Kena: Bridge of Spirits Reviews
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!
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.
I'm not sure how Ember Lab did it, but I walked away from Kena: Bridge of Spirits with my expectations surpassed to a much further extent than I could have imagined. The visuals are breathtaking, the gameplay evolves in meaningful ways, and the heart the story contains has no bounds. You'll find it hard to come across a more wholesome and beautiful game in 2021 than Kena: Bridge of Spirits, it's everything I wanted it to be and more.
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.
Featuring new content that expands the game in some interesting ways and new trials that push the limit of the game's mechanics, the Kena: Bridge of Spirits Anniversary Update has a lot to offer to returning and new players alike. The new additions aren't particularly game-changing, so those who did not like the original release won't change their opinion with the new content. Those who loved Kena: Bridge of Spirits, however, will find a lot to like in the Anniversary Update.
In addition to its majestic artistic direction, its stunning staging and its striking musical themes, the title also manages to convince where it was not necessarily expected, thanks to a progression system and a demanding gameplay that borrow the best from references that have proven themselves in the field. Ember Lab is therefore achieving a real tour de force for its first try in the world of gaming and just for that, hats off.
Review in French | Read full review
Although far from being revolutionary, Kena Bridge of Sprits is a compelling action-adventure game with an heart-warming hero and really cute creatures to play with. Ember Lab put in this game all their experience in character design and animation, giving us a splendid – but also somewhat repetitive – cartoon movie to play with.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is stunning spectacle full of heart and unbelievable charm. If you aren't carefully selecting hats for your Rot companions by the end, then you're probably made of stone. In the event that your soul is inhospitably frosty, Kena can be deceivingly challenging, throwing boss fights at you that will make those on Demon Souls look like a cake walk. A few minor issues stop Kena from being a showstopper, but there is no doubt that this a great game, and an amazing debut for a 15-person strong team.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is gorgeous and extremely well made, but there's less heart here than I was expecting. It's still a worthy adventure with great controls and lots to see and do, though.
Where Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart took an old formula and brought it into the modern era, Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ approach was more adherent to the old ways. The technical aspects are phenomenal and thoroughly current, but the game itself relies heavily on the old way of doing things. Limited paths. Contrived situational limitations. Collectables galore. You likely already know if that’s something you’re interested in playing, and I personally believe they’ve done an admirable job here. Especially for a first crack.
Despite featuring a very familiar experience inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, Kena: Bridge of Spirits manages to stand out from the competition with its amazing visuals, excellent combat system, and puzzle design. The underwhelming story and lack of real innovation prevent the game from being a must-have, sure, but what Kena: Bridge of Spirits does well, it really does well, so much that it's very easy to look past its issues.
Despite borrowing from all manner of modern hits, Kena: Bridge of Spirits just about stands on its own. The wonderful visuals and music leave a strong impression, while the gameplay is simple but enjoyable. If its story went beyond the expected, and one or two small issues were scrubbed away, this would be a real winner. As it is, this is a solid action platformer with lots of personality, and a strong debut from Ember Lab.
I cannot recommend Kena: Bridge of Spirits enough, and the fact that my second playthrough was just as magical as the first, serves as a testament to the abundance of love and passion Ember Lab put into this title. We need more titles like this, and if you haven’t played this yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Again, I’ve played it twice, and it still creates an immeasurable amount of satisfaction and joy in experiencing the story of Kena, the Rot, and an art design as magical as the inspiration it comes from.
Bridge of Spirits is an old-fashioned adventure game, one that sets you on a very curated, puzzle-marked path. Which is to say that it lacks for the trailblazing go-anywhere spirit of Breath of the Wild. But Kena is, after all, a spirit guide, so you can trust that you’re not missing out on much by sticking to the missions that she calls out on the map. What you’ll get by following that path that she puts you on are the tightest, most compelling pieces of gameplay, those rooted in plot. In fact, seeing as what happens to those spirits who lose themselves along the way, the purest form of Bridge of Spirits is the one that doesn’t wander off.
And when each of those parts are this good, this lovingly crafted, this polished, it’s incredibly difficult to ignore. Ember Lab have created something truly special. This is a gem. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the best game I’ve played all year. And you should play it.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a fantastic adventure, one which does an incredible job of mixing platforming elements, fun and energetic combat, a rewarding exploration system and beautiful graphics. It's not only of the best games of 2021, it's one of the best games of recent years.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
“Kena” isn’t especially inventive, but the game is an entertaining hodgepodge of tried-and-true ideas. A sense of deja vu certainly emerges. But one scarcely notices it during the brisk battles or amid the splendors and astonishments of the enveloping forests.
For a try, it's a masterstroke. The formula applies perfectly to Kena Bridge of Spirits, which marks a more than promising debut on the part of Ember Lab.
Review in French | Read full review