January has been a bit more chaotic than I had anticipated. However, amidst the madness, I was able to beat and thoroughly enjoy Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It was an excellent way to kick off my year and made a great addition to the list of games I have completed. I honestly beat it a few weeks ago but have slowly been picking at my piece about it while juggling everything else.
A Young Spirit Guide
As the title might suggest, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is about a young spirit guide named, Kena. While her journey isn’t terribly long, I fell in love with Kena as I played through this title. Her kindness to the many spirits she encounters is contagious. As the story progresses, you begin to see the reason she became a spirit guide which only further instilled my love for her.
Without spoiling anything, Kena’s story was heartfelt and genuine. While saving the souls she encountered, she also began to save herself. I thought that was incredibly brilliant storytelling. As you play through the game you’ll not only feel at peace with how you leave each character, but Kena will relate to them in some meaningful way. This only made me fall in love with her more. It reminded me a lot of myself because even when I am in pain, I can’t help but want to help those around me.
When Kena begins her journey she is certainly still a young spirit guide. With the help of the spirits she meets along the way, she is able to better harness her powers and become a fully realized spirit guide. Along the way she faces many obstacles but as she prevails, she proves to herself just how much she is capable of. This progression is reflected both in the story and by way of her skill tree. It is a simple skill tree, but it does its job. It isn’t too flashy or confusing and it doesn’t pull players out of the game to comprehend it.
The Helpful Rot
Spirits are not the only helpful creatures that Kena meets throughout her adventure. Little fuzzy creatures called the Rot gravitate toward her and offer Kena their assistance. Using them, Kena is able to perform powerful combat moves as well as interact differently with her environment.
This little companion feature reminded me of some of my favorite 3D platformers like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and of course, Mario. Much like Spyro’s trusty dragonfly, Spark or Mario’s companion F.L.U.U.D., the Rot help Kena navigate both the world around her as well as her feelings. They don’t speak but they don’t need to. Instead, they are simply there for her and sometimes that is all you need.
Much like in other 3D platformers, the Rot serve as a form of collectible, as well. The more Rot you collect the more power they will posses. This gave finding them a sense of purpose although I didn’t really need much more than the fact that they are super cute. Plus, they all got their own little animations when they were found which I just found simply amazing.
I’d have to say this was my favorite part of the game. Although I enjoyed it all, the Rot seemed to steal the show for me. They are so cute and incredibly helpful. The Rot are a huge part of the story in my opinion and Kena’s connection to them served her well. I enjoyed collecting every single one of them.
Trained In Combat
Although the Rot helped Kena quite a bit, she can hold her own in battle as well. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I am such a sucker for a strong female character. Kena is no exception. Combat is simple but fluid. There isn’t much to it but really, there doesn’t need to be. Controlling Kena feels like a dream which just makes combat that much more exciting.
I really enjoyed building up the Rots’ courage and unleashing powerful Rot imbued attacks. My favorite was probably the Rot hammer where Kena slams down a giant hammer and Rot fly out towards the enemy. It is a powerful attack with just a bit of range which made it quite versatile.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the amount of varying enemy types. Each came with their own weakness, requiring a bit of thought when attempting to expel them. One enemy was completely impenetrable unless you threw a bomb at him. At which point, the explosion would open him up and you could then shoot his weak point. This added difficulty more than made up for the combat’s simplicity. In fact, towards the end of the game, enemies were grouping together in ways that definitely did ramp up the difficulty.
Beautifully Unique Environments
Easily the most noticeable thing about Kena: Bridge of Spirits is its breathtaking visuals. This game is gorgeous and perfectly shows off what the PlayStation 5 is capable of doing. You can see every hair on the each Rot, every blade of grass and every flower petal. Honestly, this game may be one of the best-looking games I have had the privilege of playing.
I am not a graphics snob by any means, but I can certainly appreciate good graphics when they are in front of me. Time and time again though, games can sometimes look great and not play great but Kena: Bridge of Spirits does both. Each area was unique and full of lush plant life. Exploring the world of this game was another huge highlight for me. Every rotation of the camera brought me more awe-inspiring visuals. I couldn’t get enough of this game. Do yourselves a favor and give this one a try.
