Martin JørgensenPlay as Kena, a spirit guide who has followed in her father's footsteps and now seeks to help the land's restless spirits find peace. In Kena's culture, the deceased are given masks, and when the spirit leaves the body, the mask withers away — but some masks never wither, trapping the spirits of the dead in this world.
It seems the ultimate way for Kena to calm the spirits is by delivering powerful blows with her magical staff, shattering their corruption and breaking their hold.
Built in Unreal Engine — renowned for stunning, cinematic visuals
Kena: Bridge of Spirits was created in the acclaimed Unreal Engine.
Unreal Engine is developed by Epic Games — and of course you can download the game directly from the Epic Games Store if you already have an account.
Epic Games is one of the biggest game companies right now, thanks to the massive success of Fortnite. That means Kena is built on technology that can handle huge amounts of data and deliver some of the most beautiful games on the market.
Transform the world: bring color and light back to blighted areas
A core gameplay element — and narrative tool — is the world itself. The game features lush, colorful regions, but also gray, withered areas drained of energy and overrun by red, tumor-like growths. These clearly siphon the life (and color) from their surroundings, and it becomes your task to restore the world — both the physical realm and the spiritual one beyond.
Play on your windows computer, or your PlayStation
The game launched on some of the most powerful platforms on the market. As a PC player you’ll miss the haptic vibrations you get with a PlayStation controller, but it’s still a fantastic experience on PC.
You can buy the game for PlayStation 4 and 5 through this link. The PC download link can be found further down the page.
Build a squad of spirits that protect and help you
As you explore, you’ll encounter spirits called Rot. These small, black, furry creatures act a bit like pets — and look the part, too.
They’ll follow you on your adventures, and once you’ve gathered enough of them, you can command them to attack enemies and manipulate parts of the environment to overcome obstacles.
Upgrade your weapons — and put hats on your Rots
The game offers a handful of upgrades to pursue. Some affect your weapon; for example, you can transform your staff into a hard-hitting hammer, or boost your agility to become more effective with your bow and arrow.
You’ll also find treasure chests around the world containing various items, including hats you can put on your Rot spirits.
Cosmetic choices matter in modern games, so the inclusion of a bit of customization here is a welcome touch.
Performance and occasional bugs
Overall, the game runs well on most machines that meet the system requirements. However, you may experience minor performance dips during especially busy on-screen moments; in those cases, frame rates can drop.
You might also encounter a few small annoyances that briefly interrupt play — but they’re infrequent.
Use world objects to get around and survive attacks
As you learn the lay of the land, you’ll unlock new traversal options. For instance, at one point you can make stones levitate, then hit them with a stun attack to freeze them in place so you can sprint across.
You’ll also find bright blue flowers you can shoot with your magical bow to grapple across larger gaps. And of course, your spirits follow you wherever you go.
A modestly priced game that still delivers great value
The PC version costs only $45 on the Epic Games Store, which is a great price considering the jaw-dropping visuals that make it feel like a AAA game.
Beyond the graphics, the music is phenomenal and truly elevates the overall experience.
It’s worth noting that while the battles are fun, they can feel a bit drawn-out over time. Weapon and ability upgrade options are more limited than in many other games — but the boss fights are interesting and reward clever play.
There’s also a stronger focus on adventure elements, with landmarks to climb and areas to explore. Although the game offers fast-paced combat, it’s never the central focus. If that’s what you’re after, this may not be the perfect fit for you.
Another game that’s definitely worth a look
Another title released around the same time as Kena is Deathloop — a murder mystery where you must escape a group of villains trying to trap everyone in a time loop so they can live forever.
You’ve been hired to eliminate them all — but they might get you first and reset the day anyway.
Conclusion
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an incredibly beautiful game and a surprisingly polished debut from Ember Lab.
Music and visuals work in harmony to create memorable moments. The combat and gameplay aren’t groundbreaking, but they feel familiar (especially if you’ve played major releases from the past few years), which helps new players quickly get comfortable with its systems.
Download the beautifully animated Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Download Kena: Bridge of Spirits
