What is Kena: Bridge of Spirits?
When Ember Lab’s debut game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, released on PlayStation 4 & 5 in Fall 2021, it was a magical experience. Combining the best of team mastery of stellar Pixar-level animation and fun action/adventure gameplay, calling back to classic early 2000’s adventures, it was a wonderful experience.
Fast forward a few years, and Ember Lab brings Kena’s adventure to Nintendo owners on Switch 2. After spending a lot of time with this handheld rendition of the adventure, I walk away impressed at the quality on offer.
Publisher/Developer: Ember Labs
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date: September 21st, 2021 (PlayStation Versions), March 26th, 2026 (Switch 2)
Price: $39.99
Reviewed On Nintendo Switch 2
Revisiting the Past – Original LogNet Review
When Lords of Gaming originally covered Kena: Bridge of Spirits, seasoned writer Eugene Schaffmeir said the following about the title.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an emotionally evocative game. It will make you laugh, just as easily as it will make you cry. In Kena, you play as a Spirit Guide. Your job is to transport spirits to another realm of existence. On your journey, things go wrong, darkness takes over the realm you reside in. You are tasked with cleaning up the mess while helping to guide someone home. The story progresses evenly through each chapter of the game, right up to the very end. I love what they have done in terms of delivering the story to the player.
It left a strong impression, but how does the experience hold up years later?
Following the Winds – Story/Premise
Following the adventures of Kena, a spirit guardian who is tasked with helping souls move on, it’s impressive how it uses its animation to tell the story, just as much as the voice acting and musical score.
The little touches during story sequences, when you see Kena’s face make an accurate expression, or when the adorable rot creatures interact with Kena and other characters, add a layer of personality to the experience I appreciated.
Regarding the actual story itself, the theme of ‘letting go’ and ‘moving on’ is felt during the game’s major story sequences. One example was an early chapter when Kena had to help someone move on, leaving behind their younger siblings. They journey with Kena during this section of the game, so accepting that loss is important for all parties involved.
Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and greatly appreciated how earnest Kena’s personality was conveyed across the adventure.
Cute Little Guys – Exploration
By far the biggest highlight of the experience was running around and exploring the beautiful world of Bridge of Spirits. The platforming controls are simple (with Kena only able to jump and climb across white-painted objects), but the act of using your adorable Rot allies to solve puzzles, open up chests, and more was fun.
Some examples of the game’s enjoyable puzzle-solving included asking my Rot allies to move some pillars around, creating platforms for Kena to jump across.
And having a keen eye is important, as opening up chests, shooting blue-colored objects with your arrows, and finding red chests for hidden combat encounters, is key to powering up Kena for later combat encounters via a limited but fun skill tree.
You can also use the game’s currency to buy hats for the Rot. I loved having my little rot fellas wearing fox-and-flower hats as we explored. You can even smell the roses and interact with them, giving the little guys the attention they deserve.
As a pet owner, this warmed my heart, and I used this gameplay feature (even though it didn’t offer any in-game rewards) more often than I would admit.
Clensing the Soul – Combat
Breaking up the fun exploration is the engaging combat system. Starting out, it appears to have a limited sense of depth. Kena can use light attacks (R) and heavy attacks (ZR), but she can eventually have the Rot stun foes for a short while and gain access to a bow & arrow for long-distance targets.
But as you power up the skill tree, you can get more powerful attacks, and by collecting Rot, you can get extra ‘action slots’, letting you perform more actions in combat with the Rot. Later on, this is immensely helpful, as they can be used for a lot. The Rot can activate special flowers to heal Kena as well, so having more action slots is helpful.
The game also has a block/parry function, and nailing this feels rewarding. But your general block is generous, and rolling away from attacks is also effective.
One combat highlight was during the early portion of the adventure, where I had to juggle rolling away from attacks, careful blocking, and skillful usage of Rot abilities.
Presentation
There is the saying of the ‘Pixar-like’ visual experience. And when Kena: Bridge of Spirits was released in 2021, it easily matched that saying. Here’s what Lord Gene said about the visuals in his original 2021 review.
It is difficult to begin any discussion of Kena, pronounced Kay-Nah, without first discussing the visuals. It is not rare to see a publisher use CGI trailers to overstate the visual fidelity of their game. Yet with Kena, this is not the case. Kena is the real deal and looks every bit as good as advertised. The lighting is some of the best I have ever seen in an E-rated adventure game. The visuals are on par with 2021 AAA platformers Psychonauts 2, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
And years later, his comments still hold up. The world of Kena is brimming with lush grasslands, outright stunning landscapes to run through, and animation polished to a sheen. Little details go the extra mile, such as the extensive use of squash and stretch for the Rot, or how part of Kena (like her hair and clothing) move with every step she takes.
Performance on Switch 2
I’m proud to report that the Switch 2 version of the adventure carries over much of the visual makeup present in the PlayStation 4 and 5 versions of the game. There are some cut-backs, which Digital Foundry highlights during their time with the experience, but for me, the game looked great in Handheld Mode.
It looks sharp, the frame rate runs at a smooth 30 FPS, and combat felt responsive. For Switch 2 owners looking for a stable experience, this delivers one.
Soundtrack
Enhancing the game’s strong presentation is an equally effective audio experience. The soundtrack has a distinct, otherworldly vibe that pulls you in the moment you press start.
Powerful usage of instruments, like grums and soft strings, helps emotionally connect you to the underlying somber, but hopeful, vibe of the world in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The music also gives additional character to the cast, with one example being the Rot. Musical themes centered on them sound hopeful with cute chimes and bells, adding to the cute factor of the little guys.
The game’s central combat theme is fantastic too, maintaining the musical identity present in the other tracks but adding more urgency with drums and other instruments.
Audio
Other aspects of the game’s audio presentation stand out, too, with sound effects for Kena’s jump and attacks having impact. All the sound effects from the little Rot guys warmed my heart, too, matching their cute animations.
Regarding overall voice acting, it’s solid and does well to convey the emotions of Kena and other prominent characters. Kena’s voice matches the character perfectly, as it can be stern when the situation calls for it, but when interacting with more friendly NPCs and the Rot, she has this softer tone to her.
Closing Thoughts on Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a natural fit for the Nintendo Switch 2, being a heartfelt adventure that honors the past and is being polished to a tee. Featuring a stunning presentation that largely holds up on Nintendo’s hybrid handheld and enjoyable gameplay, this is one spiritual journey worth taking.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
This game was provided by the publisher for this review
Pros:
- Strong Pixar film esc presentation
- Fun platforming and combat
- Runs well at a stable 30 FPS
- Music and overall audio are a highlight
- The story is engaging
Cons:
- Some visual cut-backs from the PS4/PS5 version
