Kena: Bridge of Spirits is absolutely wonderful (Review)

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Even if it weren't a debut title, Kena: Bridge of Spirits would still be an absolute triumph for former animation studio turned game developer Ember Labs. Kena is superb, and is undoubtedly just the beginning for this studio and this franchise.
Review code provided by Ember Labs.
#KenaBridgeofSpirits #KenaReview #KenaBridgefSpiritsReview
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Edited by Austin @ausomehd
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[@SkillUp]

Thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring the video. If you want to set up your own website (and get a discount while doing it), hit this link for more info: www.squarespace.com/skillup

[@muirize5319]

yea

[@dec3142]

Are you going to be reviewing deathloop?

[@chickengenius4202]

It’s my game of the year so far shill up. I love this game, the personality......it’s fantastic. I’m glad you felt the same. GG

[@TheREALHugo4]

Trash game anyways so no thanks. Better games awaits.

[@peteparakeet222]

Great review as always mate! But how big and challenging is this game? I’m thinking of getting it, but I’m afraid it seems too easy and short since it’s no real open world..

[@kemyaralioglu7508]

I was one of the artists on Kena and can I just say I'm so excited that you are reviewing it, I LOVE your reviews and cannot wait to see what you say about Kena!

[@empirezz2728]

You did an amazing job! 👏

[@kemyaralioglu7508]

@@empirezz2728 Thank you! It's of course a team effort from everyone at Ember Lab!

[@kemyaralioglu7508]

@Bloofa Thank you so much!

[@KookyBone]

Wonderful work that your team did here. Waited for this game since the first trailer... I love action adventure games like "good and beyond evil" and Studio Ghibli movies. This looked like a wonderful mix of them with his own proud character and ideas. Can't wait to play this after work.

[@kemyaralioglu7508]

@@KookyBone I'm sure you will absolutely love this game then! Enjoy! :D

[@arenkai]

This looks like a game where a kid could make great memories that would stick with them into adulthood, like we did when we played the first Ratchet & Clank, Banjo Kazooie, or Jak & Daxter

[@slayerxultimate]

Jak & daxter and sly Cooper were my childhood

[@badrossama3234]

@@slayerxultimate worst childood

[@MyDoggiesABully]

@@badrossama3234 How come?

[@badrossama3234]

@@MyDoggiesABully catlevania, mario, sonic

[@groggod666]

@@badrossama3234 lmao imagine comparing childhood experiences like that, I suggest you to grow up.

[@JusticeJanitor]

I just finished this game. It's a PS2 game with PS5 graphics and I mean that in a good way. I loved it. It was way harder than I excepted thought, even on Normal difficulty.

[@Gabriel-cg9tj]

It really has that oldschool ps1-2 game feel

[@THE-NC2]

I really wanna buy Kena as it’s on sale now

[@chicochowster2505]

Honestly, sometimes I feel we need games that don't necessarily break new ground but just spend time in the mechanics, personality and overall "feel" of the game. So looking forward to this!

[@sparrow56able]

yeah because 99% of games break new grounds....

[@chicochowster2505]

@@sparrow56able ... You got a point there

[@stevenewsom3269]

Overall "feel" of the game. What kind of nebulous nonsense is that lmao.

[@jagj6478]

@@sparrow56able well they’re marketed as doing so

[@olafsigursons]

Voice acting is cringe. Character are cutes with no personality. UI is hard to read. Game is not balanced. Controls doesn't work. I got this game at half price and I regret it.

[@DolanDarker]

Glad to see it review well, was worried it was a flop when it didn't show up at all at the Playstation showcase the other week. Still can't understand why the running/walking start/stop animations are so janky when everything else looks so good, but I'm an hour in so far and it's definitely looking promising aside from that

[@aussieseal9979]

Meme guy?? Nah can’t be

[@batterysurf]

DADDY IS HERE

[@Kiwiiizzz]

Yeah I was surprised when the walking looks so odd while every other animation looks Pixar quality

[@satanlucifer]

That walk with staff in hand animation looks so out of place as if the character has no mass

[@KABLAMMATS]

I thought u had no life outside of meme

[@vishaalmalolan4428]

That title is a big relief to see and my excitement for this game was already very high now I can't wait to play it

[@MisterK-YT]

My feelings exactly

[@jonathanspurgeon4371]

Same, definitely gonna buy now

[@abhiss6705]

same here. I held off preordering it after how disappointing biomutant was. But boy oh boy I am ready for this.

