Should you try out Kena Bridge of Spirits in 2025?

Kena Bridge of Spirits is Ember Lab's first attempt to develop a high-quality video game for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2021, followed by Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S ports in 2024. Despite facing delays in production amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, the game launched with raving reviews, and players should consider trying it in 2025 if they haven't already.

The unique cutesy art style, which could easily be mistaken for a Pixar film, caught the gaming community's attention. The developers were intrigued by the concepts of life and death and what it takes for a loved one to move on to a different plane of existence. While the game may seem childish, the difficulty and themes suggest otherwise.

Disclaimer: Some aspects of this article reflect the writer's personal views about the game.

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Kena Bridge of Spirits is a breath of fresh air for modern games

Explore a fascinating new world as a spirit guide (Image via Steam || Ember Lab)

Set in a visually stunning world, players take on the role of Kena after she inherited her father's job of guiding spirits to the afterlife. While on a mission to reach the Mountain Shrine, players will come across an abandoned town where most inhabitants have perished after a mysterious calamity. Being a spirit guide, Kena must find the source of the problem and help restless spirits move on.

Throughout the game, players will meet small, adorable creatures known as the Rot, who can help them in combat and solve environmental puzzles. These tiny friends will not leave Kena's side and offer new gameplay mechanics as the story progresses. Players will encounter specific spirits, each conveying a unique feeling of guilt and emptiness after dying while cleansing the land of corruption.

Players must collect relics to understand the motives of the restless spirits and encourage them to let go of their grievances and forgive their shortcomings in life. The majority of Kena Bridge of Spirits is to assist lost souls, which can be a therapeutic experience for a player who has recently lost a loved one and to cope with their loss.

The game features a semi-open world structure akin to the recent God of War games. As the player progresses the story, newer areas will become available to explore. Each location is a small sandbox filled with environmental puzzles, Rot creatures, and a few combat challenges.

Kena is competent in a fight with a few light and heavy staff attacks; however, some enemies require more power to defeat. Unfortunately, the combat animations can get irritating since they are not as fluid or smooth as they had hoped.

While fighting much larger enemies, players can conduct a quick combo of light and heavy attacks, leaving them vulnerable for a split second after the combo.

Throughout the story, the player's staff can be upgraded into a bow to attack corrupted enemies from a safe distance. Kena can block, dodge, and even parry incoming melee attacks and it is imperative for a player to master these mechanics, especially while playing on a much harder difficulty.

To gain new abilities, Kena must find more Rot creatures and acquire more Karma points to unlock new upgrades. Karma and Rot are the two main currencies that can be acquired by navigating open areas, which is a good incentive and a clever way to convince the player that it is fine to stray away from the main path for a few minutes.

Guiding lost souls is not such a bad job, especially in a world that is visually stunning (Image via Ember Lab)

Ember Lab used Unreal Engine 4 to achieve the visual language of Kena Bridge of Spirits. Sony Interactive Entertainment struck a deal for a limited-time console exclusivity window for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The animation could appeal to a much younger audience; however, it can get heavy and challenging at times, especially with themes of death involved.

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Verdict

Kena Bridge of Spirits is a visual treat with smooth gameplay and a compelling narrative (Image via Ember Lab)

Kena Bridge of Spirits is a game that blends an impressive art style with an ambitious story. Ember Lab struck gold with this project, proving that this kind of game with a simple combat mechanic is worth your time and effort, especially with a detailed world to explore.

Death is a natural part of life, and this game conveyed a beautiful message for those who can't fully comprehend the meaning of grief. The developers made a bold move featuring this concept in an interactive format; however, the gaming community embraced the game, and players should consider grabbing a copy across various platforms in 2025.