![]() That means players end up solving puzzles just for fun or to satisfy those completionist urges.Īll of this makes “Bridge of Spirits” enjoyable right up until the end. Toward the end, these resources become less important and downright useless after players max out Kena’s abilities. Blue shards act as currency to buy cosmetic hats for the Rot. The Karma is used to upgrade Kena’s abilities, while more Rot creatures give players more chances to use those powers. ‘Marvel Snap’ adds new tournament-style Conquest mode on June 13Įmber Lab designs puzzles and scenarios that take advantage of these abilities, and it uses Karma, Rot creatures and blue shards as rewards for solving them. Her dash knocks enemies back but it’s also key to using teleportation gates. Her bombs rearrange certain pieces of rubble so they act as platforms, but she has to hop across them before they collapse back down. Her bow and arrow is used to activate switches from afar and hit special flowers that act as tethers to pull her to higher areas. Much of this is focused on the powers that Kena gains throughout the campaign. Layered into the “Bridge of Spirits'” world are other traversal and puzzle elements. Enemies quickly grow more difficulty to take down in “Kena: Bridge of Spirits.” (Ember Lab) Whatever the case, Rot is essential, especially when dealing the final blow to certain enemies or clearing lingering corruption in locales. To perform any of these actions, players need to collect yellow courage orbs, gained by attacking enemies or taking damage. When it comes to combat, Rot can distract foes and open up clean shots at enemies, or they can power her strongest attacks. It separates “Bridge of Spirits” from other adventure games. These “Pikmin”-type elements give the puzzle-solving a distinct style. One of their major powers is that they can absorb a Forest Tear and revert to its original beastlike form that clears corruption blocking Kena’s way. They can carry crystal rocks to complete a puzzle, so that a door can open using Kena’s pulse ability. They can lift heavy blocks near a wall so players can jump atop it and scale the obstacle. Players collect these cherubic forest entities, who act almost like an army of ants that Kena can control. The puzzle and some combat elements rely on tiny creatures called Rot. This along with the unreliable lock-on problems make the end-game confrontations feel clumsy and at worst unresponsive. “Bridge of Spirits” falters with so many important moves needing awkward button presses. That’s an issue when the difficulty ramps up and players need to perform quick-twitch maneuvers to beat tougher foes and overwhelming enemy waves. At the same time though, the controls become more complex. It adds needed depth to combat as players discover more powerful adversaries and leaders. The system grows more complex and interesting as Kena acquires new powers, such as the ability to fire a bow and arrow, throw bombs and dash through attacks. Initially, the combat is simple and reminiscent of modern “The Legend of Zelda” games. She has defensive moves such as a dodge, block and parry. She uses her staff to fight off enemies with light and heavy attacks. The game starts off simply introducing players to Kena’s abilities. That involves confronting the corrupt spirits of Taro, Adira and Toshi, who are essentially bosses of the three sections of “Bridge of Spirits.” The remaining spirits tell Kena that all is not well, and she has to solve the problems of tormented villagers to clear the path to her destination. The village serves almost like the hub for a wider world in “Kena: Bridge of Spirits.” (Ember Lab) Worse yet, the village on the way to the spiritual retreat is derelict and dilapidated. ![]() She has her own reasons for the journey but discovers that corruption has blocked her path. The campaign follows the exploits of the title character, a spirit guide on a pilgrimage to the Mountain Shrine. It’s a title that has the substance to back up that style. Thankfully, “Kena: Bridge of Spirits” avoids that fate. The big question facing the studio was this: Would their expertise in computer graphics translate over to video games? A studio can make the most beautiful title in the world, but if it doesn’t have great gameplay or level design, it’s a wasted effort. ![]() The company originally worked on animation projects for commercials and made an impressive “Majora’s Mask” fan video. ![]() That should come as no surprise for those familiar with Ember Lab’s portfolio. ![]() The studio’s debut title dazzled players with graphics that looked like a playable Pixar film. Most indie titles struggle to garner attention, let alone build hype, but the project by Ember Lab pierced through gamers’ consciousness thanks to its outstanding visuals. ![]()
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