They’re also how Kena levels up the more Rot creatures you find in the world, the more frequently you can use them and their powers in combat. They can also assist in exploration: They shift blocks around and rearrange statues to open up hidden areas.

In a fight, the Rot can be used to pin enemies down - jumping atop a tree guardian’s back and smothering smaller foes - or to infuse a powerful hammer swing, bow shot, or bomb. You’ll accumulate dozens of these Rot over the course of the game, customizing them with funny hats, using them for puzzles, and unlocking a few more combat-related abilities. There are some lovely details here, with the creatures teleporting into positions of rest, constantly one step ahead of you, atop house furniture and rocks and logs. These friendly little fellows will dart away from Kena in order to show you the way and highlight interactive objects. Making things slightly more interesting are Kena’s companions, small creatures known as Rot. Enter an enclosed arena, kill contorted tree-things, burst the bulbs with a magical pulse, and cleanse the area.

Over the course of the game, you’ll attain a few extra powers - turning your staff into a magical bow and the ability to throw a series of spirit bombs, to name a couple - but the setup for combat largely remains the same throughout. Movement is swift, platforming is non-aggravating, and the third-person combat is dancelike and bursting with energy. For the most part, this means eliminating all those red nodules that blight the land.įor what’s ostensibly an indie game made by an animation studio crossing over to the realm of video games for the first time, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a surprisingly slick affair. As Kena, a spirit guide who travels the land seeking to reunite the dead, usher spirits to the afterlife, and generally put things right, my top priorities are the forested valley and its health. It would be picturesque if not for all the gnarled purple roots strangling the life out of the place, and the fleshy bulbs pulsating a toxic red. I’m in the midst of another forest meadow.

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