While playing this magical realm reviving third-person adventure, a sense of warm familiarity soon emerges. Not so much the fact that Kena first launched on PS5 in 2021 – with this review being of the belated Xbox version – but rather that it feels like an amalgam of similar games. It arguably knows where to borrow from, with elements of modern Zelda, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ubisoft’s Immortals Fenyx Rising all present – the most predominant which being its reliance on using a bow both in and outside of combat. Kena’s timing is a tad unfortunate, though, as the premise is very similar to the recent Game Pass sleeper hit Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, with this too featuring an ancient world in need of a deep clean.
We’re far, far, removed from the grounds of plagiarism, with one of Kena’s main features not just holding the experience together, but also helping it to stand out. The corruption that has spread across the land, turning grass grey and spawning ominous glowing seed pods, has managed to elude cutesy blob like creatures known as ‘Rot’ – aka the balance between life and death. These bouncy fellows follow behind the headstrong lead Kena, useful during both combat and puzzle solving due to being able to stun enemies and ferry large objects. Much like a loaf of banana bread, this gooey black substance binds Kena’s elements together
As you’d expect, the game’s opening establishes the storyline and introduces the main characters before leading into the combat tutorial and indulging in light exploration. This introduction phase is a tad mundane, guilty of hand holding. Kena begins her journey armed with a spear, attacking enemies with heavy, light, and charged attacks while swiftly dodging via a forward roll. Attacks are mapped to RB and RT, suggesting Soulslike influences, only for it to transpire that it’s merely following trends. The difficulty level is lax overall, with only the occasional boss battle requiring a few retries to finally beat. These battles can still be tense, as health pick-ups come in the form of regenerating plants, and often you’ll need to stay alive long enough for them to bloom. Other challenges can be found elsewhere, such as ‘cursed chests’ that have tight criteria to open – including killing a bunch of enemies without taking a hit.
Roughly two hours in, Kena finally starts to blossom. This is around the same time the bow is introduced, allowing for impromptu target ranges, pesky airborne enemies, and puzzles that require long-distance switch flicking. Locations also start to become larger in size, encompassing all manner of optional collectables and secret areas. Think along the lines of a Ubisoft open world, only far more condensed. Kena’s quest to revive fallen forest spirits takes her through abandoned villages, dimly lit caves, foggy swamps, and rugged mountains.
There are plenty of picturesque views to take in along the way, with special attention going into the particle effects and lighting, along with dense flora and fauna. In fact, the whole thing is packed full of pleasing flourishes, such as Kena acrobatically spinning when performing a double jump, and the Rot making themselves comfortable while at shrines.
It’s also an adventure respectful to your time; play it for even just thirty minutes, and you’ll probably solve a couple of puzzles, beat a challenge, and take down a larger named adversary. The runtime is around 15 hours, and it’s paced reasonably well after the mundane opening, introducing new enemy types frequently. The world is connected, and you’re ushered back to the abandoned village hub after every storyline milestone, with new areas eventually opening. It’s possible to purchase new hats for the Rot here, although this idea seems surplus. Being able to spend the in-game currency on perk-bestowing charms, instead of trying to find them within the environments, may have made scouting for shards more rewarding.
The takeaway here is that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a pleasure to play, being fun yet familiar for the most part. Many of its mechanics have multiple uses, such as bombs that can harm enemies severely and are also used in puzzle solving to temporarily send glowing shards airborne, turning them into makeshift platforms. This multifaceted nature of its mechanics makes for a well-designed experience with not much in the way of flab or filler. This Xbox version also performs well from a technical standpoint. During my playthrough, I didn’t come across any glitches or bugs, aside from one instance of Kena becoming snagged on a rock.
Although guilty of failing to break new ground, it’s a very welcome addition to the Xbox’s library, offering a polished experience. Something tells us we’ll one day see a bigger and bolder sequel that takes much-needed risks, but until then, it’s certainly something to consider during the lulls of big-name titles that we’re currently experiencing.
Ember Lab’s Kena: Bridge of Spirits is out Xbox Series and Xbox One on 15th August.