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The reviews for Kena: Bridge of Spirits so far are looking very good. The PS5 is having a renaissance with platformers in 2021. This homage to The Legend of Zelda and Pikmin is not without problems though. The positives far outweigh the negatives but both topics are worth going through.
10 Best: Graphics
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a showcase for the PS5. There is so much beauty to behold in this game even though a lot of it has become corrupt due to a curse. Freeing these wastelands and turning them back into lush green pastures or forests is a feeling that never got old.
It really is a lot like Okami. The cutscenes make it look like a Pixar film. It is that good. Sometimes the frame rate can dip but other than that, it is movie quality.
9 Worst: Uneven Platforming
The platforming can be a little uneven in the game. Jumping around feels good as does climbing cliff sides. It’s like a more light-hearted and cartoon-like take on Uncharted. The downside side is that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the type of game that has platforming demanding pixel-perfect precision.
If players don’t time their jumps just right, they will either plummet to their death or just have to attempt a long process all over again. It’s not broken, but it could be more lenient.
8 Best: Spirit Guiding
Kena is a spirit guide but all that means is that she is a reaper. Her quest in the game is to guide spirits to the afterlife. Each area contains one or multiple scenarios on people she must free.
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Some of them take a while, like Taro, but the climax for Taro, and others, are well worth the effort. These are the emotional stories that bind this game together. It’s hard not to cry sometimes.
7 Worst: Kena
The downside to the story is that it is hard to connect with Kena. The protagonist of any game should be the best, or at least one of the best, characters in the experience. The game is seen through her eyes and players thus spend every waking minute with her.
She is kind but she isn’t charismatic. She’s pretty straightforward. Eventually, more of her backstory will open up to give players some idea of what her motivation is but it’s not enough to form a true connection which is not great for any game’s story.
6 Best: The Rot
The Rot were manufactured to be adorable just like the Minions were created to sell stuff. Even though it is obvious, it’s still hard not to fall in love with these little guys. The best part about them is that they can’t die.
They don’t say anything so it’s not like one can form a bond with one Rot and not the other. They are a collective. Even though they don’t say anything they tend to show more emotional capacity than Kena which is both a plus and a minus for the game.
5 Worst: Crystals Are Kind Of Worthless
There are basically two types of currencies in the game. One allows players to buy new moves for Kena such as an ability to slow down time with her bow. The other comes in the form of crystals and they are more plentiful.
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The problem is that they are mostly a way to buy costumes for the Rot early on in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Every Rot can be equipped with a hat or some other accessory. These accessories don’t increase stats or anything like that so they can feel like filler.
4 Best: Photo Mode
PS5 games, and the console brand in general, are really knocking it out of the park with their photo modes. Granted this isn’t a first-party property, but it feels like one. The photo mode may not have the wealth of options as other PS5 games, but Kena: Bridge of Spirits is very close.
Thanks to the load times, players can pop in and out of photo mode in a flash. It’s hard not to stop every few steps to snap a quick picture because of how good everything looks.
3 Worst: Unclear Goals
One of the worst things that can grind players to a halt in any game is not knowing what to do next. Kena: Bridge of Spirits has some obscure puzzles. There is no hint system either. There are markers on the map pointing players toward objectives but sometimes those goals have to be completed after other tasks are met.
It’s like a puzzle inside of a puzzle. This means that sometimes it is unclear if players don’t have the resources to solve a puzzle, or if they are just missing something obvious. The game is split 50/50 between easy-to-understand goals and more obscure ones, which isn’t bad. It can still lead to frustration like some of the best puzzle games out there.
2 Best: The Music
The music does a good job of creating different mood settings in the game. The exploring melodies are fun and bouncy while the battle themes get players in the mood for conflict. Every piece in the game compliments the actions taken onscreen.
It may not be the line of music gamers would want to play in their cars on repeat. The score is better served as an accompaniment to playing the game and there is no shame in that. It is still a soundtrack that ranks high with the best of them.
1 Worst: Uneven Voice Cast
Not everything with the sound design in Kena: Bridge of Spirits is fantastic. The voice work, in English, is a little uneven. This is part of the problem with Kena as her delivery is quiet without passion.
The beginning children spirits also feel like they are literal children which is both good and bad. No voice delivery in this game is going to become part of a meme legacy. There are actually some outstanding performances but overall the voice quality is just okay.
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits was released on September 21, 2021, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 4.
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