Summary
While it seems to have been a success for Ember Lab,Kena: Bridge of Spiritsis often overlooked by the video game community. The studio was able to craft a beautiful heartfelt game that players should experience at least once. Its world was exciting to explore with secrets waiting around every single corner, and its ideas deserve to be expanded even further with a sequel.
While noKena: Bridge of Spiritssequel has been announced, Ember Lab really needs to develop one. There is still so much that the studio could do with the characters and world that it created, and it would be a shame if it let the concept gather dust. With a few tweaks and additions, a secondKena: Bridge of Spiritsgame has the chance to blow everyone away when it finally hits store shelves.
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Kena: Bridge of Spirits 2 Could Be Fantastic
No one knew what to expect fromKena: Bridge of Spiritswhen it was first announced.Ember Lab had never really made a game beforeKenacame along. The first trailer held a lot of promise as it looked heavily inspired by the likes of Pixar andPikmin, but many were skeptical on if it could actually deliver on that potential.
While it may not have been game of the year,Kena: Bridge of Spiritsdid not disappoint those willing to take it for a spin when it finally released. It was a relatively short game, but the journey it brought players on was truly magical.The Pixar-like animationwas beautiful to explore, the mechanics were fun to mess around with, and everyone seemed to want their very own Rot.
Kena: Bridge of Spiritswould go on to be a commercial success for the studio and win numerous awards, but Ember Lab does not seem to have plans for a follow-up. The studio may not even have plans to make more video games, but that remains to be seen. Whatever choice Ember Labs makes for its future, that future should definitely includemore adventures inKena’s world.
The world ofKena: Bridge of Spiritsseems to be brimming with storytelling potential. The premise of following a spirit guide as they help spirits move on could lead to so many unique scenarios and adventures. The inclusion of the Rot lets Ember Labs create wild puzzles, the spirits let it tell countless stories, and the Pixar-like animation style helps bring everything together in one beautiful package. New adventures in this universe feel like a recipe for success, and now is the best time to create them.
WhileaKena: Bridge of Spiritssequelcould be fantastic, it will have to change some things if it wants to be a bigger hit than the first one. Ember Labs may want to make the game a bit longer, it could use some more challenging puzzles, and the world should be opened up a bit. A moreBreath of the Wild-esque approach to its gameplay could be a ticket to success.
Kena: Bridge of Spiritswas an underrated gemthat Ember Lab should really explore further. While it sounds like the studio may want to do that through a more linear experience, a video game could do so much more with the concept. The studio has not revealed anything about its future plans yet, but hopefully it does not leave fans waiting for too long.
Kena: Bridge of Spiritsis available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
