Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a 2021 adventure–action video game developed and published by Ember Lab. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is quite an interesting title that captures the essence of the game in a single sentence. 

Dramatic and Engaging Storyline 

Kena: Bridge of Spirit follows the story of Kena, a very young spirit guide who uses her supernatural powers to assist the dead in moving to the world of the spirits, away from the physical world. On her way to the village, Kena encounters a very powerful masked spirit revealed to be the main cause of corruption in the forest. He forces the forest to decay and also unleashes some hideous monsters on the land.  In the village, Kena meets up with a former elder Zajuro, who informs her that she has to help the trapped spirits before being granted entrance to the shrine. 

As the supernatural guide for the spirits, Kena is bestowed with the task of helping those who remain in Limbo (between the physical world and the world of the spirits) to locate their final resting place. Most of the victims could not reach the spirit world due to some traumatic occurrence they might have experienced while passing through. As Kena advances through the game plot, she will uncover more of the happenings at the abandoned village.

Taking Charge of the Challenging Missions

To accomplish her missions or defeat her enemies, Kena must find some little spirit companions known as the ‘Rots.’ These little spirit companions assist the protagonists in completing different missions and tasks, and they also help in battling enemies standing in the way of Kena’s missions. 

Her first mission is to locate and recruit some Rots. Her mission takes her to an abandoned village where she finds and picks up some tiny beautiful creatures (the Rots). These Rots will help her all through the game. While she is still on the mission, she learns about the unfortunate incident in the village and why the village was now abandoned. The Rots she found helped her to locate the key that unlocks the road to the shrine. At the shrine, her mission will be to clear the corruption completely.

Kena’s next mission is to find the sacred mountain shrine. She finds the shrine but also makes some shocking discoveries. She found out that so much corruption was going on in the shrine, which had led to the appearance of some hideous monsters. 

Adventurous Gameplay with Challenging Puzzles 

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a game full of adventure, action, and puzzles. Players play the game through a third-person view, where they control the protagonist Kena, who uses a powerful staff to attack or fight off enemies.  Kena also uses her power to defend herself against attacks. Kena: Bridge of Spirit uses 3D animation, which gives one the feeling of watching a movie rather than playing a. It usually makes me feel like I’m playing an active role in a supernatural movie.

While in combat, you can use Kena’s staff to carry out light, heavy, and charged attacks. When an upgrade is completed, it transforms the staff into bows, which is also used in attacking long-range enemies. The upgraded staff is also used to hit crystals to solve puzzles. To defend yourself against enemies, you can get Kena’s ‘pulse’ ability, which serves as a shield, and it also has a health meter that reduces when attacked. The ability also provides ideas and tips and activates objects useful for combat.  The upgrade allows you to move into impossible locations, such as passing through barriers in the spirit world, to attack real enemies. You will also be given the ability to use the Spirit Bombs. The bombs which be used for moving shimmering rocks from one platform to another.

Using the Powers of the Rot to Accomplish Missions 

Rots, the little spirit companions, can be directed to complete certain tasks. They could act like moving objects or turn into different shapes to distract the enemies. The Rots can also join battles, but that doesn’t happen until the player destroys enough enemies to collect adequate courage that the Rots can use. 

Controlling the Rots to finish a task will also help to increase courage. Continued attacks on enemies can help you recover lost courage. The Rot can help to infuse your bombs or arrows for a better attack. 

Intriguing Features of Kena: Bridge of Spirit 

They can be customized to put on different kinds of hats. These hats are gotten after a task is completed or after opening a chest. After you collect the hats, they will be available at the Rot Hat Cart. You can also buy them with the gems you earn throughout the game.  You can earn Karma when you complete tasks or when you find some kinds of collectibles. Karma is used for unlocking upgrades and abilities that will aid more powerful attacks.

Throughout the game, you will discover many mails from the spirit world, which are used to unlock areas within the world, and also used to free the spirits. There is also a meditation location where you can meditate to increase your health bar.  The rest of the game mainly features exploration and puzzles, which are entertaining and satisfying. The challenges are mild and won’t discourage players from playing the game. Players can easily go back to a safe spot if they fall. The puzzles are sure to keep players engaged as they enjoy the awesomeness of the Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

Conclusion 

I was impressed with the overall concept of Kena: Bridge of spirit. Although a few issues needed to be taken care of, the game shows a lot of promise. Improvements could be made in subsequent games and updates. The game has a DualSense controller feature that provides haptic feedback for Kena’s spirit bow. If you love the supernatural, action, and puzzles, you should consider playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits.