Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Nintendo Switch 2 - Review
- XPN Network
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Kena: Bridge of Spirits has always felt like a game pulled from a lost era. It's a heartfelt action‑adventure built on sincerity, myth, and handcrafted artistry. When it first launched, it drew comparisons to the golden age of PlayStation 2 and early Pixar films, blending lush environments with emotional storytelling and tactile combat. Now, with its arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2, the game finds a new home and surprisingly, it feels like it was meant to be here all along.
The Switch 2’s upgraded hardware gives Kena the breathing room it always needed. The world feels alive in a way the original Switch could never have handled: forests ripple with volumetric light, the Rot scamper with expressive detail, and Kena’s staff glows with a clarity that makes every parry and pulse feel meaningful. This version doesn’t just run the game, it honours it.
Kena’s story remains untouched, and that’s a good thing. At its core, Kena is a story about grief and not in a heavy, oppressive way, but in a gentle, compassionate one. You play as Kena, a young spirit guide whose role is to help lost souls confront the pain that binds them to the physical world. Each major chapter revolves around a spirit who cannot move on, and the game treats their stories with surprising maturity.
Rather than villains, these spirits are people who made mistakes, suffered loss, or clung too tightly to something they couldn’t save. Kena’s journey is less about defeating them and more about understanding them. The emotional peaks land not because of dramatic twists, but because the game takes the time to show who these people were before tragedy reshaped them. The storytelling blends cinematic cutscenes with environmental memory sequences, creating a rhythm that feels almost ritualistic. It's a slow uncovering of truth, followed by release. It’s simple, but deeply affecting
Combat is built around Kena’s staff, which shifts seamlessly between close‑quarters strikes and ranged spirit‑bow attacks. Encounters have a rhythmic quality: enemies hit hard, forcing you to read their patterns, commit to your timing, and use dodges and parries with intention. What begins as simple staff swings gradually evolves into a more layered system as new abilities unlock, and the Rot, your tiny spirit companions become integral to your offensive and defensive strategies. They can distract enemies, empower your attacks, and open windows of opportunity, turning even small skirmishes into moments of tactical decision‑making. Boss fights, in particular, demand patience and precision, often pushing you to master the game’s mechanics rather than brute‑forcing your way through.
Exploration is where the game’s world truly breathes. Rather than sprawling expanses, Kena offers a series of interconnected regions that feel intimate and carefully sculpted. Forest paths twist into abandoned villages, mountain trails lead to forgotten shrines, and every area carries a sense of history shaped by the spirits who once lived there. The world invites you to slow down, to notice the details, the way corrupted growth curls around ancient structures, the soft glow of spirit energy lingering in the air, the Rot peeking out from behind rocks and tree stumps. Moving through these spaces feels almost meditative, and the game rewards curiosity with hidden collectibles, new Rot companions, and environmental storytelling that deepens your understanding of the land’s past. Even without a massive open world, the sense of place is strong, and each region feels distinct in mood and purpose.
Puzzles are woven naturally into this exploration, emerging from the environment rather than interrupting it. Many revolve around manipulating objects with the Rot, using spirit bombs to alter terrain, or firing arrows to activate distant switches. They’re designed with clarity and flow, encouraging you to observe your surroundings and experiment rather than brute‑force solutions. The best puzzles blend seamlessly into the world’s architecture, restoring a broken bridge by aligning ancient mechanisms, cleansing a corrupted grove by guiding Rot energy through a sequence of nodes, or using time‑shifted platforms to reach hidden areas. None of the puzzles are overly complex, but they’re satisfying in the way they ask you to engage with the environment as a living system rather than a backdrop. They reinforce the game’s themes of restoration and balance, making each solved puzzle feel like a small act of healing.
The art direction is the game’s soul. Every frame looks handcrafted, with painterly textures, expressive character animation, and lighting that feels almost spiritual. The world balances beauty and decay with its lush greenery intertwined with corrupted growth, serene shrines overshadowed by lingering sorrow. The cinematics are particularly striking, blending stylized animation with emotional nuance. Characters emote with subtlety, and the spirits’ transformations are some of the most visually memorable moments in modern action‑adventure games.
The score, heavily inspired by Balinese and Southeast Asian musical traditions, is haunting and beautiful. Flutes, choral elements, and percussive rhythms create a soundscape that feels both ancient and otherworldly. The music swells at emotional peaks and retreats into gentle ambience during exploration. Sound design is equally strong, the Rot’s chirps, the crackle of corrupted vines, the hum of spirit energy, all of it contributes to a world that feels alive and sacred.
Pros
Emotionally resonant story about grief and healing
Beautiful, handcrafted art direction
Challenging, satisfying combat with strong rhythm
The Rot add charm, depth, and mechanical variety
Memorable boss encounters with emotional weight
Atmospheric music and expressive cinematics
Cons
Combat difficulty spikes may surprise some players
World structure is linear despite its open feel
Character development outside major spirits is limited
Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Nintendo Switch 2 is more than a port, it’s a second life for a game that thrives on atmosphere, emotion, and visual storytelling. The upgraded hardware finally lets Ember Lab’s vision shine without compromise, delivering a version that feels definitive, especially for handheld players. It’s a warm, heartfelt adventure that blends old‑school design with modern polish, and on Switch 2, it becomes one of the console’s early standouts.
XPN Score: 5 out of 5 (PLATINUM)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is available now!
You can also check out our original review video from the OG release!
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