Roughly five years ago, Kena: Bridge of Spirits was released on PC and PS5 by Ember Lab, an animation studio that decided to try its hand at video games. The result was a fantastic adventure game that was mechanically sound with an interesting story full of emotion and a presentation that was flat-out gorgeous. The game was successful enough that a sequel: Kena: Scars of Kosmora, was announced for release this year. Before that happens, though, the first game will complete its multi-platform journey with a Switch 2 release, arriving nearly two years after its Xbox Series X|S debut.

Bridge of Spirits takes place in a world where the spirits of the deceased are left behind if they had unfinished business before their demise. Those spirits need a guide to solve their issues, so they can move on to the afterlife. You play the role of Kena, a newly minted spirit guide sent to find the sacred Mountain Shrine. This means stopping by an abandoned village that was wrecked by disaster which, in turn, created a number of spirits trapped in the space between the physical and spiritual realms. This includes one spirit in particular that tries its best to stop Kena from completing her quest.

The main narrative thread is nice. Seeing Kena grow into her powers and abilities is always a well tested formula in games like this, and the tale is well told, even if it can be a little formulaic in this regard. As usual in titles like this, it is the backstories of the deceased that become the real impetus for finishing the journey. From the revelation of a disease that plagued the village to the deaths of those who tried to help the survivors and the relationships of all those involved, there are some gripping narrative threads that can pull at your emotions. Those small but interconnected tales are conveyed well, and they're good enough to be put into a movie or mini-series. There's definitely some potential, considering the studio's background.

From a gameplay perspective, the title shows off plenty of influences from other adventure games. The Legend of Zelda titles, particularly the 3D ones, are the most obvious influences thanks to the many environmental puzzles you'll encounter and the tools you'll need to solve them. There are some simple switch puzzles that eventually evolve into ones that have you manipulating floating rock platforms. Other puzzles use your light-emitting ability to trigger passageways. You'll eventually obtain a bow that is naturally used for combat, but you'll also use it to hit switches from afar and as an impromptu grappling hook to reach higher places. Bombs also become part of your arsenal to open up places and uncover more floating platforms. There are loads of situations where you'll be asked to combine those elements for more traversal opportunities.

Combat also feels like a typical Zelda adventure, but the use of a staff makes you think of Beyond Good and Evil. You have both quick and strong attack types, and all of the aforementioned tools can be used in combat with expected results. Blocking is done with your light energy bubble, and while it is limited by an energy meter, that meter fills up at a decent enough pace that you aren't left defenseless for very long. You can also do perfect blocks to parry an enemy and give yourself an opening for attacks, which is very beneficial, but unlike most titles that focus on parrying, perfection isn't necessary.

One of the more interesting bits of the game has to do with the Rot, tiny forest creatures whose actions will remind you of Pikmin in many ways. Their primary purpose is to help purify the land by cleansing the main cursed flowers of their darkness. Gather enough of them, and they can start to do things like move heavy objects as directed. Power them up through your journey, and the Rot can close monster portals and swarm enemies so you can freely attack the hostile creatures. Like Nintendo's tiny garden creatures, they make the game feel charming, especially when you can dress them up in tiny hats.

This all comes together in a rather well crafted adventure. The story moves along at the right pace, never trying to rush you to the next story beat but also not lingering for too long on the minutiae. The world is sizable enough to hide a number of secrets but not so large that you get lost in it. The fights give you a challenge but never feel like the enemies are endless damage sponges. The adventure feels fulfilling, and it's bolstered by some challenges that give you new outfits for Kena as well as a New Game+ mode.

If you had to find something to knock about the game, it would be with its lack of navigational tools. If you're used to modern adventure games, you'd expect a compass or navigational arrow to accompany your journey. You get none of that, except for a map on a separate screen; the game trusts that you'll use your instincts to guide you about where you need to go. This can sometimes lead you to situations where you get lost because you aren't following instructions explicitly, but it is nice to see that the game doesn't completely hold your hand from start to finish.

Graphically, there are a few issues that are specific to the Switch 2 version. The first is that the game is locked to 30fps. The second is that the amount of foliage has been greatly reduced. None of these are game-breaking, but they stand out if you see the game on other platforms. Other than that, Bridge of Spirits looks very nice overall. Despite the loss of some vegetation, the forest environments still look rather lush, and the other environments sport a good amount of detail. The lighting and particle effects hold up well, while the characters and their facial animations look superb. The Switch 2 continues to impress for a low-powered device, and games like this are a reason why.

The sound is just as impressive, complementing the adventure from start to finish. The voice acting is strong, with well-chosen casting and convincing performances that keep the script from falling flat. The sound effects are solid, but the music is the real standout. It delivers the orchestral score fans of the genre expect while weaving in traditional Indonesian instruments that reinforce the setting and help the soundtrack distinguish itself from many of its contemporaries.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a solid experience on the Switch 2. The story is captivating, especially the tales of the people who are on the verge of passing on. The gameplay mechanics are well worn but still feel good, while the presentation remains strong even though the game looks better on other platforms. This is a game well worth checking out, even if the sequel might not hit the Switch 2 for quite some time.

Score: 8.5/10