Kena: Bridge of Spirits

 PlayStation 5
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1291 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,034 out of 1291
  2. Mixed: 162 out of 1291
  3. Negative: 95 out of 1291

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  1. iMustang
    Dec 13, 2021
    7
    Kena Bridge of Spirits is the first from a studio who's stellar animation abilities led to a viral video many years ago, and now they've moved on to game design. Their first game can either be classified as a masterpiece or something that's just okay depending on which camp you fall in, and if you feel like reading on, I can tell you which camp you may be in.

    To get the objective    Kena Bridge of Spirits is the first from a studio who's stellar animation abilities led to a viral video many years ago, and now they've moved on to game design. Their first game can either be classified as a masterpiece or something that's just okay depending on which camp you fall in, and if you feel like reading on, I can tell you which camp you may be in.

    To get the objective positives out of the way, this game is absolutely beautiful. The Pixar level visuals during cutscenes are amazing and even as you explore the gorgeous world you're constantly stunned by the level of effort the creators put into this title. Every area has secrets to find, things to collect, and adorable creatures called Rot you find along the way. The music is an even greater highly with tracks that vibe with your very soul itself and are filled with emotion and feelings. While the story is not great, it's not terrible either, though it leaves many unanswered questions about Kena herself (which can be forgiven if they intend on a sequel). This game could be enjoyed just as much being watched as being played, and I rarely say that.

    The more divisive area of this game comes down to it's gameplay, or perhaps it's more accurate to say it's game design. The exploration and puzzle-platforming of the beautiful mountain range is fine, but the boss battles are quite problematic. While the first handful of bosses feel like something from Zelda, near the halfway point of the game they become closer to the bosses from the Souls games incorporating elements of both puzzles and brutality. Each boss becomes harder than the boss you faced before without your character becoming much stronger, and eventually playing on normal mode feels closer to hard mode. You can change your difficulty to easy mode at any time to make up for this, but then the game feels too easy. There really is no good way to set the difficult for a standardized experience, and I do think the developers could have thought this through a bit better. Given that this is their first game, I don't believe they properly scaled for progression since the difficulty spike dips so greatly. If you're a bigger fan of balanced experiences, this could potentially break the entire game for you, but likewise if grueling boss battles make a game great for you, then look no further.

    Overall this was not an experience I regretted, but for me personally it also was not one that blew me away. If this was a AAA game I would be much more critical, but as an indie studio's first game I must give them high marks and praise. I do hope in future titles they scale their difficulty a bit better, or at least advertise their game as a difficult experience, but for what this game is they did a decent job. In short this game is beautiful, but brutal. If you think you can take on the challenge then it's definitely worth the pickup.    … Expand
  2. Wlados3d
    Sep 24, 2021
    5
    Nice, but extremely boring game. Kena borrows elements of metroidvania, but research is nothing. Basically you find hats or shards to buy these hats. The cutscenes are beautiful, but because of this they are very discordant with the rest of the game. Reminds of old games based on films or cartoons, in which they simply inserted excerpts from the original (this is just a personal quibble,Nice, but extremely boring game. Kena borrows elements of metroidvania, but research is nothing. Basically you find hats or shards to buy these hats. The cutscenes are beautiful, but because of this they are very discordant with the rest of the game. Reminds of old games based on films or cartoons, in which they simply inserted excerpts from the original (this is just a personal quibble, not a real flaw). Kena seriously copies many Overlord mechanics, but the second one is a cut above: there is a full-fledged hub, the presence of some kind of economy, personal upgrades, different types of minions and a more consistent exploration of the world, instead of corridor wandering. The game is also a quasi-twin of the American McGee's Grimm series.… Expand
  3. Oxfordjon
    Jan 9, 2022
    5
    Great graphics but the game is totally hampered by mediocre gameplay and boring, uninventive puzzles and quests that amount to “find x of these”
  4. Haannss
    Nov 17, 2022
    7
    Good work for an indie company. The art direction is just amazing and graphics are also good. The game is quite simple and intuitive to control. Major control issues, specially when new abbilities have been collected, because the control interpretation is not good. The difficulty is high at some points, but that's not the main problem. The worst part is that you really feel the game isGood work for an indie company. The art direction is just amazing and graphics are also good. The game is quite simple and intuitive to control. Major control issues, specially when new abbilities have been collected, because the control interpretation is not good. The difficulty is high at some points, but that's not the main problem. The worst part is that you really feel the game is unfair, and that bosses could kill you whenever they want. You win just because they allow you to, by not doing the combo that would kill you in two seconds. That feeling keeps going on final bosses all the second half of the game, and it's a pity because the game could have been incredible if more balanced.

    The story is good, and it's easy to discover Kena's world from her perspective. You always want to know a bit more about it.

    All in all, the game is very good in some aspects, and it could have been a great game if the control and difficulty were a little bit more balanced, instead of a souls wannabe. A pity.    … Expand
  5. foxneo
    Oct 26, 2021
    7
    An insanely beautiful game that slowly begins to lose its charm from start to finish, due to the relatively small number of mechanics and the lack of a complex lore.
  6. Katalkyste
    Oct 19, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. okay lets get a bit real among all of those perfect 10 rating which are in no way, shape or form representative of the game itself.
    To start: this game is GOOD.. no question.. yes, the game does not invent a new genre and it doesnt break barriers and walks on new ways but what it does it does solid and stable. Lets start by dissecting the game in its parts:
    Music/Soundtrack: The music does not annoy you after a while, so thats at least for most people all they would ask for. The dynamic goes with the known action game pacing, increasing when action is at hand and retracts in the background when you explore. so it does perfectly what it should, without breaking any new grounds: 9/10
    Pacing/Tempo: the game progresses without haste and doesnt push the player to proceed, thats good, you can pick your own pace and go with it, change it an park when ever you want. the progression is nice and gives you some meaningfull new skills but doesnt stretch out far enough to reach the end of the game (an impression of an issue i also feel with a lot of those reviews here . i dont think those guys have ever reached the end.. ) The game would have needed some "special skills" at the end of the game, but it wasnt too shabby without them.