[@vincentclark8386]

Same. Can't freaking wait. Dwnlding it now while I'm at work

[@corenv6022]

SAME dude!

[@sisulart]

For a debut game this is very impressive. It’s not perfect, personally I’d give it 8/10, but Ember Labs is worth keeping an eye on. They could produce a genuine masterpiece at some point, the talent is there.

[@GuidoGabriele]

“Wherever you look, you just see stuff” - there’s a quote for the accolades trailer!

[@DiegoMejia-hb3fo]

I think the simplicity is part of it's charm. Genuinely kinda reminds me of the first Jax and Daxter game

[@Mahoganegnog]

@@12xenn45 Exactly what I was thinking!

[@DiegoMejia-hb3fo]

@@12xenn45 Yeah that is very true. There are exceptions like Kingdom Come Deliverance but you are right

[@Jon_Doe]

@@DiegoMejia-hb3fo wtf does kingdom Come deliverance have anything to do with this game

[@DiegoMejia-hb3fo]

@@Jon_Doe talking about how games can be immersive and how those two game are different but do the same thing

[@blackmanwithcomputer]

Thought the exact same thing. Honestly, this could be Sony's answer to all the people that want a new Jak game. They just need to improve on the traversal and platforming for a sequel. Also hope they up the Ghibli influence, too! Imagine the animation potential with a PS5 only sequel?!

[@richlepore7781]

One thing I love about This channel is that I never know what games will be reviewed week to week - or rather, which games Ralph will choose. And just as surprising, sometimes, are the specific games that end up earning a recommend. This (Kena) was a huge surprise, and a very happy one at that. Nice work.

[@AdrasAdraki]

You know ff14 wont be reviewed :'( (hope im wrong)

[@harakiribanzai2483]

@@AdrasAdraki he is working on it

[@KoNekoNoUta]

FF14 as a whole is so hard to review, I think he’s waiting for endwalker to drop.

[@NYC_Goody]

How about play games even if he doesn't recommend them. Learn to freethink. To encompass your own thoughts. Y'all need to obtain the skill of taking things from a reviewer and applying them to your own critical thinking. It's not black and white.

[@TheKingAdham]

Hol up. Skill Up has a name??

[@WanderingHelmsman]

The whole review has this gorgeous music playing all throughout from the game, and you never mention the music! Seriously though, glad this one is looking to turn into a sleeper hit kind of like how Horizon Zero Dawn unexpectedly blew everyone away with all the same praises sung in this review.

[@philbarton2832]

The main theme motif was overplayed a little bit too much in different tracks for my tastes but it definitely was gorgeous. I really wished reviewer's would take more time and be more descriptive about a games soundtrack. For me the OST is one of the key aspects of a game

[@Javier64691]

God… the cutscenes look unreal… feels like they straight up come from a movie. Their roots are really paying dividends on that area.

[@anecro]

Honestly I feel like people with a background in movie production almost always enhance games and make them even tighter. Another game that comes to mind is Trico: The Last Guardian. The developer was an animator who clearly knew his inspirations and his stylized worlds, and so the game came out feeling very unique and well-polished. This doesn't mean that mechanically games will come out great, but it ensures at least the story/visuals/animation/style are high quality and consistent. People with this experience are gems.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@anecro "Honestly I feel like people with a background in movie production almost always enhance games and make them even tighter." Hmm they dont. This game looks pretty and all, but the gameplay is extremely meh, if not buggy at times Uninspired enemy design, janky animations, it's just a mediocre souls-like with cute visuals

[@anecro]

@@wallacesousuke1433 I never mentioned variety. The game itself is gorgeous, that's it. On top of having astoundingly high quality cinematics, because that's where the developers come from. I hope you read my comment in its entirety cause I specifically mention I'm talking about visuals, not technicalities programmers and experienced game developers get right. Here it is since you missed it: "This doesn't mean that mechanically games will come out great, but it ensures at least the story/visuals/animation/style are high quality and consistent. People with this experience are gems." In short, they do in the field they're experienced in. Of course they do. Also I don't see where the mediocre comes from, the game gets what it does right, it's not amazing or anything but it's good.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@anecro " I don't see where the mediocre comes from" Combat, many animations, physics, enemy design and moveset, puzzles, story, well, absolutely everything that isnt related to visuals is average at best, but it takes a real gamer to notice these things, casual players are satisfied with graphics so I dont think any of that makes sense to you

