Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Switch 2 Version Review

Kena: Bridge of Spirits incanta anche su Switch 2?

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a 3D action game released in 2021 thanks to the work of the Ember Lab team, and it immediately garnered positive reviews, proving to be one of the most interesting “double A” projects of recent years. With aesthetics that seem to have come straight out of a Pixar film, Kena: Bridge of Spirits tells the story of Kena (who would have thought it…), a young shaman who, upon arriving in an abandoned village, discovers a dark force preventing souls from transcending to eternal peace after death. Our protagonist's difficult task will be to help these spirits abandon the negative emotions that still bind them to the earthly world. To do this, Kena enlists the help of the Rot, cute black creatures that have various ways of making themselves useful to our cause, ultimately proving to be simply fundamental, given their importance both for solving puzzles and for defeating our adversaries.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits, gameplay portable or on TV

Much has already been said about the qualities of Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and while waiting for the second chapter of the saga, Kena: Scars of Kosmora, to arrive this year, here comes the Nintendo Switch 2 edition, which we played for you so you can read our review. Naturally, the game is still the same, and we are talking about a port that, from a technical point of view, sits between the PlayStation 4 edition and the PS5, Xbox, and PC versions. The graphical rendering is good, also because it's coupled with surprisingly fast loading times, but the framerate is capped at 30 FPS (with sporadic drops) and 4K resolution is sacrificed. Both when playing on TV and in handheld mode, some issues are noticeable, but nothing that can significantly detract from the beauty of the art direction which, as in the past, delivers almost dreamlike atmospheres in the various available environments. Of course, you cannot expect a “triple A” rendering, and if graphical fidelity is a priority for you, you might turn up your nose in several situations. The gameplay is once again enjoyable in both combat and exploration phases, and it is precisely the aforementioned Rot that give us a big hand in both situations. We will have to find as many as we can during the exploration phase, and based on their number, we can solve environmental puzzles of varying difficulty, but they will also be useful in battle, granting access to crucial abilities to overcome our adversaries, perhaps by distracting them or launching special attacks.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits, is it worth playing on Switch 2?

There are five difficulty levels available, but even choosing the medium one presents quite challenging situations, mainly when fighting the various bosses, all well-characterized and with specific combat qualities. Learning to use the Rot, dodging, and parrying are the keys to success in a system that could be described as a very entry-level souls-like, but over time you will appreciate its more technical aspects. To enjoy all of this, I recommend using the Pro Controller or a good compatible controller. The Joy-Cons 2 do their job, but we are dealing with a type of game that performs best with a classic grip. In any case, whether you want to play on TV or in handheld mode, Kena: Bridge of Spirits offers a satisfying experience and enriches the Nintendo console's catalog with a small gem that is not without flaws but manages to show many more merits. Among other things, this edition contains all the updates received over time from the original product, including New Game Plus, various cosmetic elements (costumes and the like), and the Spirit Guide Trials, skill tests to prove you are perfect shamans. If you want to play as a completionist, you could approach twenty hours of gameplay, but to reach the credits, just over ten hours will suffice. Ultimately, thanks to all its positive aspects and also a budget price of €39.90, Kena: Bridge of Spirits will win you over once again!