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Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Released On: Sep 21, 2021
81
8.4
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 86 Critic Reviews
81
83% Positive
71 Reviews
71 Reviews
13% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 86 Critic Reviews
81
83% Positive
71 Reviews
71 Reviews
13% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Kena: Bridge of Spirits should take most gamers around 10 to 12 hours to complete, depending on the amount of exploring and the level of difficulty. While the blockbusters games of 2021 continue to deliver the same ho-hum experience of 2021, Kena is a much needed ray of sunshine to the current choices of titles available and more importantly, looks fantastic on the PlayStation 5.
For its first attempt, Ember Lab makes quite simply a master stroke. By delivering an ideally successful action-adventure game on all fronts, the studio, however neophyte, is not content to "just" perfectly fulfill the specifications of an excellent production. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a delicious breath of fresh air, which marvelously combines the grace of a sumptuous animated film and the game design intelligence of an ingenious video game, with multiple inspirations. As for Ember Lab, faced with so much mastery of their subject for a first production, it is advisable to take our hat off to them and already wait firmly for their next creation.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 1,362 User Ratings
8.4
80% Positive
1085 Ratings
1085 Ratings
13% Mixed
178 Ratings
178 Ratings
7% Negative
99 Ratings
99 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 1,362 User Ratings
8.4
80% Positive
1085 Ratings
1085 Ratings
13% Mixed
178 Ratings
178 Ratings
7% Negative
99 Ratings
99 Ratings
I don’t understand how this game hasn’t scored higher albeit still high, it’s absolutely brilliant, best game I’ve played on the PS5 thus far and I’ve played a LOT.
I like Souls kind of difficulty and I played through on Expert difficulty and it’s just perfect level of difficulty. Doable but tough.
Between the engaging fighting system, I find the exploration so meditative, searching for collectibles feels like part of the game rather than a side quest/after thought, every area is so well thought out even down to each house you unlock in the village.
I absolutely love the old Tomb Raider games (PS1) and for some reason this reminds me of that but with Pixar style graphics. At the Expert difficulty and with the enjoyable exploration there is hours and hours of gameplay so it’s not even short like some reviews say (who I’m guessing have just rushed through on easy mode).
If you’re up for a beautiful and challenging game that is weirdly relaxing too, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Huge kudos to the design studio, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!
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PlayStation 5
Shockingly good for a new studio's 1st game, and I can't wait to see what Ember comes up with next. While the storytelling and game direction aren't perfect, I'm still giving the game a 10 just for the perfection of its atmosphere, art and animation. Simply magical!
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PlayStation 5
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 the game that was missing to end 2021 in the best way possible. This title pictures a reality not far from ours, where the corruption is imminent and the salvation of the land demands a path that challenge us and makes us grow into a better version of ourselves. As a Spirit Guide, Kena took the compromise of freeing every soul that needed her. She felt fear, failed to have decisions but with the help of her Rot friends she was able to accomplish her mission, in which is the perfect balance between duty and passion.
Ember Lab's very first project is a beautiful adventure set in an even more beautiful universe, and while it's borrowing a lot of its core components from different games of the genre, it still feels fresh and stands on its own. The future surely seems bright both for the franchise and its developer.
Telling a number of touching tales of loss and love, Kena is a visually stunning action-platformer that feels like a classic PS2 game in mostly the right ways.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a completely inoffensive, if somewhat bland adventure that will mildly entertain for the duration of its runtime, but won’t live long in the memory.
Such a beautiful, engaging and challenging game. Going through my first playthrough on Master difficulty and enjoying every moment of it. One of the best games played in recent years!
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PlayStation 5
Kena Bridge of Spirits is a strong showing for a studio having its first go at making video games. There is a lot to like here with a beautiful world, great atmosphere, soundtrack and combat. Overall super impressed and will be playing future titles from Ember Labs!
Pros:
- Graphics and LOD
- Art style and Atmosphere
- Combat Mechanics
- Animations and Voice acting
Cons:
- Skill Tree is too shallow, would have been nice to have more varied combat abilities/experience with the staff, bow and rot
- The story felt a bit rushed and bland toward the end, which was a let down because I would have liked more on Kena's back story.
- The final boss was a gimmick boss as it was invulnerable to most attacks except weak spots and rot attacks.
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PlayStation 5
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an absolutely stunning game on the eyes and ears but is perhaps a little too much style over substance. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the mechanics, they can at times feel fairly shallow, but thankfully things don’t really get too repetitive or boring. Kena’s main issue is its bugs, especially those of the game-breaking variety. Still, despite that I did really enjoy my time playing Kena and am very much looking forward to hearing more about a sequel which we do hope is forthcoming.
TGG – 7.5 / 10
UDIO 10/10
Just fantastic. From start to finish. It’s definitely one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in quite some time – and the voice acting was pretty stellar too. So chock full of emotion!
VISUALS 9/10
If you’re playing on PS5, like we did, the game looks utterly fantastic, and it’s hard not to get lost in developer Ember Lab’s transcendent world or get swept up by its wondrous visual style. The game actually looks great on the PS4 and PS4 Pro too, so Ember Lab must be commended for that.
PLAYABILITY 7/10
Incredibly simple, with not a lot of depth; but credit where it’s due, even with those limitations, Kena hardly ever gets boring. The platforming is a little underwhelming and finicky, though.
DELIVERY 7/10
The game is definitely far too formulaic, and unfortunately littered with some pretty major, potentially game-breaking bugs.
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PlayStation 5
Nice graphics with cute scripted scenes and characters, but clunky and frustrating gameplay. Fights are mostly scripted without any variation in finding alternative solutions. Guess if you're into these kind of thirds person hack & slay games you can enjoy it. I'm not and playing the first 5h was no joy. After reading reviews saying it becomes even more frustrating lateron, I gave up.
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PlayStation 5
Painful. If you are not completely in love with the art style, then the game has nothing for itself. The gameplay mechanics are nothing new, and poorly executed. And don't even get me started on the outrageous number of game breaking bugs ...
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PlayStation 5
Summary Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a story-driven action adventure set in a charming world rich with exploration and fast-paced combat. Players find and grow a team of tiny spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PlayStation 5
- PC
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date: Sep 21, 2021
Developer:
- Emberlab
Publisher: Emberlab
Genres:
