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. Nandoevil
    Sep 25, 2021
    9
    The game is amazing. With impressive grafics Kena gives you a wonderful experience. The game play is also amazing and chalenge you ( I recomend you play in hard dificult). Kena is with no doubd the begining of a big franchise.
  2. NeverCasual
    Sep 3, 2023
    9
    Increadible, overlooked game with an amazing story... and surprisingly challenging!

    The characters are well written and as you confront their fears, you will also understand the desperate measures they took to avoid the fate of the village/their loved ones. The quality of the cutscenes on another level enhancing the game experience even more. Not even AAA studios currently hold a candle    Increadible, overlooked game with an amazing story... and surprisingly challenging!

    The characters are well written and as you confront their fears, you will also understand the desperate measures they took to avoid the fate of the village/their loved ones. The quality of the cutscenes on another level enhancing the game experience even more. Not even AAA studios currently hold a candle to that. Since Emberlab started out as a film studio, it is not really surprising that they pulled this off.

    Gameplay varies between exploration (platforming, puzzle solving) and melee/bow combat. The cute minions make exploration a somewhat fullfilling, joyful experience highlighting how important a decent compagnion system can be. The combat on the other hand is punishing as hell. Even on normal difficulty the game heavily punishes mistakes. Enemy moves are strongly choreographed but missing the parry/dodge window is punishing as hell.
    "Master difficulty" is absolutely no joke in this game btw. If you're going for all trophies you'll experience a massive difficulty spike, well above Soulsborne/Sekiro difficulty due to the nature of some fights. The boss encounter themselves are not that difficult, as many things are choreographed clearly. Yet adding adds to boss encounters that hit you for 70%+ hp and lowering your courage (basically an action bar for special abilities or healing) can make many encounters an absolute nightmare. The camera often becomes your biggest enemy in those encounters as you sometimes can only track 1-2 out of 3+ adds and more often than not get hit from behind.
    If they had reduced the spawnrate and instead added an additional mechanic, it would have been a solid 10/10 for me. If you're subscribed to PS Plus Extra I'd definitely recommend this game to you, even over the AAA titles there :)    … Expand
  3. Mister_Archy
    Dec 3, 2021
    9
    Ein sehr schönes Spiel wo alles am richtigen Platz ist. Das Spiel ist wunderschön inszeniert, sodass man das Gefühl hat in einem Pixar-Film zu sein. Aber Vorsicht, das Spiel kann auch sehr fordernd sein. Alles ist gefühlt am richtigen Platz. Auch die "Nebenmissionen" und Collectables sind in der richtigen Dosis verteilt, so dass man nicht das Gefühl bekommt davon erdrückt zu werden. SieEin sehr schönes Spiel wo alles am richtigen Platz ist. Das Spiel ist wunderschön inszeniert, sodass man das Gefühl hat in einem Pixar-Film zu sein. Aber Vorsicht, das Spiel kann auch sehr fordernd sein. Alles ist gefühlt am richtigen Platz. Auch die "Nebenmissionen" und Collectables sind in der richtigen Dosis verteilt, so dass man nicht das Gefühl bekommt davon erdrückt zu werden. Sie sind auch absolut optional und für den Fortschritt nicht notwendig. Auch die Spieldauer ist mit 10-15 Stunden, je nach Spielstil/Schwierigkeit und Erkundungsbereitschaft sehr angenehm.… Expand
  4. camushyoga
    Oct 7, 2021
    9
    Excellent and beautiful game. Great graphics and story. Amazing. Totally worth it.
  5. Wombees
    Oct 10, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When this was announced I was expecting a Zelda clone with pretty graphics as the main selling point. The graphics are indeed beautiful, with excellent lighting and artstyle that suits the game. The environments and level design are also very well done, although one (very) minor thing is that there could be more variety in terrain. What surprised me was the quality of the music and story.

    The music works so well with a melancholy yet hopeful feeling that gave the same post-apocalyptic zen vibes that Breath of the Wild did. The ambient and enemy sounds are excellent, with creaking wood sounds and impactful sound effects. The boss tracks, especially the Woodsmith, were great at creating tension.

    Each of the spirits' stories were also very well done. The brief glimpses of their pasts in the themes of fear, love, and regret made the conclusions of their stories all the more satisfying. In particular, Adira's story of love persevering, moving heaven and earth to try and help Hana come home despite not knowing the Hana's fate really resonated with me. I appreciated that the storytelling wasn't too heavy handed and you were left to interpret some of the backstories through collecting the memories and relics.

    As other reviewers have noted, the combat is quite difficult even on the 'normal' setting. Switching to story mode for the more difficult boss fights made this a non-issue, but there's plenty of interesting fights for those who enjoy a challenge.

    All in all, Kena really exceeded my expectations and I'm excited to see what else Ember Lab has to offer.    … Expand
  6. jerrett1
    Oct 10, 2021
    9
    Kena is great, but master mode can kiss my ass. Normal mode and expert are good difficulty modes, but master feels unfair at some times. Besides that one thing, Kena is an almost perfect debut game
  7. Janli
    Oct 12, 2021
    9
    As the first game of a new studio, i'd say they did a good job creating this beautiful game. The combat and visuals are the strongest points of the game. The environment is beautifully crafted. I just hope it had more enemy variety but considering that this is the first game of Ember Lab, they still did a good job. This indie game beats most of AAA games out there. It is that good.
  8. RedRangerRobin
    Oct 21, 2021
    9
    Hello everyone welcome to my first but hopefully not last review. I am your friendly video game reviewer Red Ranger Robin.

    Today I am reviewing Kena Bridge of spirits on the PS5. So I will start off by saying this, Kena is exactly what I wanted in a video game right now at this current time. While this game does feel like a PS2 game I say that as a positive thing. It is challenging    Hello everyone welcome to my first but hopefully not last review. I am your friendly video game reviewer Red Ranger Robin.

    Today I am reviewing Kena Bridge of spirits on the PS5.

    So I will start off by saying this, Kena is exactly what I wanted in a video game right now at this current time. While this game does feel like a PS2 game I say that as a positive thing. It is challenging full of traversing, platforming, puzzles and great boss fights.

    You are trying to restore a village back to its natural state after it has been filled with infected plants or roots we will say in this case here. To do this you must clear the infected roots around the areas you are exploring the end goal of these 6 or 7 areas you will explore is to collect artifacts of lost spirits and collectibles such as rot, diamonds and hats which will help you perform abilities during combat. The one issue I have with this is that after I have unlocked the hats I still have to buy them.

    The game play is a 3D platforming classic PS2 style which is amazing but reminded me just how challenging games were back then. The combat style reminds me of God of war 2018 and Assassins Creed the newest versions because you use the shoulder buttons to hit, and you have a bow and arrow which you can use which reminds me of Zelda Breath of the wild. Throughout the game you will collect I guess we will call them tokens that allows you to unlock more abilities with your weapons. The boss fights are another thing in this game that reminds of the classic video game days the bosses have patterns and you need memorize them or else you will get killed alot.

    Overall Kena is a great game that surprised with a Disney esque art style that feel like a ps2 game in the best way overall I give Kena an 8.5/10    … Expand
  9. Rallianto_Rex
    Sep 29, 2022
    9
    Absolute a high tier game, beautiful graphics, good controls, great (but somewhat simple) combat - You get a AAA feeling about this, but it is an indie game, which is really impressive.
    I have one negative thing to say about the game running on PS5, it's nowhere near the quality of PC. On my *laptop* (Legion 5, GeForce RTX 2060 LAPTOP) the game runs much better, no texture popping, no    Absolute a high tier game, beautiful graphics, good controls, great (but somewhat simple) combat - You get a AAA feeling about this, but it is an indie game, which is really impressive.
    I have one negative thing to say about the game running on PS5, it's nowhere near the quality of PC. On my *laptop* (Legion 5, GeForce RTX 2060 LAPTOP) the game runs much better, no texture popping, no object popping, higher fidelity. I don't understand how the PS5, which is much much stronger than my LAPTOP doesn't deliver as high quality as a LAPTOP does.
    I think in general the PS5 have been disappointing this gen - 90% of all games on PS5 runs 30fps or below, their backwards compatibility runs games WORSE than the PS4 did.    … Expand
  10. ihearthawthats
    Jun 20, 2022
    9
    Hours Played: 37 Hours
    Trophy Completion: 42/42 PLATINUM
    Worth My Time: Yes, it's short. Worth My Money: Yes, it's not a full price game. What I Like: Everyone talks about the graphics, but for me, it's the gameplay that is top notch. Rivals more serious AAA titles like God of War and Horizon with it's combat. I use the entire moveset except for one move (the jumping smash), which    Hours Played: 37 Hours
    Trophy Completion: 42/42 PLATINUM

    Worth My Time: Yes, it's short.
    Worth My Money: Yes, it's not a full price game.

    What I Like: Everyone talks about the graphics, but for me, it's the gameplay that is top notch. Rivals more serious AAA titles like God of War and Horizon with it's combat. I use the entire moveset except for one move (the jumping smash), which goes to show the intricacies of balance and design. It is far from a one-move button masher spamfest.

    What I Dislike: It's janky. Controls for certain actions are cumbersome. On top of that, the collision boxes are sometimes whack. The story is also quite lacking. It has some decent storytelling, but lacks depth and is full of holes.

    How It Stacks Up: My personal GOTY so far. That is a highly subjective opinion though, because I think some may not be able to overlook the jank and light story. It looks like a kids game on the surface, but is actually quite challenging. Some may even be put off by it's almost souls-like difficulty. It's not fair to compare it to a game like Elden Ring, which has layers and layers of depth; but Kena, while very simple, is extremely fun and that's what I play games for.    … Expand
  11. tiske1985
    Nov 16, 2021
    9
    I am absolutely astounded by how good this game is. I honestly didn't expect much, like most indie titles, but..... wow.

    I wont spoil the game, but your companions that you aquire throughout the game are so cute. They could suck anyone into buying this game. The thing is, they don't need to. I was blown away by the fact that this was the game developers' first release. They have some    I am absolutely astounded by how good this game is. I honestly didn't expect much, like most indie titles, but..... wow.

    I wont spoil the game, but your companions that you aquire throughout the game are so cute. They could suck anyone into buying this game. The thing is, they don't need to. I was blown away by the fact that this was the game developers' first release. They have some talent if they ever want to use it towards another title or release, I'll be looking out.

    I would definitely recommend Kena to any gamer.    … Expand
  12. Giwon
    Sep 2, 2023
    9
    이 전에는 볼 수 없었던 압도적으로 아름다운 그래픽만으로도 플레이할 가치가 충분히 있는 게임이다. 이 뿐만 아니라 퍼즐과 전투, 스토리, 수집요소, 챌린지까지 모든 Contents가 부족함이 없었다. 하지만 동화같은 그래픽과는 달리 난이도 있는 전투가 호불호의 요소로 다가올 것 같으나, 오히려 소울 게임을 입문하기 좋은(?) 게임일 수도 있을 것이다. 이 게임 제작사의 다음 작품이 기대되는 좋은 신호탄의 게임이다.

    This game is worth to play with only overwhelmingly beautiful graphics that I haven't been seen before. And all contents (combat, puzzles, story,    이 전에는 볼 수 없었던 압도적으로 아름다운 그래픽만으로도 플레이할 가치가 충분히 있는 게임이다. 이 뿐만 아니라 퍼즐과 전투, 스토리, 수집요소, 챌린지까지 모든 Contents가 부족함이 없었다. 하지만 동화같은 그래픽과는 달리 난이도 있는 전투가 호불호의 요소로 다가올 것 같으나, 오히려 소울 게임을 입문하기 좋은(?) 게임일 수도 있을 것이다. 이 게임 제작사의 다음 작품이 기대되는 좋은 신호탄의 게임이다.

    This game is worth to play with only overwhelmingly beautiful graphics that I haven't been seen before. And all contents (combat, puzzles, story, collectibles, challenges) is good. Unlike fairy tale graphics, difficult battles come as elements of likes and dislikes, but it could be good to start soul-like games. This game makes me expect next game that this studio will make.    … Expand
  13. Paled
    Nov 21, 2022
    9
    Great game! It has a captivating story and well-developed characters. It has a good degree of gameplay difficulty.
  14. TheVitruvianMan
    Dec 28, 2021
    9
    Kena was a fun, charming, and surprisingly difficult at parts. Traversal and combat start out a bit basic, but they gradually become more dynamic as the game progresses. Kena is a very notable first project by Ember Labs and I eagerly await their next project.
  15. lazars
    Jan 19, 2022
    9
    A strong 9 from me. Beautiful story and graphics I really enjoyed it. Combat got very interesting as the story progressed. The only reason it isn't a 10 for me is that currency isn't all that interesting to collect so sometimes I would get annoyed when a reward for something is that. Also since there isn't a lot of Kena's backstory there is room for an interesting sequel that can upgradeA strong 9 from me. Beautiful story and graphics I really enjoyed it. Combat got very interesting as the story progressed. The only reason it isn't a 10 for me is that currency isn't all that interesting to collect so sometimes I would get annoyed when a reward for something is that. Also since there isn't a lot of Kena's backstory there is room for an interesting sequel that can upgrade on this one so if there is a plan for that I'm all in!… Expand
  16. Balzari
    Feb 24, 2022
    9
    Visuals: 8 - Audio: 9 - Fun: 9 - Longevity: 8 - Engagement: 8 - Overall Score: 9
    It's hard to believe that this is 'Ember Lab's' first game as it is really, really good.
    'Kena' looks, sounds and feels like a cross between a 'Pixar' and 'Studio Gibli' film. Combat is like a watered down 'Dark Souls' with some bosses and enemy encounters (especially near the end) requiring a steep    Visuals: 8 - Audio: 9 - Fun: 9 - Longevity: 8 - Engagement: 8 - Overall Score: 9
    It's hard to believe that this is 'Ember Lab's' first game as it is really, really good.
    'Kena' looks, sounds and feels like a cross between a 'Pixar' and 'Studio Gibli' film.
    Combat is like a watered down 'Dark Souls' with some bosses and enemy encounters (especially near the end) requiring a steep learning curve.
    Gameplay and exploration is a mix of 'Sekiro' and 'Zelda: Breathe of the Wild' with plenty to discover and collect in its beautiful world.
    The story is simple yet engrossing and I found myself caring about the characters in the game.
    If I had to nitpick then I would say that during combat the default camera and enemy lock-on could be refined but there are enough tweaks available in the gameplay settings for you accomodate for this.
    I highly recommend 'Kena: Bridge of Spirits' and really look forward to 'Ember Lab's' next game.    … Expand
  17. iKickBullies
    Mar 25, 2022
    9
    A little more freedom and cleaning up the games issues and glitches would make me change from a 9 to a 10. I've had alot of weird glitches and collision issues. But loved otherwise
  18. Xyle
    Jul 20, 2023
    9
    I haven't played a game this good in a very long time. Graphically stunning and a game that doesn't waste my time with repetitive busy work. The protagonist Kena is very cute, which is a nice bonus. Collectibles that I actually want to collect as they make Kena stronger by giving her more health or abilities. A story that is very enjoyable and doesn't overstay its welcome. Just an amazingI haven't played a game this good in a very long time. Graphically stunning and a game that doesn't waste my time with repetitive busy work. The protagonist Kena is very cute, which is a nice bonus. Collectibles that I actually want to collect as they make Kena stronger by giving her more health or abilities. A story that is very enjoyable and doesn't overstay its welcome. Just an amazing game. The only misstep the game has is in its final boss. It's not very good in the way the fight is designed, it's one of those multistage fights where if you die its all the way back to the beginning. Also the only way to damage it is by hitting weak points. Which runs contrary to all the other better designed bosses that came before it. A black eye at the end of an otherwise flawless game. Giving the game a 9/10 although the game is more of a 9.5/10 and one that I also highly recommend. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an easy top 10 game for me.… Expand
  19. blueninjaturtle
    Sep 10, 2022
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It looks like you are playing a Pixar movie. The combat system is simple but intricate. I played on Spirit I I defeated the game on Guide level, and it was challenging. In the latter part of the game, the bosses kicked my butt. As the game progresses, you really need to chain together things or improve your timing because you will catch an L fast with these relentless monsters. In some ways, I felt like some of the boss fights were harder than the ones in Zelda because this game punishes a sitting duck. You have to constantly move, and my hands were exhausted and sliding off the controller after chaining together combos or evasive moves. The asymmetry between the final boss stage and the other bosses was crazy. You had to apply basically everything you learned before with no checkpoints and you had to get through multiple waves without basically taking any damage. It was absolutely crazy but rewarding because it was not easy at all. I am not sure if I have ever played a game where there was such a sudden ramp up in the difficulty, and I regretted not finding all the meditation spots because there is no going back after entering the final stage of the game. Health counts in the end, and the camera is not your friend. I literally was blinding pressing the rot button and crossing my fingers the boss was taking damage but the camera was inexplicably focusing on ground enemies. That was messed up considering how time intensive it is to get the final state of the game, and you get could lose because of the camera.… Expand
  20. BrownieMan
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    For this being an indie game, I am absolutely blown away. The visuals are beautiful, and the cinematics are something you would see from Pixar. Overall, the game is very fun and utilizes the Duelsense controller well. My only complaint is the game will occasionally spike in difficulty, but nothing unmanageable. I would recommend Kena.
  21. kosanton1
    Aug 8, 2022
    9
    After finishing horizon forbidden west i decided to buy this game as it was on sale and give it a go. I dont know from where to begin but this game is simply amazing! The gameplay, the story, the characters the world of Kena everything in the game is so beautifully made i can simply say without hesitation this is one of my top 5 games in ps5 i played until now and would recommend to anyoneAfter finishing horizon forbidden west i decided to buy this game as it was on sale and give it a go. I dont know from where to begin but this game is simply amazing! The gameplay, the story, the characters the world of Kena everything in the game is so beautifully made i can simply say without hesitation this is one of my top 5 games in ps5 i played until now and would recommend to anyone to buy it. Only reason i give it 9/10 is that i wished the game was much longer.… Expand
  22. xSlicK007
    Nov 2, 2022
    9
    WOW
    Everything is beautiful in this game. Graphics, Story, Gameplay and even the character and voice actors
  23. Acuity
    May 5, 2023
    9
    What to say, I had a chance to download this game thanks to the PS Plus extra and I was so impressed to do my first review here on metacritic. I state that I haven't finished the game yet, I'm about 70% of the adventure. But I can't wait and I immediately want to congratulate ember lab, the software house is at its first title and has created a masterpiece that is capable of givingWhat to say, I had a chance to download this game thanks to the PS Plus extra and I was so impressed to do my first review here on metacritic. I state that I haven't finished the game yet, I'm about 70% of the adventure. But I can't wait and I immediately want to congratulate ember lab, the software house is at its first title and has created a masterpiece that is capable of giving excellent moments of carefree and emotion. Fantastic setting, beautiful the feeling of the gameplay! Bravi… Expand
  24. Dayvidhd
    May 27, 2023
    9
    a unica coisa que não me fez da pelo menos 9.5 pra esse jogo foi so o começo, achei meio lento e sem quase nenhum boss, quanto ao final e incrivel. vale muito a pena jogar. que jogo bonitinho e divertido!
  25. manakin_90
    May 12, 2023
    9
    This game has heart. And so much of it. I felt in love since the first minutes of game. Even if the game itself it’s not super long, this is one of the games that I most enjoied playing in the last year. And, being the first game of this studio, wonderful work. I cannot wait to see what they will do in the future!
  26. Warrior_of_Doom
    Jul 19, 2023
    9
    The overall score is based on how much fun I personally had with every component of the game
    and the overall experience.
  27. SebboBastian
    Dec 12, 2021
    8
    Lovely feelgood adventure. Fun fight mechanics and I love the little pikmin dudes. Good rewarding exploratiiin.
  28. mozimozo
    Sep 22, 2021
    8
    What a fresh game !! Congrats to Ember lab for this little nugget !! Atmosphere, music, gameplay : T H A N K S
  29. ferycolection
    Sep 2, 2023
    8
    Nice story. Could be better in game play. Short campaign .OKAY game at all.
  30. Wieland
    May 22, 2023
    8
    Kena was one of the first games I played on the ps 5. This is a great game, with an original world, an interesting atypical plot, with an amazing visual (after all, the animators did the game) and visual stylistics, and excellent music, and in dramatic moments especially the music is brilliant. I think that the first and main thing that attracts in the game is the plot and the mainKena was one of the first games I played on the ps 5. This is a great game, with an original world, an interesting atypical plot, with an amazing visual (after all, the animators did the game) and visual stylistics, and excellent music, and in dramatic moments especially the music is brilliant. I think that the first and main thing that attracts in the game is the plot and the main character, on the one hand, and on the other hand the visual style, which just exactly corresponds to the fabulousness of the world. But with all the fabulousness, the game is not at all childish, at times it reaches the true drama. As for the gameplay, this is the most primitive part of the game, which is simply given not to interfere and give the minimum possible to exist in the created world. Considering that the game was made by animators, the emphasis is of course on visual and setting. Although, from the second half, the gameplay is also revealed, archery is added, a variety of skills in the action game. Separately, I would like to note the support of dualsense. Archery on dualsense is simply amazing, you just physically feel and hear how the bowstring is pulled, thanks to the support of adaptive triggers. Great job. I am sure that Kena is a pen test for developers. With all the advantages, I see more great potential in this game than a perfect performance. The plot is still not fully disclosed and has a more episodic character, the main character is interesting, but also not fully disclosed, the gameplay is primitive, the riddles are mostly simple. I am definitely waiting for the second part, where the game will be fully revealed, and then it will be 10 out of 10… Expand
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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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