[@anecro]

​@@wallacesousuke1433 "but it takes a real gamer to notice these things". I don't think it's worth continuing the conversation after reading that honestly, but I will anyway: No, the animations aren't lazy. They're as polished as the cinematics are (except for the stiff stopping animations of the main character), and if you can't tell then Idk what I must do. Your opinion I guess, so I disagree here. Physics are fine. Combat is where the game is simple but very enjoyable and I have no idea why that seems "mediocre" to you. Elaborate? Do you expect a complexity-fest from all games? Enemy design is really, really good. I think you're confusing variety with quality here again. The game reeks of good visual design and I'm saying that as an amateur artist who aims to work in the industry one day. About the moveset, sure. The puzzles go back to my combat section. They don't have to be complex, but I understand someone calling them mediocre more than the combat just because it's easy to expand upon this area aside from "shoot arrow". While the story is something subjective, it doesn't need to be centered around you if that's where the criticism comes from. Kena has a pretty unique world it aims to explore, and that's the value you get out of it. If that's not your thing that's fine but it works for me. "absolutely everything that isnt related to visuals is average at best". No. I heavily disagree.

[@jessem138]

I've missed 3D platformers like this. They're such a stark contrast to the bleak, Hollywood esque, AAA market we're so used to today. Hoping to see this genre continue its comeback.

[@justicaar]

Yeah, it feels like a game from the PS2 era and I mean that in the best way possible

[@PyrusHeliosXX]

This and biomutant

[@CRISNCHIPS12398]

Biomutant LMAO

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

We slowly seeing a comeback to mascot games. Ratchet and clank, kena, psychonauts

[@thisbubblygoodness7611]

​@@CRISNCHIPS12398 he isn't lying tho, i played biomutant when it came out and felt like it was like playing a ps2 game i haven't played in 17 years or something, i liked it

[@johnwrath3612]

I’m glad this one turned out well. Looks a bit like Ori and the blind forest aesthetic crossed with god of war 2018 and an old school platformer which seemed like a winning combo in my book.

[@michaelmonstar4276]

Also Mini Ninjas and Rime.

[@strohhuttv8848]

This game for me looks like a child of Pixar and any 3D person platform game = Kena Bridge of Spirits.

[@ron-by5oh]

@Ten O idk about the rest of the game but the distinctive carvings on handholds for traversal are textbook gow 2018

[@XiLock_Alotx]

No on Ori and no on GoW. With that being said There is plenty of games that it draws inspiration from and almost all of them that it does so, it does so remarkably well

[@cody3335]

I agree in regard to the god of war comment. I’ve played it and the combat feels very similar to 2018. Even down to the over the shoulder close 3rd person camera and battles.

[@daydreamnation3536]

This game wasn't even on my radar, I've just bought it on the strength of ths review. Thanks Ralph!

[@stevewashington2158]

I'm going to buy this later all thanks to this review!

[@Mitch-po1hp]

update on how it is?

[@stevewashington2158]

@@Mitch-po1hp I like it!

[@Mitch-po1hp]

@@stevewashington2158 do you think it's worth the $40 for a broke college student?

[@stevewashington2158]

@@Mitch-po1hp I'd wait for a price drop.

[@azreow]

If this studio gets a game of the year nomination at all, that would be amazing. For their first time out as a game studio, this is just incredible work.

[@Mr_G_s_Route_66]

Im allready curious what their next game would be.

[@ThePokestopPapi]

Just imagine what they would be able to do with a sequel, along with a AAA budget! The potential would be insane.

[@snailthelostcow63]

Well, there you go

[@poett8875]

They won best indie game and best debut indie game. That’s already a huge accomplishment. I’m a little pissed they didn’t win best Art Direction as well. This game looks like something straight out of Pixar😭

[@juliansalazar7097]

Can confirm. This game is fucking fantastic… reminds me if Kameo and Beyond Good and Evil had a baby.

[@HyouVizer]

wow that description 👍

[@starscream6629]

Forgot about kameo

[@conor6436]

Looks 10x better than Kameo though, never enjoyed it

[@Plasmacat1]

To me it's Starfox Adventure.

[@easy_e_1976]

I really enjoyed Beyond good and evil back in the day as well . The gameplay is very reminiscent.

