REVIEW : Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PC)
While the game is now 100% complete for the sake of our complete walkthrough, we can finally give you our opinion on the game that many consider being the nugget of this end of September. If the artistic direction of the title immediately intoxicated us, we must admit that the rest was very mysterious and we did not know what we were going to embark on. Too short lifespan, too simplistic gameplay and other unknowns suggested that Kena Bridge of Spiritscould be either wildly successful or a total flop. Finally, the title of Ember Lab pleasantly surprised us, and this in many respects. Scenario, gameplay, atmosphere, handling, lifespan… Let’s take stock now.
Kena, a title that invents nothing but still surprises
If it is not the Triple-A of the year or even a revolution in its gameplay, this indie game is a nice title that can make an impression and it does not have to be ashamed in front of the greatest.
Speaking of wit, Kena delivers a storyline that’s both colourful and terrifyingly dark. As a guardian of the spirits, the adventurer must explore the different regions to carry out two main missions: to help the dead so that they feel free to leave for the afterlife and to do her best to revitalize nature. decaying. If the game does not display a moral concerning the pollution of the world, as in Biomutant for example, it does however address important subjects which will not go unnoticed. Moreover, Ember Lab is very talented in the creation of animated short films, one could imagine that long cutscenes à la Pixarwould come at any time to disturb us during the adventure, but it is not so. These are well-dosed and arrive at the right time, whenever we need them to advance the scenario.
With a lifespan of around 15 hours to complete the main scenario and a few extra hours to collect all the resources at 100%, Kena may be a little short but that’s not to displease. It feels good to finally be able to finish a game in just a few days.
Fortunately, the redundancy of the quests offered is quickly forgotten thanks to the new skills that are unlocked as you go along and the obtaining of new weapons such as the bow or the bomb. Without spoiling you too much, the title is full of very pleasant little surprises and often very different puzzles. Sometimes you have to look up to find some kind of grapple flower, other times you have to activate crystals to unlock doors or throw bombs on rocks so that they turn into platforms temporarily. Once the mechanics are understood (everything blue must be activated), the title becomes far too simple. This can be countered by the different difficulty modes present: of course, the puzzles will remain the same but the monsters will be much more complex to beat.
In Story mode, the game is far too simple. On the other hand, as soon as you switch to Normal Mode, you realize that, as in Dark Souls, if the parries are not made at the right time, the fight is lost in advance.
Moreover, the real challenge does not lie in understanding the puzzles but rather in the ability to use the right actions at the right time. To do this, Kena has a range of upgrades available for her different weapons, but also Rot actions. Shoot an additional arrow, perform a charged attack from the air, slow down time, freeze enemies… All of this will be necessary to successfully defeat certain Bosses and access secret passages.
To improve her skills, Kena will need to obtain Karma points. These points are hidden in the world: you can find them either by feeding your Burps with the various vegetables and fruits on your way or by restoring nature (destroying corruption, freeing a sanctuary from flowers or replacing stone statues in a good place). In short, the activities are rather varied and there is plenty to do.
The diversity is also felt in the different types of enemies present in the game. If all have weak points in the form of yellow crystals, it will be necessary to propose the right strategy to defeat them. Some only kill themselves from a distance, others by shooting an arrow through the heart, still others only by debilitating them with a bomb, and still others by breaking their shields with heavy blows. The combat system, in its manoeuvrability and its animations, makes us think of that of Immortals Fenyx Rising. Very fluid, the fights are pleasant although a little difficult in Master and Normal mode.
Tons of things to do?
The trailers didn’t lie, Kena offers stunning graphics for an indie game and a charming soundscape which, however, may prove to be heady if you play for several hours in a row. And what would Kena be without these adorable little black fur balls? It’s probably the Rots that give the title all the cachet. Having to find a hundred critters hidden in the different regions is undoubtedly a secondary objective that players will want to prioritize. The fact that the Rots follow us and enlarge their pack as we find them is quite enjoyable. Not to mention the fact that you can dress them up in cute little hats to tell them apart. Unfortunately, when reaching a certain number, the Burps no longer accumulate behind us and the hats worn are then randomly chosen when the creatures appear on the screen. It’s a shame but understandable: to appear sixty critters on the screen would simply have been embarrassing for the player who often has to move from platform to platform.
In a real adventure game, Kena offers fights against various monsters, the search for resources but also a course with many platforms and puzzles. The main scenario is rather linear and there are almost no secondary quests except the famous search for collectables in the world. The search for resources is very important, it is also a pity to see that the game map does not have markers. It would have been interesting to be able to put stamps on the map to remember such a sanctuary or such other location of Rot for example.
Fortunately, the world offers different teleport points in different areas so that you can return to them whenever you want and travel faster.
In the meantime, the game’s only third-party feature is Photo Mode. While it’s not much use on its own, it’s still fun to be able to photograph the beautiful landscapes of the game with the Burps.
In terms of handling, everything is very fluid and intuitive. The only criticism that could be made is in the handling of Burps when in Cloud mode. This is an important skill that will allow you to unlock many passages during your adventure. Unfortunately, the movement of the Burps is rather finicky and it is difficult to control the camera, the Cloud of Burps and the character at the same time. It comes with time but the first hours are quite catastrophic on this point.
