Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Beautiful, kindhearted adventure has a great female hero.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Parent and Kid Reviews
What’s It About?
KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS is set in a lush forest world where trapped and confused spirits sometimes need a little assistance moving on. Players take on the role of Kena, a young spirit guide whose job is to find and help these spirits do what they need to do. When she encounters a couple of kids from a deserted village whose brother needs her help, she begins an adventure that will see her learn more about the spirits she helps, her sacred duty, and the world in which she lives. She makes lots of friends along the way, including scores of small, smiling black blobs referred to as "Rot," which gladly follow along and do her bidding by moving heavy objects, purifying corrupted plant life, and even assisting in battles. The fights that Kena gets into are typically against aggressive creatures in wooden bodies. She uses her magic staff to thrust and swipe at them, while also calling on its power to transform into a bow and create a spherical energy shield to block and parry incoming attacks. When not in combat, the staff -- and additional earned items, such as a mask that unlocks gates and reveals things hidden in the world -- becomes a valuable aid as she explores her surroundings, releasing magic energy in pulses to find clues and currency (glowing blue shards) as well as to activate objects. The currency Kena collects can be spent on a variety of items, perhaps the most fun of which are little hats for her Rot friends, which help distinguish them from one another.
Is It Any Good?
Only the soggiest of wet blankets would come away from a game like this unmoved. Despite its ostensibly dark theme -- helping spirits move on from this world -- Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an exceptionally colorful, upbeat, and lighthearted play. It's anchored by Kena, a terrific new protagonist in the world of games. She's smart, strong, and courageous, but also empathetic and kindhearted. Her good nature is infectious, both among side characters she meets -- who instantly warm to her -- and among players, who are bound to feel drawn to someone so wholesome and selfless. She's a perfect fit for the game's world, a verdant landscape filled with forests and clearings, rivers and waterfalls. That part of Kena's adventure sees her restoring natural colors and life to troubled areas of this world only makes her mission feel that much more decent and worthwhile.
Of course, her peaceful probing to find the spirits she needs to help is sometimes interrupted by combat and puzzles. The battles can be challenging (don't worry, you can knock down difficulty in the menu whenever you like), but they're also satisfying, thanks to tight controls and a steady influx of new abilities -- such as transforming the staff into a bow -- that help keep players on their toes and provide new powers to master. The brainteasers may turn out to be a bit tougher for some players to deal with. You're not always given much guidance or many clues to figure out what you need to do, or even that you're in an area that requires you to put your puzzle caps on. If you get stuck, chances are you need to start thinking differently, using all of Kena's skills and magic to figure out what you should do or where you need to go. If the occasionally cryptic puzzles don't turn you off, there's not much else that will. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a fine adventure with a refreshingly upbeat vibe, gorgeous graphics, and a great new video game hero.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen time. It's easy to get caught up in Kena: Bridge of Spirits' large and inviting world, which isn't broken into traditional levels and quests. How do you decide when to take breaks in games like these?
What do you think happens to people and animals that pass on? Do you feel like Kena: Bridge of Spirits taps into any sort of figurative or literal truth about spirituality?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Ember Lab
- Release date: September 21, 2021
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
- ESRB rating: T for Fantasy Violence
- Last updated: September 27, 2021
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