    Story/Realization: the game starts very nicely but with a lack of explanation.. why Kena is there and how she arrived there is not really explained, but: the game can do without and this stays just a plot hole.. its simply missing from the coherent narrative but its not a gamebreaking hole.
    [Mild Spoilers incoming here ]
    the first Spirit is a nice but sad story and its wrapped up properly and the player gets all the information he needs to conclude this section plus some "lose ends" to lead into the second one.
    the second spirit is the blacksmith of the town, and its also crafted with a lot of dedication to details, that sometimes border to an oversupply of information that doesnt connect to the overall story and has a lot of sidearcs. its not bothering or disturbing at the time you play through this chapter but will become a contrapoint later in the game. The enemies grow stronger and more elaborated and the endboss has a beautifull crafted entry animation that is simply beautyfull to watch. Wonderfully animated.
    the last and halfway final spirit is a bit of a breaking point of the game. you normally search for three relics and have to fight each aspect of them , especially in the second chatpter, the lovestory, this aspect is nicely played out and the endboss is a nice mix of finding outhow to beat it and using your newly found abilities, the last three relics do not have any of those..

    as soon as you enter the last realm you feel a break in pattern, You already have all the abilities except one that enables you to go after the spirit, but you know already everything. So the exploration of new skills is missing from that chapter which diminishes your experience. same with world exploration.. while in the first two realms you can find rot, or crystals everywhere, and need to turn every stone to get the last trophies, in the last realm this is missing, you have one straight line to the target and you need some skill to time your shots and abilities to clear the way. The three relic holders of the last spirit are very easy to learn and once you got the easy rhythm its not really hard to kill them quite fast. they dont have any great enviromental assets and nearly dont use it. while in chapter 2 you needed to interact with it to beat the boss.
    the last boss is a multi stage fight with you starting blank with no rot support, then some and them you get them back in full. its a bit tricky to find the process to damage the boss and you can go for a minute or two without you finding the key to be able to damage him further, but eventually something will blink on the screen just out of pure luck and you get a faint idea how this works.. honestly i still dont know exactly how its suposed to work but eventually i beat him and this is also the end of the last spirit. so you dont really fight the last guy to the end.you fight his "surrrogate".
    after this you get a nice animated wrap up story animation of how the last spirit contributed to the desaster, but the player does not receive a wholesome explanation.. and is also left a bit puzzling what kena is supposed to do after this only a cryptic message that she knows now what she has to do.. while there is not really anything to do for her..

    so all in all the last chapter feels "stripped down" more reduced to core progression and reaching the end than like the lush storyteling of the first two chapters. especially the second chapter feels like it has gotten the most love and dedication from the developers while they spared way less time in the last chapter to flesh out the last and final bit.

    so all in all : good game but not a great game. I also did not encounter a single bug in the game which is a rare sight and very welcome.    … Expand
  7. ehtaco
    May 1, 2023
    5
    One of the biggest disappointments in recent memory and genuinely slightly confused by all the egregiously high scores, but preferences and stuff.

    Nothing about this game will stick with me outside of the visuals. The combat is clunky, the world and the exploration within it are kind of bland and quite repetitive, the boss fights are uninspired as hell and absolutely frusturating. Not    One of the biggest disappointments in recent memory and genuinely slightly confused by all the egregiously high scores, but preferences and stuff.

    Nothing about this game will stick with me outside of the visuals. The combat is clunky, the world and the exploration within it are kind of bland and quite repetitive, the boss fights are uninspired as hell and absolutely frusturating. Not even because of difficulty, but because the game does not play very well. The story is fine albeit for sure nothing worth remembering.

    I understand it's a new studio and in a lot of ways it's definitely an impressive outing in that regard. But I'm not rating based on that fact or based on the idea that future sequels may have potential. I'm rating this game and it just, simply put, is not very good. It does nothing great, few things well, and most things pretty poorly.    … Expand
  8. Nintenderek
    Feb 3, 2023
    7
    Kena is a beautiful game with a wonderful story but unfortunately full of poor game design choices. It's a combination of The Legend of Zelda with Pikmin and Tomb Raider and uses elements of game mechanics from all of those games, leaving the player a bit unsure at times what this game is actually trying to be, made even worse by the elements of old school game design which just feelKena is a beautiful game with a wonderful story but unfortunately full of poor game design choices. It's a combination of The Legend of Zelda with Pikmin and Tomb Raider and uses elements of game mechanics from all of those games, leaving the player a bit unsure at times what this game is actually trying to be, made even worse by the elements of old school game design which just feel outdated by modern standards.

    First off, the graphics are beautiful. The game runs perfectly smoothly and everything looks crystal clear. The lush environments make the world more appealing and make you want to explore it. The sound design is also really good with wonderful music and atmospheric sounds. The voice acting is also top notch.

    I really liked the story of the game. Kena is a wonderful character and helps make the game more interesting when they are exploring her story. Unfortunately, you don't actually explore her story often and it is almost confusing that they named the game after her when she realistically has every little to do with the story of the game outside of being the character you experience that story though . The rest of the stories are also very good, but it would have been nice to have a slightly more story related to the main character herself. They left her story a bit open and they could have easily explored it more towards the end of the game and for some reason chose not to. The stories of the other characters are also quite good and quite emotional. This is a game that clearly wants you to be attached to each and every character and does so quite successfully.

    The game's big weak point is the gameplay itself. Combat isn't entirely satisfying and doesn't really have a whole lot of complexity to it. There's an upgrade system within the game but it is almost useful as the rewards don't actually feel like they offer much. The world itself can be fun to explore, but trying to complete the game objectives isn't always fun as you struggle to figure out what you are supposed to do from moment to moment. It feels a bit like an older Gamecube or PS2 type game, in all of the good ways but also all of the bad ways, making the game design feel a bit out dated. There's a map in the game that's supposed to help, but without any method of setting up waypoints, feels quite useless at times.

    There is a lot to like within Kena, but at the end of the day it feels quite obvious that this game was made by an animation studio, not a game studio. I feel like the developers could take the experience they learned from this and hopefully make something a bit better, but the wonderful story and graphics here do not make up for the poor game design choices nearly enough, leaving me upset as the character of Kena herself feels like she deserves better.    … Expand
  9. Gosticouilles
    Aug 7, 2022
    6
    I was really looking forward into playing this game and sadly, I'm really really disappointed. Besides being pretty, this game doesn't offer much. I feel like playing a Ps2 Remake. Mecanics are really outdated, the music is sometimes good but sometimes really annoying and the combat system is one of the worst I've seen in decades. I usually play my games on hard or normal difficulty and II was really looking forward into playing this game and sadly, I'm really really disappointed. Besides being pretty, this game doesn't offer much. I feel like playing a Ps2 Remake. Mecanics are really outdated, the music is sometimes good but sometimes really annoying and the combat system is one of the worst I've seen in decades. I usually play my games on hard or normal difficulty and I just put this one on story mode since controls aren't responding at all and bosses are just damage sponges that take 50 hits+ to kill. Parrying is really tedious and frustrating too. I would recommend to play this game when it's 20$ or less :(… Expand
  10. poopydan
    Feb 2, 2022
    6
    Totally overrated. The combat system is extremely basic. It can be ridiculously challenging even on the lowest difficulty settings (no idea how a child would enjoy it). Of course, it is undeniably cute and all that. Overall, not worth it.
  11. GRX3m0m
    Dec 24, 2022
    7
    Excellent game, breathtaking graphics, but completely ridiculous difficulty spikes in certain bosses.
  12. spwittbold
    Sep 22, 2021
    7
    Game is gorgeous. The Rot that follow you around are very cute.
    The game is incredibly short and can be completed in about 4 hours if you zip through it. The combat and exploration though feels stiffer than I would've liked but overall it is a good adventure game and accessible for a wide audience.
  13. Maikerati
    Sep 22, 2021
    7
    The visuals and cinematics are very nice but once you get past the superficial aspects of the game the actual gameplay gets repetitive fast and suffers from poor pacing. The world is beautiful but the lack of NPCs and wildlife really makes this game feel dead and adds to the pacing issue during moments you have to travel to different parts of the map. A solid first outing for Ember LabsThe visuals and cinematics are very nice but once you get past the superficial aspects of the game the actual gameplay gets repetitive fast and suffers from poor pacing. The world is beautiful but the lack of NPCs and wildlife really makes this game feel dead and adds to the pacing issue during moments you have to travel to different parts of the map. A solid first outing for Ember Labs but may not be for everyone.… Expand
  14. Bloodwingxjorn
    Sep 22, 2021
    7
    I had high expectations when going into this game. I wanted this to be my new favorite but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Basic animations like jumping feel off. Side characters not really that interesting, not that special of a story and combat way to easy. (Expert) It took me a couple of hours to push through the beginning started enjoying it a bit more after upgrades and moreI had high expectations when going into this game. I wanted this to be my new favorite but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Basic animations like jumping feel off. Side characters not really that interesting, not that special of a story and combat way to easy. (Expert) It took me a couple of hours to push through the beginning started enjoying it a bit more after upgrades and more combat skills. Main character is cool, combat is fun even though it is easy. Game looks very beautiful. I would wait for for it to be on sale for 50% off. You will have a solid experience. I went in the wrong when I anticipated it to  much.… Expand
  15. Edgard86
    Nov 20, 2021
    6
    This game is so boring. So much repetitive, the difficuld doens not match with the gameplay. The gameplay is too generic. I wouldn`t buy this game at lauch is i could come back. Buy it when it has for about 50% cheappear than now.
  16. Fanchbretagne
    Sep 23, 2021
    5
    Jeu qui fait passer le temps mais qui n'apporte rien de nouveau. Jeu indé mais vu ce que propose d'autre jeu indé en terme de level design, Kena est loin de beaucoup autres jeu indé.
    C'est beau mais ça s'arrête là. J'aime les jeux indé parce qu'ils essayent de se démarquer par le gameplay et leur originalité, là Kena n'a malheureusement rien d'originial et surtout ne propose rien de plus    Jeu qui fait passer le temps mais qui n'apporte rien de nouveau. Jeu indé mais vu ce que propose d'autre jeu indé en terme de level design, Kena est loin de beaucoup autres jeu indé.
    C'est beau mais ça s'arrête là. J'aime les jeux indé parce qu'ils essayent de se démarquer par le gameplay et leur originalité, là Kena n'a malheureusement rien d'originial et surtout ne propose rien de plus que l'histoire principal et le fait d'avancer tout droit sans avoir de vrai challenge.
    Dommage car niveau direction artistique c'est bien.    … Expand
  17. Lajouasse
    Sep 22, 2021
    6
    Un jeu vraiment sympa mais un peu trop linéaire et classique.
    Un jeu indé très beau, on sent que le studio viens de l'animation.
    Pour le gameplay je suis un peu déçu, c'est assez redondant et manque d'inspiration. C'est du déjà vu. L'histoire est sympa, mais sans plus, un peu trop enfantin pour moi et vraiment maladroit par moment, Comme certaines scènes qui ne sont pas du tout    Un jeu vraiment sympa mais un peu trop linéaire et classique.
    Un jeu indé très beau, on sent que le studio viens de l'animation.
    Pour le gameplay je suis un peu déçu, c'est assez redondant et manque d'inspiration. C'est du déjà vu.
    L'histoire est sympa, mais sans plus, un peu trop enfantin pour moi et vraiment maladroit par moment, Comme certaines scènes qui ne sont pas du tout cohérentes avec e qui c'est passé plus tôt. Des dialogues un peu long et sans intérêt etc... Je pense que le fait qu'ils viennent de l'animation ils ont essayé de faire comme dans un film d'animation mais pour un jeu ça ne marche toujours car on est actif contrairement à un film.
    Le jeu est un peu trop linéaire, on suit l'histoire et pas grand de plus. Peu de chose à coté à faire, peu de possibilité d'exploration et de liberté.
    J'ai eu un bug super chiant dés le début après le tutoriel lors de la première quête quand j'ai récupéré le masque de Taro. Dés que je le mettais je rester en mode vision FPS. Très chiant et même en prenant une ancienne sauvegarde le problème continuer. J'ai dû recommencer une nouvelle partie et tout recommencer.
    La musique est sympa et correspond très bien à l'univers du jeu.
    Un jeu indé sympa mais un peu maladroit et qui n'apporte rien de vraiment original    … Expand
  18. Sweetonn
    Sep 22, 2021
    5
    Je l'ai attendu surtout après plusieurs mois sans exclu PS forte. Et assez déçu en fin de compte.
    Je trouve le phases de jeux assez simple et surtout sans aucunes originalités. C'est du gaming copié sur d'autres jeux. Et quand on voit la beauté de la DA c'est vraiment dommage. Et c'est là le problème, le studio a tout mis dans la DA et le reste passe un peu à l'as. L'histoire est assez    Je l'ai attendu surtout après plusieurs mois sans exclu PS forte. Et assez déçu en fin de compte.
    Je trouve le phases de jeux assez simple et surtout sans aucunes originalités. C'est du gaming copié sur d'autres jeux. Et quand on voit la beauté de la DA c'est vraiment dommage. Et c'est là le problème, le studio a tout mis dans la DA et le reste passe un peu à l'as. L'histoire est assez simpliste et pas spécialement intéressante. Ca reste mignon en fantaisiste mais bon.
    Et surtout c'est encore un énième TPS narratif sur PS et j'en peux plus des TPS sur PS. Surtout que des TPS sur les autres supports t'en a plein qui sortent depuis quelques temps. On se plaignait des FPS qui sortaient de partout mais là c'est les TPS par ci, par là. Stop.
    Le jeu est aussi assez cours et avec quasi aucune rejouabilité. A part l'histoire principal c'est quasi vide. J'aurai aimé qu'ils fassent plus dans ce secteur surtout après avoir repoussé le jeu plusieurs fois.    … Expand
  19. Rad_Pitt
    Sep 23, 2021
    6
    No idea what game everyone else played but mine was full of jank, cheese, and bugs. Has some potential but fails to get remotely close to it.
  20. Gutsukyo
    Sep 22, 2021
    7
    Kena is a very appealing visually, but may appeal more to a younger audience rather than adults. Although quite short and seems to get a little boring at times, it is a decent adventure overall.
  21. stasweb
    Dec 11, 2021
    5
    Pretty good game, with good plot, awesome music, interesting puzzles and good looking graphics. Technically it's not so good.
    - on PS5 I had tons of freezes,
    - sometimes if you fall in the water the only option to get out is to load save - jumping is kinda buggy, double jump is useless, using bow while jump creates not only slow motion, but gives extra movement forward, - difficulty is    Pretty good game, with good plot, awesome music, interesting puzzles and good looking graphics. Technically it's not so good.
    - on PS5 I had tons of freezes,
    - sometimes if you fall in the water the only option to get out is to load save
    - jumping is kinda buggy, double jump is useless, using bow while jump creates not only slow motion, but gives extra movement forward,
    - difficulty is not balanced, on low it's too easy, on medium sometimes too hard    … Expand
  22. 5thavenuecrazy
    Oct 4, 2021
    6
    While I was fairly excited for this game, ultimately I didn't really like it and I quit after an hour or two and I have no plans to go back.

