At the PS5 games event last summer, developer Ember Lab revealed Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The trailer featured an intriguing world, magical combat, and little creatures that made the game look like a blend of Zelda and Pikmin. Those initial impressions were closer to reality than expected, as an Ember Lab developer recently spoke about the main inspirations for the title.
The game follows Kena, a young woman on a journey to a mysterious mountain shrine who must use magical abilities and enlist the help of adorable little creatures to reach her goal. These creatures – called the Rot – can be recruited to aid Kena in a variety of ways, prompting the comparison with Nintendo’s Pikmin franchise. Kena: Bridge of Spirits will be making an appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival in June, where fans are expecting to see some new gameplay. Leading up to the festival, studio co-founder Josh Grier has given some additional comments about inspirations for the game.
Kena is an adventure game at its core, and Grier noted that Kena was "inspired by many of the adventure games that have come before us, most notably, Zelda." The latest Zelda title, Breath of the Wild, stands as one of the highest-rated open world games of the last decade, and has inspired numerous titles such as Genshin Impact and Immortals: Fenyx Rising. Of all the series to draw inspiration from, Zelda seems like an excellent choice.
Beyond brief clips of the game in action, Ember Lab has released other details on its debut title. Kena is confirmed to be coming to PlayStation consoles, with players receiving a free upgrade to PS5 if they purchase it for PS4. The title will also take advantage of next-gen console solid state drives; Kena can load in two seconds on Sony's PS5. Xbox players will have to play the game on other platforms, as Sony holds console exclusivity for the title, but it will also be available on PC.
Since its reveal, many have been eager to play Kena and see what secrets the game holds. While the title was originally slated for a holiday 2020 release, it was delayed to sometime in the first three months of 2021 before being pushed back again. Ember Lab finally set an August 2021 release date for Kena in a new gameplay trailer, and now that summer is here, players will not have to wait much longer for this Zelda-inspired adventure.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is due to release August 24, 2021 on PC, PS4, and PS5.
Source: Dual Shockers