Kena: Bridge of Spirits | open world | Adventure | Action | PC | game | mod play part 3
0Kena: Bridge of Spirits
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Game logo, featuring the name "Kena" in large, black letters, and the smaller "Bridge of Spirits" as a small subtitle. A small creature with two eyes sits on the bottom of the "K".
Developer(s) Ember Lab
Publisher(s) Ember Lab
Composer(s) Jason Gallaty
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Release September 21, 2021
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game developed and published by Ember Lab. The story follows Kena, a young spirit guide who uses her magical abilities to help deceased people move from the physical to the spirit world. The game is presented through a third-person perspective. The player uses Kena's staff for attacking enemies, and her pulse ability for defending against attacks. They are tasked with collecting small spirit companions known as the Rot, who help to complete tasks and battle against enemies.
The game's development was led by brothers Mike and Josh Grier, founders of Ember Lab. Having spent several years creating commercials and branded applications, the development team shifted to creating an original video game. They partnered with Sony Interactive Entertainment for a console-exclusive deal, and grew the team to 15 core employees. The game's art was created in collaboration with Vietnamese animation studio Sparx, and its fictional world is inspired by Eastern locations such as Japan and Bali. The original score was composed by Jason Gallaty, who collaborated with Balinese ensemble group Gamelan Çudamani to create respectful gamelan music.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was showcased at the Tribeca Film Festival; reception to the demo was positive. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on September 21, 2021.
Contents
1 Gameplay
2 Synopsis
3 Development
4 Reception
5 References
Gameplay
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective.[1] The player controls Kena, a young spirit guide with magical abilities.[2] In combat, the player uses Kena's staff for light, heavy, and charged attacks. An upgrade transforms the staff into a bow. When defending against enemies, the player can activate Kena's pulse ability, which acts as a shield and has a health meter that depletes when attacked;[3] it also serves to provide clues and activate objects.[4] The player is tasked with collecting small spirit companions known as the Rot.[2] They can be directed to complete tasks, such as moving objects, taking certain shapes, or distracting enemies. The player must damage enemies before the Rot builds enough courage to join battles. The Rot can be customized with different hats.[3] The game utilizes the DualSense controller's haptic feedback for features such as Kena's Spirit Bow.[2]
Synopsis
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is set in a fictional location which is not Kena's place of origin.[3] The main village, which acts as the game's hub world, is abandoned at the beginning of the game, having been struck by a tragedy hundreds of years earlier. Throughout the game, Kena restores the area to an improved state.[4] In the game's lore, deceased people can remain between the physical and spirit worlds if they are traumatized or feel unfinished. As a spirit guide, Kena tries to understand their difficulties and help them to move on.[3] Kena has a scar from her hand to her shoulder, which represents a traumatic experience with her father that will be explored in the game.[5] Other characters include Saiya and Beni, two young children whose teenage brother, Taro, is a restless spirit who Kena helps.[4]
Development
The fictional world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits is inspired by Eastern locations such as Japan and Bali.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was developed by Ember Lab, a 14-person independent studio based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2009 by brothers Mike and Josh Grier, the studio has worked on several animated commercials and branded game applications, and in 2016 released a viral short film based on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask titled Terrible Fate.[2] The development team felt that creating a video game was the "natural next step".[6] Along with a small team, Mike used his experience with programming to create a prototype over several years, before employing staff with more extensive development experience.[4] Once the prototype was complete, the team began pitching to potential publishing partners with assistance from industry veteran Tina Kowalewski. They found that several publishers were familiar with their work on Terrible Fate. Around eight months after their first round of pitching, Ember Lab signed a console-exclusive deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment. The team grew to 15 core employees, with additional help outsourced to other studios.[4]