Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Kena: Bridge of Spirits lands on Switch 2 in good condition, but the feeling can't be shaken that it could be much better. Whilst the heart, story and the fantastical wonder remains, technically we've seen far better on the hybrid system, and this port does a disservice to a game that should be treated with more care.

This story-led adventure game more than earns its credit for its beautiful art style and exquisite soundtrack. The plot is the main driver and it's a marvel to find out more about the game's tragic but heartwarming background story. Its combat is less impressive, though, and it feels repetitive soon enough, especially as we expand Kena's capacities, and at some specific points there seems to be a performance issue with regards to the graphics. Nonetheless, the game's narrative dimension, its audiovisual world and the exploration and search for collectibles more than help Kena: Bridge of Spirits merit its place on the Nintendo Switch 2 catalogue.

Ember Lab's visually enchanting debut showcases its animation expertise that translates well to Switch 2, even if its Pixar comparisons are superficial at best, wrapped in a competent but safe 3D action-adventure title.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits delivers an interesting blend of fast-paced combat, gorgeous visuals, and light puzzle-solving. It is just a shame that I can’t recommend the Nintendo Switch 2 port without the caveats about visual issues like ghosting, some noticeable visual cutbacks, and lack of a performance mode. I’ll definitely revisit it after some patches, but if nothing major changes, this is looking like a game I should revisit on another platform in the future for New Game Plus.

If, like me, you found yourself interested in how things might evolve with the sequel I can give my endorsement for Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Switch 2. All in all, it's a solid port for a solid game.