Kena: Bridge of Spirits Review – A Bridge Too Far? (XBox Series X)

Originally released on the Playstation 5 in 2021, Kena: Bridge of Spirits dazzled audiences with its Pixar-like animation quality and the soothing and gentle tale of connection and restoring peace and tranquility. Now, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is opening itself up to a newer audience with its transition to the Xbox Series S/X, but does it carry the same charms as it did for Playstation gamers three years ago, or is time for deforestation?

Celebrated for its gorgeous art style and its modest caring themes, Kena: Bridge of Spirits has garnered a respectable reception from critics and fans alike, which has now made it an exciting new title for Xbox gamers to clamor about due to its long-awaited arrival on the platform. There’s plenty in Bridge of Spirits to embrace and to relish in, so gamers can truly soak in its elegant natural landscapes. Bridge of Spirits isn’t without its qualms and hangups though, yet anybody appreciating a good yarn and an absorbing adventure shouldn’t be disappointed.

A defining trait of Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the cleansing of a corrupted world. You play as the titular Kena, a spirited and plucky spirit guide whose responsibility is to help the deceased move along safely from the physical to the spirit world, and address any conflicts and hardships that prevent them from transitioning smoothly. A blight known as The Corruption threatens to contort the land into an unpleasant grey misery-scape

Kena’s journey is supported by The Rot, essentially little minions who assist Kena with her job. These portly and adorable urchins look like jolly fat fruits of the forest, but their usefulness runs much deeper than you might think, as they can prove very handy for Kena’s puzzle and problem-solving exploits. The Rot assists you when you need to climb to higher otherwise-unreachable ledges by bundling together and bolstering you upward. They’re also utilized to close the summoning flowers that spill out corrupted hostile creatures, gathering together to plug the flower’s head and then on your command the Rot destroy the flower, and return the surrounding environment to its vibrant and glistening former glory.

Besides looking as ravishing as it most-evidently does, Bridge of Spirits is an inviting adventure when it comes to exploration. Whether you’re searching for new Rot to add to your crew, or going off the beaten path and finding hidden treasure chests strewn throughout the world, Bridge of Spirits encourages you to venture off and soak in the lusciousness of its world.

Lamentably, Bridge of Spirits diminishes itself somewhat when combat enters the fray. Kena brandishes her staff for use in combat, enabling her to perform light, heavy and charged flurries. While she’s adept at swinging and connecting with a satisfying force, Bridge of Spirits often find itself juxtaposing the beauty and serenity of its world when the combat decides to get mean and exacting. Kena’s life bar isn’t very big, and if your corrupted foes are able to damage Kena enough with their brutal lunging attacks, she’ll keel over and you’ll need to retry the encounter again. Boss fights can be overly tough too, which once again undoes the easygoing vibes Bridge of Spirits seems to echo as you explore and journey to replenish its majestic lands.

You could argue that the juxtaposition that exists between how Bridge of Spirits presents itself, and the demands of the combat are coherent with the divide between the lush and untainted landscapes, and those pockets of land devoured by the corruption. However, when you spend the majority of combat cutting down enemies with lengthy red health bars, it begins to feel as though Bridge of Spirits abides by one of the most egregious cliches in modern video games-because whittling down big red health bars is cumbersome and is a needlessly time consuming chore.

Furthermore, your staff has a parry attack that you’ll need to time, but the twinkle that appears at the apex of the charge is so fleeting it’s literally a “bling and you’ll miss it” occurrence, so you’ll need some super-sharp timing skills to nail it down.

The way Kena recovers health is needlessly cumbersome too, as you’ll need to gather up rot to strike glowing blue healing flowers, which requires targeting that can be wayward and frustrating to use. A simpler, more streamlined healing mechanic would’ve done wonders, especially when the threat of taller, more menacing foes became a hindrance to Kena’s supple body.

While combat in Bridge of Spirits is passable and can be rewarding, there are one too many spikes and slip-ups that foregoing or forgetting combat altogether would’ve been desirable, which is quite sad because the effort Bridge of Spirits puts forward in other ways is truly breathtaking from an artistic standpoint, but its clear way more effort has been made to make Bridge of Spirits look great, and not so much attention has been paid to ensure that the combat is engrossing.

Another problem pertains to collectible crystals you’ll obtain along the way as a form of in-game currency. These crystals are used to purchase fancy clothing for the cute little Rot critters, but the downside is that’s all these crystals are used for, meaning that this currency is throwaway and isn’t put to any meaningful use.

One other nagging issue pertains to Bridge of Spirits’ lack of wit and charm. While it is gentle and sweet, and there are wholesome and beautiful aspects within, it would have been nice if it had a sense of humour or something exacting to give off a more impactful impression. Even so, it’s still a relatable adventure that deserves respect.

The beauty inherent in Bridge of Spirits’ fantastical world can’t be understated. It’s simply jaw-dropping to witness the level of detail on display, whether your eyes are caressed by the ripples of the flowing river waters, or you’re drinking in the blissful forests and fervent landscapes, Bridge of Spirits truly is a showpiece and one of the best-looking games you’ll find on a Series S/X console. The soundtrack is lovely too and adds meaningfully to Bridge of Spirits’ rich ambience.

All-in-all, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a beautiful and wholly pleasant adventure with a gentle spirit, a meaningful story and delightful little Rot creatures. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more pleasing-looking game on Xbox hardware, and that’s a wonderful attribute to have. However, the combat whilst functional and enjoyable to some degree, is held back by aggressive enemies and bosses that juxtaposes the game’s tone too nefariously, the healing system is tedious in how frustrating it can be, and while the spirit of Bridge of Spirits is well-meaning, it could’ve done with more of a personality. Still, Bridge of Spirits is a very worthwhile game to explore and become engrossed in, just be warned that its corrupted side can undress its most serene and alluring qualities.