[@chickengenius4202]

I love this game. I’ve been playing for 3 hours and it’s just magical. The music is great, the rots are cute, and the boss fights are unique and challenging. Can’t wait to play more. I also like the hats you can put on the rot

[@menzoznem]

Is the gameplay good? Are higher difficulties actually challenging and fun?

[@christopherfortineux6937]

@@menzoznem the game is actually challenging the higher the difficulties. The boss fights can be quite a challenge. I’m playing it what’s basically normal and I’ve died a few times and that says a lot. It’s such a good game already.

[@David-dz1cb]

Yes, yes it is incredible. Phenomenal art, great story, amazing combat, and just stellar world design. One of those rare magical platformers you'll remember for ages.

[@randyjax09]

I was not ready for how hard this game was lol. Even “normal” mode was intense. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pleasant surprise. But I hope the devs give the difficulty settings an update going forward.

[@rommelthedesertfox3089]

I always play my games on the hardest mode

[@philbarton2832]

​@@rommelthedesertfox3089Here's your cookie 🍪

[@rommelthedesertfox3089]

@@philbarton2832 tell me u play on easy mode without telling me

[@philbarton2832]

@@rommelthedesertfox3089 I'm actually a big soulsborne guy so challenge doesn't scare me. I usually play games the first time round on normal then up the difficulty on a replay if I enjoyed it. I definitely don't try and flex that I play hard games though

[@rommelthedesertfox3089]

@@philbarton2832 I do because I play my games on the hardest mode the first time around not normal

[@newtonslore]

Yup, been playing for an hour. This Pixar-like fidelity from such a small studio is... well it's huge props. Now I'm gonna go back and fight some crazy-ass tree spirits with my black furbie posse. 😜🐦🌴

[@estyhugo]

PS5 or PC?

[@newtonslore]

@@estyhugo PS5

[@Kekoapono]

We’ve finally reached the generation of gaming where we can play games that look as amazing as CG animated films. When I saw the reveal trailer for Kena and saw that it was being done by Ember Lab I got super excited because of the amazing work they did on the “Terrible Fate” Majora’s Mask short film. I’m still kinda shocked that this game turned out to look as amazing as it does. Well, perhaps I shouldn’t be shocked, given how amazing their animated features look, but I am shocked that it looks like a fun game. It’s easy to call this a sleeper hit, but I hope they sell many many copies, because they truly deserve it. And, frankly, they could’ve easily asked for more than $40 for this game. The parts of this game are made well, and I think the sum of its parts is indeed something truly special and wonderful. I’m excited to see more from Ember Lab. Developers: please make beautiful games; take notes from what this studio has done!

[@shodan6401]

@Kekoapono Well, I don't know if they could've charged more than $40 - it's no Marvel's Avengers or anything...

[@christopherfortineux6937]

I was surprised they kept it 40$ it was supposed to be that price if you preordered it. They just kept it that way. Lol as soon as I started playing it I just thought “wow we can finally play Pixar films”

[@hideyowifees]

I’ve played for about 5 hours so far and it’s an absolute blast so far aside from a few bugs that I ran into. the soundtrack slaps ass and sound design is just really good in general, recommend people play with headphones. Gameplay has been really fun on the highest unlocked difficulty(there is another difficulty you unlock after you beat the game I believe) game looks really good and lighting is so nice as well , kind of insane to think this is the first game for ember lab. Very good stuff

[@ahmedhamm5464]

really tho the sound is amazing some of the best i heard i a minute

[@dr.loomis4221]

"soundtrack slaps ass" virgin status confirmed

[@kurtisklein2682]

I hope Devs know when they have something special like this. Making the characters, making these awesome stories etc. Thanks for the review, i'll add it to the list!

[@bensunnyisaac]

OK. The fact that Skill Up himself, someone who does not get easily swayed by a game or its' visuals just fell in love with the game. I've just finished the prologue and it's BEAUTIFUL!!!

[@nickgarcia1292]

How long has it been out to the public? I'm downloading it now but thought I'd have to wait till at least midnight.. also does anyone know if mouse and keyboard are good for this game?

[@yaboimohaimin2079]

you remember his cyberpunk first impressions?

[@dontmatter4423]

Dude literally liked death stranding gameplay lol

[@dontmatter4423]

@@nickgarcia1292 downloading now on pc, hopefully mouse n kb will be fine. If not I'll play on xbox controller.

