Kena: Bridge of Spirits

One of the most slept-on gems in gaming — a beautiful, emotional action-adventure masterpiece

I would easily call Kena: Bridge of Spirits one of the most slept-on games in history. This game was incredible from start to finish.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game where you play as Kena, a young spirit guide. She travels to a decimated village in search of a powerful mountain shrine. To reach it, Kena must help three lost souls find peace and guide them to the afterlife. Along the way, she’s assisted by an adorable group of little creatures called the Rot, who have their own special abilities that combine beautifully with Kena’s to defeat corrupted enemies.

Each area in the game follows a similar pattern: explore the environment, find relics tied to the upcoming spirit or boss encounter, clear out the corruption, and then face a boss battle. While that structure sounds simple on paper, there’s a surprising amount of depth to it. Exploring is heavily rewarded with collectibles, health upgrades (found at meditation spots), and various silly but incredibly cute hats for your Rot companions. There’s also a meaningful upgrade system where you spend points earned through combat and story progress to unlock and expand abilities. Every weapon and the Rot themselves have multiple worthwhile upgrades that let you tailor your playstyle.

The game features solid environmental puzzle-solving to clear paths forward, along with great (and sometimes quite challenging) enemy encounters while purging corruption from each area.

Combat & Traversal

The combat is tight and responsive. Upgrades give you real choice, allowing you to lean into the playstyle that suits you best. Using the Rot is essential — they shine at staggering larger enemies and attacking weak points, making fights feel dynamic and strategic rather than purely reactive.

Traversal also feels excellent. Jumping, dashing, grappling, and manipulating the environment all feel smooth and satisfying. You get a genuine sense of accomplishment when you figure out how to reach a tricky platform or hidden area.

Story & Art Style

The story is excellent and deals with heavy themes of grief and learning to let go of the past. I found myself genuinely emotional at several points while listening to the grief-stricken spirits and witnessing their memories. It’s handled with real care and depth.

Visually, the game is gorgeous with a strong Pixar-inspired art style. Beneath that cute and colourful facade lies a genuinely great and sometimes challenging combat system that even some hardcore Souls-like players would appreciate. The environments are particularly stunning — each area beautifully captures its own unique essence and atmosphere.

Final Dad Verdict

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a true hidden gem that deserves way more love than it received. It perfectly balances beautiful presentation, emotional storytelling, rewarding exploration, tight combat, and satisfying progression.

The adorable Rot companions, meaningful upgrades, and heartfelt narrative make it incredibly memorable. Whether you’re in it for the story, the combat, or just soaking in the gorgeous world, this game delivers on every front.

If you haven’t played it yet, do yourself a favour and fix that immediately. It’s easily one of the best single-player action-adventures of its generation.

Overall Dad Score: 10/10