Indie Gems: Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Taking one look at the Kena: Bridge of Spirits' visuals will have you pull a double-take at this article's title. There is no way a development team with 15 core members created such a beautifully animated and well-polished game. Well, you'd be wrong - the team at Ember Lab not only created this indie hit with such a small staff, but this is also their first game ever as a studio! The team was initially founded as an animation studio, best-known for their Majora's Mask animated fan film, which shows in the game's stunning visuals.

Kena not only looks fantastic, but it also plays wonderfully as well. It feels like a callback to classic GameCube titles with more simplified combat, a focus on puzzles and exploration, and filled with charm and polish. Games nowadays pride themselves on deep combat mechanics with highly customizable move lists and perks. However, Kena strips its combat down to the fundamentals while still feeling fast-paced and intuitive. Instead, the game places more emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving.

Stunning combat animations are addicting to watch! Photo Credit

The main character will travel to distinct locals throughout the game collecting items, defeating bosses, and fun puzzles. It feels like the old games with a modern twist, and we cannot get enough of the nostalgic feeling it emanates. Some players may find it simplistic or formulaic. But, the pure charm found in Kena helps mitigate this as you look forward to seeing the next stunning location, weapon animation, and character design.

I mean, look at this unbelievable cuteness! Photo Credit

Kena is available through the Epic Games Store on PC for $39.99. At that price, you should give it a shot if this game sounds like something right up your alley. There is something so inspiring about seeing such a small team create such a beautiful work of art. We look forward to seeing what Ember Lab comes up with next!