Kena: Bridge of Spirts - Preview of a magical adventure

The PS5 The Future of Gaming, which was held several today ago, was a conference that managed to impress spectators very positively. This is not due to the much talked about futuristic design of the console, especially to the choice of products that Sony Interactive Entertainment has decided to present for the occasion. In addition to first party productions such as Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart or Horizon Forbidden West, the Japanese company has in fact decided to show third-party titles very different from the classic triple A such as an Assassin's Creed or any Call of Duty to which we are now accustomed. An example that we intend to analyze, among the products of the second category previously mentioned, is Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

The creativity of Ember Lab

Developed by the guys from Ember Lab (known to be the masterminds behind the shorts Majora's Mask - Terrible Fate and Dust), this title seems to bring to light a story-driven action adventure dynamic and exploratory at the same time. As the announcement trailer for this work shows our eyes, as we explore a vast and colorful game world we can interact with strange black beings called Red. These shy and elusive little creatures may be not only the beating heart of the narrative but also of the gameplay, since by finding them in the game world, our protagonist will be able to enhance his skills and change the surrounding environment to its advantage.

However, some of these spirits have been corrupted by a dark curse, and this is where the dynamic comes into play combat system by Kana: Bridge of Spirts. We specify that the development team has really shown little of this gameplay mechanics, but we can already notice how Kena manages to use a particular cue that is able not only to attack enemies directly, but can even turn into an arc, repel the opponents and even release a special attack that can be activated with a shout.

Speaking of the narrative sector of the experience, the setting and the tones seem quite colorful with an atmosphere that is very much like an animated production for children. However, according to the interview carried out during the Future Game Show, developers Micheal Grier (Chief Creative Officer) and Josh Grier (Chief Operating Officer) mentioned how the "Mood" of the adventure is actually much darker than you might expect at first. The plot tells of Kena, a spirit guide who, shortly after arriving in a strange and forgotten village, must save spirits who have been captured or corrupted from an ancient curse. The premise therefore seems very banal, almost a pretext to lead us to discover this narrative universe by facing environmental puzzles, fights and pure but simple exploration. In reality, Kena: Bridge of Spirits could hide a much more complex story than we might expect, and this we can notice not only with the declaration of the Grier brothers but also in a few moments of the cinematics that have been shown.

A journey that runs through two generations

Few have noticed that the game is not exclusive PlayStation 5, but it will also come up PC - through the rumored Epic Game Store - and even on PlayStation 4. This makes us understand that we are not in front of an experience designed to fully exploit Sony's fifth home console, but the developers have nonetheless reassured that the title benefit from the features of PlayStation 5 such as, for example, those of the controller called DualSense. Unfortunately, we cannot currently discuss further this first videogame work by Emeber Lab, but we are curious to find out more information on Kana's adventure, such as its release date or a hypothetical arrival on Xbox Series X and Xbox One.