Kena Bridge of Spirits Switch 2 Review

Kena Bridge of Spirits Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Sometimes, a game comes along that feels truly special. Whether it’s through emotional story beats or stunning visuals, the best games stay with you long after the credits roll. Kena Bridge of Spirits is one of those games, blending gorgeous Pixar-style visuals with a story that’s both endearing and emotionally moving. What’s it like? Gather your companions, take up your staff, and prepare for adventure as we review Kena Bridge of Spirits on Nintendo Switch 2.

In Kena: Bridge of Spirits, you play as Kena, a spirit guide who helps lost souls move on. Right from the start, the game draws you into its world with a cleverly designed tutorial that introduces the basics without feeling forced. I won’t spoil too much of the story, but there were moments that genuinely caught me off guard emotionally, thanks to its themes of grief, loss, and ultimately, healing. The game doesn’t lay the drama on thick, but it handles its narrative with care, using specific character interactions and flashbacks, all supported by stellar writing.

Despite its deep, emotional story, the pacing moves quickly, as Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game at heart, built around exploration, light puzzle solving, and combat. Kena is joined by the Rots, tiny creatures that play a huge role in both puzzles and combat, as she works to clear the dead zones and restore life to the forest. The Rots can be commanded with a simple tap of the Y button, allowing them to heal, hold enemies, or cleanse the flowers that control the dead zones. Kena also has a pulse ability that lights the way, reveals more Rots to befriend, helps cleanse corruption, and even acts as a shield in combat.

Combat in Kena Bridge of Spirits has more depth than it first appears. Many enemies can be parried with a well-timed pulse, while others require different strategies, like smashing shields with a heavy attack before unleashing a barrage of light strikes to finish them off. Defeated enemies drop Courage, a resource that lets you use your Rots more effectively in battle. With Courage, you can command Rots to hold enemies, or target the source of corruption, turning a tough encounter into a manageable one. Boss fights take this a step further by introducing light puzzle elements, encouraging you to experiment with your Rots to exploit weaknesses and finish the fight. Over time, combat evolves from a simple attack and dodge approach into a satisfying mix of teamwork with your little companions, and most encounters don’t outstay their welcome.

Exploration in Kena Bridge of Spirits is linear by design, but that doesn’t feel restrictive. There are plenty of off-the-beaten-path areas to discover collectibles, like hats for your Rots, new Rots to add to your team, and quiet spaces to relax and interact with your companions. Cliffs to scale and platforms to jump to add verticality, and I loved the subtle guidance of having your Rots lined up against a cliff face, hinting at where you’re meant to go. They really do feel like the stars of the show, adding so much charm to this wonderful adventure. Even with the linear progression, I managed to get lost, but generously placed warp points made it easy to get back on track. Finally, there are the puzzles, which provide light breaks from the action without ever feeling frustrating. Most of these involve using your Rots to move objects into position or merging them into a snake-like formation to smash through corruption, though their stamina is limited. At first, controlling this ability can feel a little tricky, but after a few tries, it becomes second nature.

Kena Bridge of Spirits is a simply stunning game on Nintendo Switch 2. Characters are full of charm and brought to life with Pixar-like animations. The Rots are especially expressive, and it’s hard not to just sit in an area and interact with them. The supporting cast is also detailed, showing everything from sombre reflection to childlike innocence. Even the corrupted enemies stand out, with over-the-top lunges and exaggerated movements that reminded me of the Kakamora from Disney’s Moana. It’s all very well done. But the real standout in the visuals is the world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits itself. It’s brought to life with incredible detail and a vibrant colour palette, often interrupted by the dark and brooding tones of corruption. Lighting works particularly well, with lightning storms flashing through the forest, alongside waterfalls and gorgeous landscapes. I’d have to say it’s among some of the best visuals we’ve seen on Nintendo Switch 2 so far.

These gorgeous visuals are accompanied by an absolutely superb score, blending tribal stylings, choir vocals, gentle woodwinds, and subtle percussion to heighten every emotion. During moments of discovery and key story beats, the music gave me chills, perfectly complementing the world and the adventure. The score elevates the entire experience, making moments feel more memorable. With all this visual grandeur, there are a few compromises to performance, although not as bad as you might expect. There are occasional dips in frame rate, along with the odd hitch when loading into a new area. These moments are noticeable, but they rarely detract from the overall experience.

For my spirit guides looking into accessibility, Kena Bridge of Spirits has several dedicated options to make your time in its world more comfortable. These include lock-on and camera options, the ability to rebind buttons, toggle held inputs, increase subtitle size and opacity, and toggle aiming for your bow instead of holding the button, alongside auto-focus aiming. There’s also a wider range of difficulties for players who want more story over challenge. It’s great to see such thoughtful accessibility options included. As always, I recommend doing further research to find out if Kena: Bridge of Spirits suits your accessibility needs.

At $60 AUD, Kena Bridge of Spirits is a wonderful adventure that will take you around 12 hours to complete, and potentially 20+ hours for completionists. It’s a gorgeous and heartfelt game that hit me in the feels a few times and caught me off guard with its fantastic writing. The world itself is full of wonder, and it was refreshing to experience a more linear approach that keeps the pacing and narrative moving forward. If you’re looking for an adventure game with heart, Kena Bridge of Spirits is an amazing journey that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

So, What’s it Like? Kena Bridge of Spirits is like South of Midnight crossed with a heartfelt Pixar Movie.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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