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This review is based off of playing on a Steam Deck.

Introduction

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is truly a remarkable passion project, set in a gorgeously crafted universe that allows for a compelling story with an astonishing cast of characters that are charming and wonderfully written, which ensures heart-melting to grand story moments. It is one of the most beautiful games I have experienced in years and has a soundtrack that rivals even the best of AAA studios' compositions. It has thrilling combat and great exploration by virtue of the incredible game and level design.

Story

It tells a beautiful tale of a young Spirit Guide called Kena; her duty is to support struggling spirits moving past the tragedies of their previous lives as they linger in the physical world and possibly grow unstable or dangerous. Spirit Guides possess the unique ability to traverse the spirit world and help lost souls by utilizing this power and retracing their stories, offering them consolation and peace, letting them move on to the next life.
Her initial intent was to find a sacred Mountain Shrine, but as soon as she comes near it, she stumbles upon a region torn apart and consumed by a dreadful corruption that stands in her way. She offers its inhabitants her help and discovers the corruption is intertwined with the village, this causes the story to shift the focus towards restoring balance to the small region. It genuinely is a special experience that also leaving a strong impression and impact, expecially moments when you help a lost soul finally settle into the afterlife, knowing they have been in countless years of misery lingering.
I do wish that more background information regarding Kena would have been revealed earlier, as there was not much to speak of until the latter part of the game, ultimately causing Kena as a character to feel rather shallow up until the final bit. That is not to say that her character has no depth; she could just have benefited from more earlier, because every other aspect of the story flows perfectly, with great pacing, charming characters, and a superb narrative.

Gameplay Analysis

The gameplay revolves around fast-paced combat with an evergrowing arsenal of weapons and abilities. The most basic form of attack is with her magic staff; Kena can perform light and heavy attacks, which she can charge for more damage. She eventually learns the ability to transform her staff into a bow, and conjure a bomb out of magic. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2875725394
She also has several ways of defending herself, such as being able to surround herself with a protective barrier. If activated when you see the opponent making a swing at you, it will deflect the attack and counter, or you can do a dodge roll to get out of harm's way quickly.
Combat is entertaining and compelling; it may be relatively simple, but it has enough charm and difficulty to keep it thrilling throughout the playthrough. Encounters require you to recognize and act on foes' attacking patterns, movement, and weaknesses; otherwise, if you do not, you will be punished. The action flows well, with plenty of heft and weight behind every attack and ability. It never feels too cluttered with special effects or several enemies at once, but depending on difficulty can feel too punishing.
Because of the rich world-building, excellent level design, and phenomenal soundtrack, exploration is always thrilling and enjoyable, especially with the creative platforming puzzles and additional challenges you can encounter. The rewards are hit or miss as they primarily are just currency for the collectible hats, with the occasional rewards affecting gameplay rewards, such as health upgrades, charms, and materials that advance your arsenal of abilities or weapons.
Another factor to exploration staying enjoyable is the beautifully drawn map that is easily readable and displays a plethora of handy information and access to the many waypoints throughout the region.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2880384882

Visuals

The visuals alone are something to behold; the world is lush and vibrant, with the corruption contrasting a doom and gloom over the vivid region. These exceptionally gorgeous visuals are influenced by several Eastern Asian locations and cultures, including Japan and Bali; this can be discerned throughout the environmental, architectural, and symbolic design in the stunning world-building that Kena finds herself in, and because of the robust photo mode you can preserve these impressive moments.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2875341660
Character designs are remarkably captivating, charming, and super-expressive, with each model looking unique, and all are incredibly memorable. Ember Labs also managed to create the utmostly adorable little fuzzball spirits that aid you throughout the journey, which are called Rot and have an array of unlockable hats that they can wear, enhancing that fact. The fiends are corrupt ent-like beings with many different forms that wonderfully incorporate the essence of doom that the corruption has cast over the region and are exceptionally well designed, be it a small foe or a grand boss.

Audio

Audibly the game sounds stunning, be it the heft of a weapon swung, special effects, or small things such as ambient nature sounds. Dialogue especially sounds remarkable - the voice actors did an astonishing performance, especially Ayu, the voice of Kena. She managed to portray the character's courageousness, tenderness, and moments of weakness flawlessly. Ayu has worked with Çudamani, an ensemble of musicians and dancers based in Bali, since the age of five, which allows her to feel genuine and right at home.
Everything about the soundtrack is exquisite, not only because of how outstanding it sounds but also due to how it came to be. Jason Gallaty and Theophany, the composers of Kena, were inspired by Balinese culture and music, so Gallaty personally traveled to Bali to collaborate closely with Çudamani so they could approach the culture's music respectfully and represent it properly.

Additional Content

It features a solid New Game+ available after the initial playthrough; replay the story while keeping all previously collected Rot, hats, abilities, and upgrades. Experience the updated combat encounters with modified compositions and unique enemies only seen in NG+. Bosses include new attacks, and as for exploration, special green chests have been added to the world with new collectibles alongside hidden hats. NG+ is refreshing and adds enough variety to the gameplay formula that helps it stay entertaining.

Steam Deck Specifics

Performance is a mixed bag. At 800p and low-medium settings, it can maintain 45 FPS but with dips to the 35s in open-world sections. With Refresh Rate and Frame Limit set to 45 results in ~2 hours of continuous playing and draws ~15-22W while sitting at ~68-79C degrees. For a more consistent experience, you must compromise FPS and limit Refresh Rate to 30.
It is an enjoyable experience on the Deck, especially with the added bonus that you can utilize gyro to help aim. The only real issues are the seldom dips in FPS when trying to maintain 45 FPS, and that ghosting is quite noticeable in this configuration, but not enough to ruin the experience.

Final Thoughts - Exceptional

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a one-of-a-kind game with enthralling combat, simple yet fun platforming, and puzzles. It is situated in a beautifully crafted world complemented by incredible visuals and an astonishing soundtrack, ensuring every moment feels like something you would find in a high-grade animated movie with a rich story and charming characters.
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