![]() ![]() It feels like a game meant for kids, not adults trying to recapture the joy of childhood, like myself. It’s about “restoring balance” and “letting go.” At one point, a character unironically tells you that “the land has begun to heal.” It’s as simple as a meme, which to me feels faintly condescending.īut then I see all the beautiful animation, the cutesy Rot creatures bouncing after Kena as she runs through more lush overgrowth, the photo mode with its built-in kiss emote. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is constantly telling you about its big themes. At the same time, its paper lanterns, animal statues, and torii gates gesture vaguely in the direction of Japan’s Shinto religion.Īdding to this feeling are the game’s many ecological platitudes. Everything from the percussive soundtrack, which continually flitters and quivers, to the Rot spirits themselves, is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s work, particularly Princess Mononoke. Unfortunately, the illusion is shattered somewhat by a lack of imagination and the absence of any original identity. With all its verdant forests, glowing mountain shrines, and mossy ruins, it feels like Kena: Bridge of Spirits desperately wants to be a game about the magic and mystery of nature. On top of Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ many combat trials and arenas, there are platforming sections with perfectly painted cliff edges, and environmental puzzles that require you to shoot distant targets in sequence, both of which feel like very familiar activities. They’re also how Kena levels up the more Rot creatures you find in the world, the more frequently you can use them and their powers in combat. They can also assist in exploration: They shift blocks around and rearrange statues to open up hidden areas. In a fight, the Rot can be used to pin enemies down - jumping atop a tree guardian’s back and smothering smaller foes - or to infuse a powerful hammer swing, bow shot, or bomb. You’ll accumulate dozens of these Rot over the course of the game, customizing them with funny hats, using them for puzzles, and unlocking a few more combat-related abilities. There are some lovely details here, with the creatures teleporting into positions of rest, constantly one step ahead of you, atop house furniture and rocks and logs. These friendly little fellows will dart away from Kena in order to show you the way and highlight interactive objects. Making things slightly more interesting are Kena’s companions, small creatures known as Rot. Enter an enclosed arena, kill contorted tree-things, burst the bulbs with a magical pulse, and cleanse the area. Over the course of the game, you’ll attain a few extra powers - turning your staff into a magical bow and the ability to throw a series of spirit bombs, to name a couple - but the setup for combat largely remains the same throughout. Movement is swift, platforming is non-aggravating, and the third-person combat is dancelike and bursting with energy. For the most part, this means eliminating all those red nodules that blight the land.įor what’s ostensibly an indie game made by an animation studio crossing over to the realm of video games for the first time, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a surprisingly slick affair. As Kena, a spirit guide who travels the land seeking to reunite the dead, usher spirits to the afterlife, and generally put things right, my top priorities are the forested valley and its health. It would be picturesque if not for all the gnarled purple roots strangling the life out of the place, and the fleshy bulbs pulsating a toxic red. Here, the Woodsmith is much more aggressive.I’m in the midst of another forest meadow. In Phase 2, the tether is gone and it’s just Kena versus the Corrupt Woodsmith. Other than that, you really just need to watch out for their hammer swings. However, it will also sometimes jump across the arena to do a ground pound-like attack that unleashes a circle that moves outwardly. Its main move is that lunge swipe we talked about earlier. However, let’s go over some of the Woodsmith’s moves. Keep doing this until you get the Corrupt Woodsmith’s health down to halfway. This should give you at least one full Courage circle, if not two. ![]() Be sure to jump over these and then prepare to take out two minions. After this, the Woodsmith will re-tether and some red laser-like rings will appear. We highly recommend using the Rot Hammer attack when the Woodsmith is down. This knocks the Corrupt Woodsmith down and you can lay into it with any and all attacks. Shoot that core three times (we recommend using focus and the slow-mo caused by jumping while aiming down sights to hit it three times easily) and the tether will be broken.
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