Kena: Bridge of Spirits - The Best Indie Game of 2021?

Developed by Ember Lab – a team that began as an animation studio – Kena: Bridge of Spirits just might be my favourite game of this year. Driven by its compelling story, this third-person action-adventure takes place in a unique Spiritual world that is full of adorable companions.

It’s no wonder Kena has been nominated in three categories in the Game Awards 2021;

Best Debut Indie Game

Best Indie Game
Best Art Direction

I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about Kena: Bridge of Spirits and help you decide whether it truly is the best indie game of 2021.

What is Kena’s Journey

Players take control of Kena, a young Spirit Guide, in her search for a sacred mountain shrine. Uncover the secrets of the forgotten village hidden amongst the forest, that is brimming with corruption and trapped spirits. Unable to move into the next life, these spirits will provide Kena with unexpected challenges at every turn. Solve puzzles, collect relics, take on intense boss battles, and harness the power of the Spirit Realm to restore the world’s natural beauty.

Rot

As you embark on your journey, find and collect Rot. These Ghibli-esque spiritual companions are far more adorable than the name suggests and help maintain the world’s natural balance. Once you team up, you will unlock superior abilities and can command them to swarm your enemies or help you solve complex puzzles.

Plus, you can even collect hats for your Rot… What’s not to love…

Combat

The combat style is distinctively fast-paced and challenging. Similar to other action adventures engage in light or heavy attacks. Plus, Kena is armed with a bow and staff, which can be used for either close or long-ranged combat.

You will begin to discover new, more challenging enemy types as you progress through the game. In order to take on these new enemies, you will need to upgrade your battle tactics or utilise your weapons in ways you’ve never done before.

Best Art Direction – A Graphical Masterpiece?

The stunning visuals are one of the selling points to Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Ember Labs has almost 13 years’ worth of experience as an animation studio, so it is no wonder the graphics of this game are mind-blowing. The world features buildings, shrines and character designs which all have Balinese and Japanese influences. You will find yourself becoming immersed in the cinematic natural aesthetic of the forest and abandoned village, thanks to the gamelan-inspired instrumental backdrop. Adding additional weight to the emotional or intense combat scenes along with cutting out when Kena enters a corrupted area of the forest. What’s more, the added depth to the animations between Kena and the Rot, truly brings the spirits to life and enhances the immersion further.

Is Kena: Bridge of Spirits a PC Exclusive?

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is available to play on PC on the Epic Games Store, along with PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4!

Official PC System Specifications

	Minimum	Recommended
OS	Windows 10 64bit	Windows 10 64bit
Processor	Intel i3 3220 / AMD FX 6100	Intel i7 6700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600x
Memory	12GB RAM	16GB RAM
Graphics	AMD Radeon R7 360 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti	AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
Storage	25GB	25GB
DirectX	Version 11	Version 12

Our Choice of PCs

As the experts on building the ultimate gaming PC, here at Overclockers UK, we have a vast range of systems available. I’ve selected some of my favourites based on the minimum and recommended specifications for Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

OCUK Kestrel Micro-ATX Gaming PC

Featuring an incredible AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, the Kestrel, is packed with all the processing power you need for Kena and many more new releases. In a compact Micro-ATX form factor, this PC is perfect for those looking for a space saving PC that still packs a punch! Plus, with a hefty 16GB of DDR4 RAM, unlock ultra-fast data speeds at 3600MHz, and superior performance. Thanks to the incredible 250GB and 500GB SSDs, enjoy an ample 750GB storage space. Plenty for Kena: Bridge of Spirits, the rest of your gaming library and all your creative projects. All of which is wrapped up in a sleek black case finished with added RGB lighting for a dramatic flair to your battle station.

Available to buy starting from £1,399,99.

Buy Now


Case	Kolink Citadel Micro ATX Gaming Case
PSU	600W 80 Plus Bronze Rated PSU
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core Processor
Motherboard	MSI B550 Micro ATX Motherboard
Cooler	AMD CPU Cooler
Memory	16GB DDR4 RAM 3600MHz Dual Channel Kit
Primary Hard Drive	250GB NVMe M.2 SSD
Secondary Hard Drive	500GB 2.5 SATA SSD
Graphics	AMD Radeon RX DirectX 12 Graphics Card
Audio	7.1 High-Definition Audio
OS	Windows 10 64bit

OCUK Firefly Plus Gaming PC

Harness the power of the Firefly Plus as you journey through the forest in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Powered by the superior Intel Core i5 10400F Processor, the Firefly Plus goes above and beyond the recommended system specifications for Kena. Featuring, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, unlock intelligent DLSS AI and Real-Time Ray Tracing, to experience Kena in stunning 4k cinematic quality. Paired with the 7.1 high-definition audio, you will have everything you need to lose yourself in the game’s beautiful world. What’s more, with a hefty 1TB Seagate hard drive, along with an additional optional SSD, you will have ample storage space for Kena and your other favourite AAA games in your library.