Kena: Bridge of Spirits is as Charming and Challenging as it is Beautiful (Video Review)

Gamer CultureReviews
By Matt Malliaros
Less than 1 min. read

From the moment it was announced, Kena: Bridge of Spirits has been at the top of my most anticipated games list. You can even go back and check our previous lists here and here and you’ll find Kena right at the top of my top 5. So, as you might’ve guessed my expectations for this game were rather high.

I’m so happy to say that Ember Lab exceeded my expectations for what this game could be with a fantastic story, phenomenal animation, memorable characters, challenging gameplay, and a seemingly limitless landscape. Ember Lab absolutely knocked their debut game out of the park.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is without a doubt one of my favorite games of 2021 and a game I would wholeheartedly recommend as a must-play title.

To find out why, see my full review below:

Final Thoughts

There aren't many studios who can absolutely crush their debut game. Yet, Ember Lab managed to do just that. Using their animation background, they created a world that would fit in right at home with any top-tier Pixar film. More than that, though, they created an incredible story with memorable characters to make this world even more meaningful. They also brought in a voice actress to play their lead that is of Balinese and Japanese descent and an authentic Balinese musical ensemble, of which this game was inspired by. Thus, providing much needed representation. Finally, the combat mechanics are straight-forward but challenging with some innovative techniques. All in all, I can't get enough of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It's absolutely worthy of being called one of the best games of 2021.
4.5
OVERALL SCORE
Matt Malliaros
Matt Malliaros
RPG Gamer by Day, FPS Gamer by Night. Matt has been covering games for nearly a decade. The quickest way to his heart is discussing anything The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Naughty Dog, Bungie, just any game really. Also into movies, TV, travel, and anime.

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There aren't many studios who can absolutely crush their debut game. Yet, Ember Lab managed to do just that. Using their animation background, they created a world that would fit in right at home with any top-tier Pixar film. More than that, though, they created an incredible story with memorable characters to make this world even more meaningful. They also brought in a voice actress to play their lead that is of Balinese and Japanese descent and an authentic Balinese musical ensemble, of which this game was inspired by. Thus, providing much needed representation. Finally, the combat mechanics are straight-forward but challenging with some innovative techniques. All in all, I can't get enough of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It's absolutely worthy of being called one of the best games of 2021.Kena: Bridge of Spirits is as Charming and Challenging as it is Beautiful (Video Review)
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