    The game is unimaginative and boring. Everything the game does has been done by a thousand other games. Kena adds nothing new to the mix and it is hard to keep on going. Add to this the same repetitive gameplay, the boring obtuse puzzles, and    While I was fairly excited for this game, ultimately I didn't really like it and I quit after an hour or two and I have no plans to go back.

    The game is unimaginative and boring. Everything the game does has been done by a thousand other games. Kena adds nothing new to the mix and it is hard to keep on going. Add to this the same repetitive gameplay, the boring obtuse puzzles, and the enemy difficulty that is all over the place and it doesn't make for a very fun game. This game might have had a review score of 7 or 8 from me had it came out a decade or two ago but right now I don't see how anyone could play this and think anything other than this is a "blah" game. Generic as can be. Nothing inherently bad, just nothing to keep you wanting to go on other than maybe "to get your money's worth" since you can't sell this digital-only game.    … Expand
  23. pelota18
    May 19, 2023
    5
    meeeeeh... Not amazing! A game with good ideas and decent story, beautiful, but very repetitive.
  24. Lokendens
    May 14, 2023
    6
    The game is ok, but I have not finished it because I got bored after 3 hours.

    Most of the game is combat and solving puzzles. The puzzles are fine, but the combat feels super unsatisfying. From the hits in animation that just go through the oponent like a lightsaber to unsatisfying sound design when fighting. There is no punch and crunch. There are a lot of side activities but in the end    The game is ok, but I have not finished it because I got bored after 3 hours.

    Most of the game is combat and solving puzzles. The puzzles are fine, but the combat feels super unsatisfying. From the hits in animation that just go through the oponent like a lightsaber to unsatisfying sound design when fighting. There is no punch and crunch. There are a lot of side activities but in the end they dont give tou any rewards except for money you can spend on buyng hats for your little sweet friends. This made me stop even going for the sidequests since I dont really care for that.

    The game looks great and the animations are superb, but the overall gameplay left me unsatisfied.    … Expand
  25. winzentween
    Dec 23, 2022
    7
    It's ok. It's average. It looks good but it's not as good as it looks. It has some really bad design choices and iffy controls. And it's hard but not nec fun. Everything is stolen from better games. It's fine. I loved it until I hated it.
    Also Google the behind the scenes shenanigans. They didn't pay the head designer lol not cool.
    The game annoys me because it pretends to be awesome but    It's ok. It's average. It looks good but it's not as good as it looks. It has some really bad design choices and iffy controls. And it's hard but not nec fun. Everything is stolen from better games. It's fine. I loved it until I hated it.
    Also Google the behind the scenes shenanigans. They didn't pay the head designer lol not cool.
    The game annoys me because it pretends to be awesome but it's just not. It couldnjave been ...But it's not. Great for young adults.    … Expand
  26. thaesino
    Jan 27, 2023
    6
    Wonderful game. Nice music. Nice story. Nice, simple combat (no DS here, which is a nice break sometimes as everyone these days seems to want to copy FromSoftware).

    Only one reason I game a 8/10... the animations and voiceovers just aren't there. Small studio, I believe, which is fine. But something about the animation feels unpolished - almost like Kena isn't "attached" to the world.    Wonderful game. Nice music. Nice story. Nice, simple combat (no DS here, which is a nice break sometimes as everyone these days seems to want to copy FromSoftware).

    Only one reason I game a 8/10... the animations and voiceovers just aren't there. Small studio, I believe, which is fine. But something about the animation feels unpolished - almost like Kena isn't "attached" to the world. The facial gestures are also really limited which probably means there was no mocap. And finally... voiceovers at times sound (in English at least) as though they hired the first people they could find off of Tik Tok or something.

    But definitely give this one a try if you own a PS4/PS5. Wonderful fun, and the closest thing to a Zelda game you'll play in a while.

    EDIT (after 100%): Buy it on sale. What I thought was just the beginning 1/3rd of the game ended up actually being the whole game. Because all the narrative parts didn't quite connect with one another, the various parts of the game felt more like side-quests than different chapters of the same story. I'm not quite sure why the studio didn't hire better writers if they knew that other parts of the game would naturally suffer under the limitation of a smaller studio.    … Expand
  27. agent13
    Dec 9, 2021
    7
    kena is a great game considering that it's made by an indie studio while the animations let me a little down, the graphics and the art style is really good and satisfying, the story is ok for a game of this scale, however it could be better, and the gameplay is a good and balanced mixture of platforming, combat and puzzles almost what you expect from this genre, overall kena bridge ofkena is a great game considering that it's made by an indie studio while the animations let me a little down, the graphics and the art style is really good and satisfying, the story is ok for a game of this scale, however it could be better, and the gameplay is a good and balanced mixture of platforming, combat and puzzles almost what you expect from this genre, overall kena bridge of spirits is the best indie game of 2021 and worths buying and experiencing.… Expand
  28. dr0nzer
    Oct 17, 2021
    5
    Visually looks great, story is interesting (but not super cohesive, it’s feels random at times) it’s well animated but there are a lot of technical issues with the game that detracts from the experience, it suffers from a lot of frame rate issues and stuttering, even the pre-rendered cinematics aren’t spared from this, the dual sense pressure triggers feel off, not dynamic but a presetVisually looks great, story is interesting (but not super cohesive, it’s feels random at times) it’s well animated but there are a lot of technical issues with the game that detracts from the experience, it suffers from a lot of frame rate issues and stuttering, even the pre-rendered cinematics aren’t spared from this, the dual sense pressure triggers feel off, not dynamic but a preset value on each press, and doesn’t work 100% of the time.

    I didn’t expect this game to be so heavy on the puzzles. I’m not a major fan of puzzle games and I can tolerate a few here and there but this game is just full of it everywhere, I’d say it’s part of the core gameplay and to me, this is far too annoying and frustrating to deal with.

    The technicals, stuttering and low frame rates are the biggest killer, I know it’s this studios first game but optimisations should be figured out before a release, not endlessly patching it after the fact.    … Expand
  29. Wackme
    Sep 19, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beautiful game, nice music/sounds. What i didn't like were the game mechanics and controls. I didn't like any boss battle, but it became less irritating after getting the dash possibility. The levels became also repetitive for me, so i set the game on "story mode", the game became ok for me. The story was also lacking, missed the Kena who, why, when and how explanation.

    I played the end boss, but i couldn't finish the game, because every time the beast threw me into the lava zone, i died. One mistake, and you die. I played until i died multiple times in phase 2 with "story mode". I know that i must use the block and dash to avoid, but if you forget/not fast enough/don't have a block, you have to start over the entire end boss battle.

    There were moments i enjoyed the game, but i don't know if i would buy a Kena 2.    … Expand
  30. DMJReviews
    May 5, 2022
    7
    An impressive feat from this new indie developer. The animation and visual design is downright "disney" in a good way. The difficulty and inspiration from Soulslike genre was a surprise albeit not a positive one. Fortunately the game offers difficulty options to tailor your experience.
    The game is very charming and excels in visuals and audio. The vibe is a highlight as well.
    The game    An impressive feat from this new indie developer. The animation and visual design is downright "disney" in a good way. The difficulty and inspiration from Soulslike genre was a surprise albeit not a positive one. Fortunately the game offers difficulty options to tailor your experience.
    The game is very charming and excels in visuals and audio. The vibe is a highlight as well.

    The game design is run-of-the-mill. You won't notice anything sticking out. It's solid but not memorable.    … Expand
  31. DmitryV
    Feb 13, 2022
    7
    Игра классная , но есть местами просевы на пс5. и сложность очень странная
  32. burnitdown
    Oct 1, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is beautiful, animations are nice and story is just ok. The reason why I'm giving it a 7 is because there's quite a few issues with the gameplay / combat, major one being the lock on system which is pretty unusable!

    The final boss is actually terrible, you spend the whole game building up your character and the game takes that all away from you for a multi stage boss fight!

    Not sure what this current obsession of developers is with adding LGBT storylines in every other game, at least inform people when selling who aren't into this kinda stuff..    … Expand
  33. Welkinz
    Dec 13, 2021
    7
    Love the graphic, art and music, really didn’t enjoy the fighting portion. It frustrates me a lot
  34. BradMorgan
    Oct 11, 2021
    7
    Kena Bridge of Spirits is a diamond in the rough that may not have fully shown its true potential yet. Where it felt very basic in the first hours, the gameplay only came into its own after spirit/level 2. Various additions such as the bow and sticky bomb made it really fun because the player is able to combine mechanics to defeat the different enemies. The only problem is that the game isKena Bridge of Spirits is a diamond in the rough that may not have fully shown its true potential yet. Where it felt very basic in the first hours, the gameplay only came into its own after spirit/level 2. Various additions such as the bow and sticky bomb made it really fun because the player is able to combine mechanics to defeat the different enemies. The only problem is that the game is quite short (which is fine), so offering certain mechanics later on feels like a waste of the first hours. Certainly since there is no NewGame+ mode available. Nevertheless, this game is breathtakingly beautiful and you immediately notice how good the soundtrack and -design is in combination with the fantastic voice overs. It is a pity that the game world feels very empty but after all, Emberlab can be proud of their first game related project.

