Kena is a new development studio that has been working on a game called Bridge of Spirits. The game is set to release in 2019 and it will be one of the first blockchain-powered games to hit the market.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a great beginning for a new development studio with a bright future. The game was first released on Steam and has been garnering positive reviews since it’s release.
If you grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, you may recall how much was made of video games that looked like Pixar movies. That was the goal for everyone back in the days of the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Since then, we’ve had a few games that fit that description, but I don’t believe any of them do it quite as well as Kena: Bridge of Spirits. I was constantly impressed by the quality of Ember Lab’s first game’s cutscenes and gameplay throughout my playthrough, but that’s not all there is to enjoy here.
A good tale that makes you want to read more.
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits tells the story of Kena, the newest spirit guide in a long line of spirit guides. Spirit guides visit recently departed individuals who are having difficulty passing on and provide assistance. Kena learns about a new ghost suffering themself in each chapter of the game, which requires the player to navigate their way through corrupt regions. Along the journey, the player will battle demonic creatures linked to that spirit’s suffering, as well as meet and learn about the individuals who are connected to that spirit.
Another highlight of the trip is learning about these individuals and how they would interact with one another. When NPCs appeared in the environment, I was always eager to speak to them. I was interested not just in learning about their relationships, but also in hearing what they had to say about the environment in which they lived.
The story’s main flaw for me is that we don’t learn enough about Kena. She’s a fantastic heroine who hints to her family history, but all I want now is a sequel game or film that focuses on her rather than the others she encounters.
Playing style is simple, however it might be enhanced.
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Every aspect of Kena: Bridge of Souls’ gameplay is simple to grasp. Your tiny companions, The Rot, will move things around for you, enabling you to access new places at your command, and they are crucial in clearing up corruption locations throughout the country. Overall, world exploration and puzzle solving are enjoyable, but I wouldn’t say it accomplishes anything particularly noteworthy. The Rot will typically bring an item someplace for you to engage with as a puzzle. There’s not much else, but it’s still entertaining. However, I believe the game falters when it comes to combat engagements.
For starters, bosses have very high difficulty spikes. Normal opponents will be quickly dispatched, with the majority of them being defeated in a matter of seconds. However, all bosses, whether major or minor, are tanks that can not only absorb a lot of damage but also kill you swiftly. Dodge rolls and a shield that can deflect blows if used at the right moment make up your defense, although I found both of these to be unreliable.
I could never get the parry to function consistently for some reason. I swear I was researching boss techniques and hitting the shield right before contact throughout all of my boss runs, yet it would work one time and totally fail the next. Dodge rolls were the same way; they were sometimes a wonderful method to escape damage, but they were also occasionally impossible to avoid. They were, however, more dependable than the shield and parry.
The game does give you an additional hit before killing you each time, but I believe this is the dev team’s way of saying, “Sorry, our fighting is a bit weird.” It’s the same as when a platformer places lives in front of a part that requires a little of luck to pass.
Your offensive choices are very restricted. You can use your staff for light and heavy strikes, as well as transform it into a bow for distant attacks, but there isn’t much more. If a sequel is ever made, I’m interested to see what sort of innovative features Ember Lab might devise to make combat seem more dynamic. More intriguing improvements would be a nice place to start. There’s nothing I’d recommend buying once you’ve leveled up by discovering Rots. There are a few pleasant improvements, but the upgrade system as a whole is barebones and forgettable. I wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t so much fun to discover The Rot concealed throughout the globe.
It all boils down to those expressions.
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ visuals and animations are, at the end of the day, its greatest selling feature. Cutscenes are all well-made, with engaging people and settings that draw you in. It makes me want want this team to create a full-length film set in this universe. If you’re unaware, Ember Lab also created a short movie called Terrible Fate for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which was fantastic, so seeing the quality put into the cutscenes of Bridge of Spirits doesn’t surprise me. The crew is clearly most at ease when it comes to creating a stunning setting and using it to propel the narrative ahead. I’d want to see them go further into this universe and Kena’s character.
Entire, my problems with Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ fighting did not detract from my enjoyment of the overall trip. The dramatic value of this game is unrivaled. After investing time in Kena, I find myself yearning for more, whether it’s in the form of a video game or another medium.
| + | Playing a Pixar movie is the closest you’ll ever get. |
| + | From Kena and The Rot to everyone they encounter along the road, the characters are fantastic. |
| + | It’s enjoyable to solve puzzles and go across the globe. |
| – | More protagonist-centered stories are needed. |
| – | Boss battles will put your patience to the test. |
| – | While upgrades are still beneficial, they are often unsatisfactory. |
The publisher supplied a code that was used to write this review.
