Kena: Bridge of Spirits, developer Ember Lab's new adventure game for PlayStation consoles and PC, is out now, and reviews for the game have arrived as well. To help you decide if the game is worth your time and money, we're collecting review scores and excerpts for Bridge of Spirits.
In our own Kena: Bridge of Spirits review, Phil Hornshaw praised the $40 game's combat, puzzles, and story. Hornshaw also lauded the game for its art direction and music in the 9/10 review.
Bridge of Spirits follows the story of a young woman, Kena, who is seeking out a sacred mountain shrine in an overgrown forest filled with trapped spirits. The world is populated by adorable little critters known as Rot, and collecting them helps give you more abilities.
Ember Lab was founded in 2009 by brothers Mike and Josh Grier, and the team initially worked on animation for partners like Coca-Cola and Major League Baseball before becoming a game studio and releasing Kena as its first game. Ember partnered with Sony to bring Bridge of Spirits to PlayStation exclusively on console, while the PC edition is only available on Epic's storefront.
For an even more detailed look, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
- Game: Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
- Developer: Embed Lab
- Release Date: September 21
- Price: $40
- Estimated Length: About 12 hours for the critical path [read more]
GameSpot -- 9/10
"It's about exploring a world and seeing what it once was, and helping to restore it again. And while Kena: Bridge of Spirits is full of familiar-feeling combat and exploration, its ability to find different ways to look at those ideas makes for a beautiful, emotional, and exciting journey." -- Phil Hornshaw [Full review]
Polygon
"Inspirations should always serve as a jumping-off point, something to build upon. But it often feels less like Kena: Bridge of Spirits was inspired by things, and more like it decided it could squish its beautifully realized world of magic and spirits into a ready-made mold. The result is a thoughtless blend; a hybridized paste. Vibrant and undoubtedly beautiful, Kena: Bridge of Spirits shows us every color in the spectrum. But strangely, it all feels brown--a muddy, grayish brown that comes from having mixed together every color on the palette." -- Ewan Wilson [Full review]
Hello there, little RotPress Start -- 8/10
"Kena: Bridge of Spirits makes a good impression. It balances simplicity and challenge while weaving a neatly-paced story into something that can be played over a chill couple of days. Despite fantastic production values it's still far from a AAA title--so it's important to keep expectations in check, but anyone looking to lose themselves in a charming, gorgeous world ripe for exploration should look no further. It's exactly what I needed right now--perfect cozy weekend entertainment." -- Kieron Verbrugge [Full review]
Eurogamer
"To me, Kena: Bridge of Spirits very much has first game syndrome--something with all the right ideas, weakened by their execution. If it does well--and given the fever with which it's been followed leading up to its release, I expect it will--it'll be because we often value AAA looks and mechanics more highly than attempts at innovation. I'm sure with this foundation Ember Lab has a great game in it, but this isn't it just yet." -- Malindy Hetfeld [Full review]
IGN -- 8/10
"With its elegantly simple combat and beautiful world, Kena: Bridge of Spirits harkens back to the days of the N64/GameCube-era Zeldas, Okami, and Star Fox Adventures, while also adding modern sensibilities and a distinct personal touch." -- Mitchell Saltzman [Full review]
Game Informer -- 9/10
"Bridge of Spirits stumbles a little in spots, yet confidently sprints into the heart of the adventure, rewarding the player with secrets galore and visuals that are almost always worth admiring. If you love Zelda-like games or are just looking for an experience that will make you smile every step of the way, you can't go wrong with Kena: Bridge of Spirits." -- Andrew Reiner [Full review]