with a handy in-game counter for secrets that have and haven't yet been found).
While we might have to arguably wait for future games to unlock the series' true potential, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is still a great first outing for Ember Lab. If the breathtaking visuals don't suck you in, then there's the satisfying and challenging combat as well, or the wide world to explore.
What Kena: Bridge of Spirits lacks in new ideas, it makes up for with an abundance of charm and gorgeous visuals.
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits is a beautiful action-adventure game full of joy, wonder and character. It's a breath of fresh air.
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits is a great addition to the Switch 2 roster. A visually stunning platforming adventure with great storytelling and an adorable companion mechanic. Combat and enemy design leave a lot to be desired, but this doesn't do much to dent the experience of Kena's journey.
So, yeah. So far, so good. I do have some concerns. As pretty as Kena’s magical forest is, it’s beginning to feel a little monotonous. I could use a bit more scenic variety, especially some indoor areas. I’ve been in a few caves, and they’re great. They’re eerie, atmospheric, and mystical. I want more caves!
Kena: Bridge of Spirits features simple combat and often feels repetitive, but there's plenty of charm that keeps you playing.
Whether you demand more than comfort from your games will inform the way you see Kena: Bridge of Spirits; is it merely a graphically sumptuous example of design that you wish we would leave behind, or is it a vivifying tribute to a rich precursor legacy?