    Pros:
    - Art design
    - Soundtrack/Sounddesign
    - Voice overs
    - Use of Dualsense
    - Story
    - Variety in enemies

    Cons:
    - First hours of the game felt boring for me personally due to lack of gameplay mechanics
    - World feels empty
    - No save points in difficult boss battles
    - Use of map-menu/missing ability to place waypoints    … Expand
  35. paduladiego
    May 25, 2022
    6
    BR = Jogo, bonito e fluído, porém completamente desbalanceado, quanto mais forte fica menos dano causa e mais dano sofre... ainda com muitos bugs e falhas nos processos de luta de colisão. jogo chega a ficar chato e revoltante devido ao desbalanceamento de golpes e falhas em ataques.
    - - - -
    EN = The game is beautiful and fluid, but completely unbalanced, the stronger it gets, the more    BR = Jogo, bonito e fluído, porém completamente desbalanceado, quanto mais forte fica menos dano causa e mais dano sofre... ainda com muitos bugs e falhas nos processos de luta de colisão. jogo chega a ficar chato e revoltante devido ao desbalanceamento de golpes e falhas em ataques.
    - - - -
    EN = The game is beautiful and fluid, but completely unbalanced, the stronger it gets, the more minor damage it causes and the more damage it suffers... still with many bugs and flaws in the collision fighting processes. The game gets dull and revolting due to the unbalanced blows and failures in attacks.    … Expand
  36. ghosttoyou
    Jan 17, 2022
    7
    Сначала игра была на 8-9 ,под середину игры пиздец как надоело однобразные бои и враги , и любые другие мувы в этой игре, конец так вообще душный очень
  37. Iron-Mike
    Sep 30, 2021
    7
    Only good aspect I could find is the presentation (graphics, characters, environments, music and sound). Some clever exploration but most time spent outside of combat is dull.

    Game mimics Dark Souls combat without the tight controls of a Souls game. Please developers, stop making Souls combat clones if your parry and dodge controls and timing are subpar. Poor parry controls Overall poor    Only good aspect I could find is the presentation (graphics, characters, environments, music and sound). Some clever exploration but most time spent outside of combat is dull.

    Game mimics Dark Souls combat without the tight controls of a Souls game. Please developers, stop making Souls combat clones if your parry and dodge controls and timing are subpar. Poor parry controls
    Overall poor and laggy combat controls

    Not really sure if enemy difficulty has spikes or if it's just enemies that require parry are tough. All other enemies seemed easy to defeat.

    Wait for patch, sale or if it comes to PS plus.    … Expand
  38. Nando2k2
    Jun 6, 2023
    7
    The game gets old fast; same platforming, collectible hunting, etc. The bosses are difficult. The parry system is horrible. Despite this, it is a fun game, sometimes, with a linear storyline and awesome animation. I wouldn’t spend full price, rather get it in a sale.
  39. SergeantDan
    Sep 24, 2021
    7
    Overlord with a mix of Zelda.

    The pros: The small guys called the Rot are cute you can't argue that. The game details look amazing an runs fine in performance mode. The story is good up to a point. All 3 sections of the story has their ups and downs but the first 2 main boss areas are the best. The story is very detailed and amazing. Even with the list of good there is always a list of    Overlord with a mix of Zelda.

    The pros: The small guys called the Rot are cute you can't argue that. The game details look amazing an runs fine in performance mode. The story is good up to a point. All 3 sections of the story has their ups and downs but the first 2 main boss areas are the best. The story is very detailed and amazing. Even with the list of good there is always a list of cons.

    Cons: Fidelity mode is a joke. When attempting to turn the camera it takes the game 1 to 1.5 seconds to recognize that you moved the right joystick. That also goes for most other actions. Fidelity mode has major frame pacing issues in cutscenes. The game can feel unresponsive in this mode. The final 2 boss fights can be overly difficult the worst being the final one which seems to have used for padding time in the game. If you go straight through and not much extra you can beat this in about 8 hours. I wanted to love this game. But in the last 2 to 3 hours of the game. It just went from being a great fun experience to the feeling of a grind. On top of random getting hit in the back of enemies, stagger not working, grabs hitting you when your out of range, Dodge not working, and the list can go on. Its really hard to not recommend the game still. But you'll have to understand that some things are still funky with it.

    Would I say play it? yes
    Is it indie game of the year.... No    … Expand
  40. Ughhh
    Oct 18, 2021
    7
    Mostly fun and cute. But also quite repetitive, even for its short duration. And the last boss was terribly cheap.
  41. SprigganXIII
    Sep 30, 2021
    5
    So Kena is a great adventure game marred by terrible combat and even worse lock-on camera.
    When you’re locked on to a monster that is taller then you and it get close your camera will go into the ground and have a watery effect, this causes a lot of bad outcomes.
    Boss areas are usually very small/tight arenas and all they have large sweeping attacks. Its so bad that the developers    So Kena is a great adventure game marred by terrible combat and even worse lock-on camera.
    When you’re locked on to a monster that is taller then you and it get close your camera will go into the ground and have a watery effect, this causes a lot of bad outcomes.
    Boss areas are usually very small/tight arenas and all they have large sweeping attacks. Its so bad that the developers actually put two healing flowers in every boss fight, but these are surrounded by small areas of corruption that slow you down if you walk thru them and seeing the arena is small and your trying to keep the camera on the boss you will hit them and usually end up getting hit due to it.    … Expand
  42. Uncl3s4mbr
    May 7, 2023
    7
    Nice game and history. Beautiful graphics. The bosses are not well design and combat commands are not very responsive and have an irritating delay.
  43. Bodipo86
    Feb 21, 2022
    6
    Creo que kena es un buen juego. Creo que no es notable ya que en lo personal me ha parecido un juego un tanto aburrido en sus combates, exceptuando quizás el último Boss que realmente destacaba con respecto a los otros. Un juego entretenido con puzzles sencillos pero funcionales y una historia que guía bien al juego en sus mecánicas. Pero su punto fuerte es a nivel artístico y visual, queCreo que kena es un buen juego. Creo que no es notable ya que en lo personal me ha parecido un juego un tanto aburrido en sus combates, exceptuando quizás el último Boss que realmente destacaba con respecto a los otros. Un juego entretenido con puzzles sencillos pero funcionales y una historia que guía bien al juego en sus mecánicas. Pero su punto fuerte es a nivel artístico y visual, que sencillamente es excepcional. En resumen un juego audiovisualmente muy vistoso pero con una jugabulidad que no es nada del otro mundo.… Expand
  44. Burzyk
    May 29, 2022
    7
    Pretty, fun and satisfying little game. Too bad that Xbox has this kind of games in Game Pass, and here (Sony) you have to pay for it.
  45. slaine130177
    Oct 12, 2021
    7
    Le jeu est trop juste pour mériter le 8/10, mais mériterait un 7.5.
    Plutôt beau, on sent que les développeurs ont l'expérience de l'animation et nous en fait profiter. Les décors sont chatoyants, les effets plutôt sympa mais on voit tout de même les limites d'une petite équipe. Pas mal de bugs de collision, des pop ups de décors, l'eau qui est belle de loin mais insipide de près, des    Le jeu est trop juste pour mériter le 8/10, mais mériterait un 7.5.
    Plutôt beau, on sent que les développeurs ont l'expérience de l'animation et nous en fait profiter. Les décors sont chatoyants, les effets plutôt sympa mais on voit tout de même les limites d'une petite équipe. Pas mal de bugs de collision, des pop ups de décors, l'eau qui est belle de loin mais insipide de près, des soucis de gameplay (lourdeurs ou latence dans les commandes assez souvent), etc...

    Pour un 1er jeu, cela reste un bel exploit et une belle aventure. Les boss sont sympas et certains défis plus corcés. Ca manque encore de vie (tout est atrocement vide). De même l'histoire des chapeaux est inutile (dommage qu'il n'y ait aucune incidence sur nos compagnons, cela reste que cosmétique), donc argent inutile, quête aux trésors inutile, si ce n'est pour avoir le platine.

    Une belle promesse pour l'avenir et un titre qui se fait avec plaisir, tranquillement, sans prétention mais rafraichissant.    … Expand
  46. BluSegov
    Sep 24, 2021
    7
    What so special about This PS4 game???
    It’s good game, puzzle was good and nice graphics done by an indie studio.
    Fanboy
  47. zubiecup9999
    Sep 27, 2021
    7
    For the first several hours, I really loved this game. Unfortunately, towards the end, it just became an aggravating bosh rush. Boss after boss with almost nothing in between. I ended up sighing every time I realized that each boss near the finale wasn't the FINAL boss. It's pretty rare that I just want a game to end so I can see the story through, but this is just one of those titles.For the first several hours, I really loved this game. Unfortunately, towards the end, it just became an aggravating bosh rush. Boss after boss with almost nothing in between. I ended up sighing every time I realized that each boss near the finale wasn't the FINAL boss. It's pretty rare that I just want a game to end so I can see the story through, but this is just one of those titles.

    Honestly, up until about the ten-hour mark, I would have given this game a 9, but I truly believe the game overstays its welcome. If you explore even a little, you will unlock every useful ability well before the end of the game, so that sense of progression completely evaporates way too prematurely.

    Overall, it's certainly a solid first effort from this new studio, but the fact that this title was created by an inexperienced developer simply becomes all too clear the deeper you get into it.    … Expand
  48. Blastoff
    Oct 12, 2021
    5
    Fairly average. Beautiful but not very interesting. The story is not great. The game is very classic. For an independent game, it lacks risk-taking. The game quickly becomes redundant. It's a good start for a first studio game but I didn't really like it and I struggled to finish it.
  49. GrubletsOnIce
    Oct 2, 2021
    6
    Great puzzles, platforming and challenging combat, but don't be fooled by it's Pixar/Rated E for Everyone. There is gay couple representation here. This isn't for children mind you. Parents and/or the rating board should be aware.
  50. Davlin
    Oct 5, 2021
    5
    Kena is an acceptable game visually strong and simple with a lot of colour, cute characters and silly collectables its seemingly targeted towards a younger crowd but with challenging combat that feels meant for older gamers, it falls short of being a good game for anyone and is mostly forgettable.
  51. marcos979797
    Oct 14, 2021
    6
    It makes it obvius it's their first attempt at creating games.... Graphic is cool, soundtracks too, but it totally needs a revision in originality, plot, and environment variety (there is just a forest and some snow at the end of the game)
    The plot is super predictable and character has no personality
    The gameplay and the puzzles are still very enjoyable
  52. IntoxicatedRush
    Oct 14, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like the story, graphics and music it was pretty fun to play. Now i'm playing on master difficulty legit and it is broken with the boss fights because you get attack and killed when you in an animation and that need to be address.… Expand
  53. aandrade81
    Apr 6, 2022
    5
    Kena tem um visual bonito, historia legal e um gameplay bem legal até uns 70% do jogo, na parte final o jogo muda de figura (se transforma de um jogo de exploração/aventura em um souls like), e aqui é onde eu acho que ele peca, pois falta coerência da parte final com a primeira parte ou faltou astúcia para os desenvolvedores abraçarem um souls like desde o começo.
  54. Yakumo_NL
    Dec 1, 2021
    5
    Awesome game with classic jak and dexter kind of feel to it. Love the music, graphics and gameplay.
  55. Daanvandam
    Jun 17, 2022
    6
    I had pretty high expectations going into this hoping the devs would not follow common western design trends but when the uncharted climbing sections came in my heart sank. I think its best to go into this game blind and set the expectations somewhat lower. For some reason I thought the action gameplay was going to be great but the combat is really simple. Not as precanned animation asI had pretty high expectations going into this hoping the devs would not follow common western design trends but when the uncharted climbing sections came in my heart sank. I think its best to go into this game blind and set the expectations somewhat lower. For some reason I thought the action gameplay was going to be great but the combat is really simple. Not as precanned animation as Spider-Man but it is close sadly. Length of the game was perfect though.… Expand
  56. Scty
    Dec 19, 2021
    5
    I found this game boring, formulaic, repetitive, with little meaningful character or skill progression. This is the only game I’ve bought that I had to push myself to find motivation to actually complete it. Having said that, it is a very beautiful game and the animators and sound designers are doing literally all of the heavy lifting.
  57. Tonykov
    Jan 29, 2022
    6
    A Zelda game with Dark Souls level of difficulty bosses. An example of mixing two concepts and ending with a result worse than the sum of its parts. Frustrating final bosses destroy the overall positive perception of the game.
  58. Javimartin_drum
    Jan 18, 2022
    6
    I must admit I was expecting more from this game after all the good reviews, and it´s decent game, specially it´s beautiful game, one of te most spectacular in this aspect that I have ever played, but the combat, the story, etc were a little boring to me, I ended up the game running from one place to another in order to finish it as soon as possible...
  59. Schmaerzkeks
    Feb 24, 2022
    7
    Für ein Indie Spiel wirklich traumhaft. Die Story hätte etwas komplexer sein können.
    + Optik
    + Gameplay
    + Charaktere
    - Umfang zu gering
    - Story zu blass
  60. tracyjnsn
    Jan 28, 2022
    7
    This is important for every buyer to know that this game, similarly following other sony titles has incorporated LGBT elements. This time, into a game also aimed at children. There is a lesbian couple on which a subplot is heavily based upon and it is described heavilty through cutscenes about how much affection both have for each other. I believe this is definitely not suitable forThis is important for every buyer to know that this game, similarly following other sony titles has incorporated LGBT elements. This time, into a game also aimed at children. There is a lesbian couple on which a subplot is heavily based upon and it is described heavilty through cutscenes about how much affection both have for each other. I believe this is definitely not suitable for children as children are too young and innocent to be exposed to such topics and understand them, better for them to discover it on their own as they reach adulthood rather then play with their mind and indirectly fill them with lgbt things. This game should have Teen rating.… Expand
  61. StIwY
    Jul 26, 2022
    7
    Game is mediocre. Weak design, weak plot, the last boss without checkpoints is a bulls_it, Rot searching is useless along with hats...what's the point ? And at cherry on the top, is quite short. I was expecting much more.....
  62. tsznx
    Feb 18, 2022
    7
    The game is good, very interesting at the beginning, but it gets very repetitive after some time. Nice look, but lack of NPCs. The world looks very empty. And I have to say, some bosses are too hard compared to all the rest of the game. I haven't finished the game yet, but seriously considering to stop playing.
  63. Richard4949
    Aug 17, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There’s a lot of good in this game for sure. The graphics are simply amazing. The world is surprisingly large and extremely fun to explore. The combat is fairly simple, but some of the boss battles are very difficult. You’ll see what I’m talking about towards the end. And there is no checkpoints either. And there is the worst camera assist system ever. Like, who ever approved this needs to be fired and go work at Pizza Hut. Ember labs clearly can make a good game and they’re competent, so I don’t understand how this made it in. Even when you turn it off, it still will pop up and prevent you from looking at the boss you’re trying to attack or parry, and it’ll highlight what it thinks you should be doing. It literally prevented me from beating the final boss many times. It’s beyond frustrating. If you’ve played it, then you know.… Expand
  64. StaTplay6
    May 21, 2022
    7
    I find this game fun and challenging. I wish there was a 2 player mode though. The controls are hard to learn at first but you will understand them eventually.
  65. Evac1996
    May 22, 2023
    7
    I like the game, for an indie game its awsome, great features with the dualsense, good gameplay mechanics, and ok history
  66. Sixpack6
    Dec 18, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fair storyline, okay open world. Hats and gems are useless collectables. Very stingy with upgrade material where you don't even get to enjoy charms and the differences because there's not enough 'karma' to even finish your weapons. You're essentially an underpowered kid with a stick and low power bow fighting souls type mobs. And if your succeed you get a hat. Or gems. Which do nothing. Why not be more generous with karma where we can have fun and enjoy the charms. I've unlocked one.… Expand
  67. gkehn
    Dec 21, 2022
    7
    + world and graphics
    + solid, difficult combat
    + story emotional at points
    + the rot

    - story a bit jointed
    - not much depth
  68. Dathmach
    May 9, 2023
    6
    While the game has excellent visuals, the rest of the experience feels hollow with a lackluster story and uninspiring gameplay
  69. Tintler
    Jul 15, 2023
    5
    Oyunun grafikleri ve animasyonları kaliteli. Konusu, müzikleri, dövüş mekanikleriyse vasat. Ortalama bir oyun olmuş diyebilirim. Oyun kısa olmasına rağmen biraz sıkılarak oynadığımı belirtmek isterim.
  70. JoseCal
    Jul 11, 2023
    7
    I think it’s okay. Honestly, it’s very repetitive and the graphics could have been a bit better. The story was very weak, but at least the gameplay was smooth and quite enjoyable.
  71. Lastnight1
    Aug 22, 2023
    6
    This game is a good game but sometime it will be dull,ı most love boss fight in this game because most enemy is same so it is boring .if you don't like a animation things ,you mustn't play
  72. RGames2k
    Sep 7, 2023
    7
    اللعبة رائعه
    القصه غير محمسه ولكن القيم بلاي جيد
    الشخصيات جيده
    الجرافيكس جيد

    اللعبه جيده

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2021
11
#11 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 82 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 82
  3. Negative: 0 out of 82
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 18, 2022
    80
    Kena is a playful and beautiful adventure, but it does not bring any breathtaking innovation. But it has the potential to take you to a fairy tale and let you experience the story of a young girl, which is a balanced experience.
  2. CD-Action
    Jan 19, 2022
    90
    Ember Lab didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead the developers opted for tried and true mechanics that entertained us time and again in many action adventure games, and mixed them in an almost perfect way. The beginning might be a little slow, but when Kena: Bridge of Spirits gains momentum, it becomes truly great. It’s hard for me to point out any significant flaws apart from overall lack of originality. What a debut! [12/2021, p.74]
  3. Impulsegamer
    Oct 28, 2021
    100
    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.
    Read full review
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