[@nickgarcia1292]

@@dontmatter4423 yea I just started the game. The sprint button is middle mouse button so I remapped it to my mouse thumb button on the side. The controls are a tad different but so far they arent bad

[@manakakisaragi9121]

A rare occasion when something looks so beautiful, that I decide to play it, no matter the rest. Glad to hear it's as good as it looks.

[@DV-ou1yu]

This is what kept me playing Biomutant lol

[@lukastemberger]

Oh, agree, the beautiful visuals and amazing music is reason enough to get this game, it's awesome!

[@kitsunegr3y194]

Have you played it yet?

[@JERB2012]

"They made this animation of Majora's Mask ...." I thought I saw this style of animation somewhere but going from those origins to this is truly impressive.

[@giraffeman326]

The music in this game is an absolute masterpiece

[@michaelnapper4565]

I've never even heard of this, but I am thrilled that this exists! Good games are good for all of us!

[@michaellynch5254]

Thanks Skillup for this review. I have a feeling this is going to be a very popular video. Lot of anticipation for this game. It looks so beautiful.

[@DoctorJack16]

I wasn’t going to get it based on some reviews but you’ve convinced me to give it a go to support these devs. Thanks as always for your honest reviews.

[@Gabriel-cg9tj]

Who reviewed this game bad lmao?

[@revl8n817]

Thank you once again Ralph. Love that you cover such a variety of games and still deliver well articulated in-depth reviews.

[@inoob26]

Plot Twist: The game is so good, the devs wants money from game journalists too

[@MisterK-YT]

That late embargo had me sweatin’ for a moment there. Glad it’s so delightful. Those little dudes are too cute to get a “I absolutely do NOT recommend: Kena Bridge of Spirits”

[@snowstalker36]

Full controller mapping is a feature that needs to become standard. I'm happy to see a lot more games doing in recently.

[@farmpunk_dan]

They did it pretty badly though. I wanted to map attacks to square and triangle (x+y) and you simply can’t unless you leave some of the useless controls “unmapped” in which case, the game won’t save your settings and reverts to default. Because of the bow controls, you’re basically locked into their default in every meaningful way.

[@mattmorgan7172]

LOVED this review. Maybe it's just me but you sounded so relaxed and enthusiastic, there's a casualness to your speech here that really worked to sell how genuinely pleased you were with this game. Glad to hear it's so good too! From what I'm seeing and hearing, it kinda reminds me quite a bit of the first Ori game? Obviously there are similarities regarding the environment, but specifically I mean in regards to it being a semi-open world game with Metroidvania elements that's stunning in presentation, with room to flesh out the combat further in a sequel.

[@justicaar]

Let's go!!! Been looking forward to this game for a long time, so I'm really happy to see that you enjoy it! Thank you (as always) for your review! :D

[@garybergamo6440]

Feels like justice for anyone who was looking forward to biomutant… like me

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

So glad to hear this game is good. Ive been interested in this since its debut but haven't heard anything much since. Definitely going to be picking this up.

[@rawtooth4704]

Hey guys ..

[@Muppemania]

Kena to me is, magic, beaufitul, unique. It is a great game, and I am utterly amazed at the size of the team. Is it perfect? No, but the good things far outweight the flaws. It is a indie game that looks, runs, sounds, and plays better then most AAA games I have played lately. And who whoever called this a ps2 games needa glasses asap, until they have glasses they are a danger to themselves and others around them.

[@michaelb3576]

I’m so happy that I woke up to a shining review for this game. You don’t often miss the mark with these reviews. I’ve had the central village as a background on my PC since the image was released. Can’t wait to play this one.

[@patriciasalmon4]

So glad to hear that this was an overall positive experience for you, I’ve been keeping an eye out for this game for ages. I’m bummed out to find that in Australia physical copies are nowhere to be found atm (and someone at JB said it’s not going to be physically out till NOV!!) 😭 so I may just have to jump onto the digital download.

[@jarrydrogers18]

its only $40 to digitally download. No brainer really

[@tochukwuudu7763]

@@jarrydrogers18 She prolly likes owning physical copies

[@magicth]

Get that digital!

[@anis6800]

Get it digitally! The devs get more money that way. Support Ember Lab pls :)

[@mandrews6282]

The developer isn’t putting out physical copies until Nov. So you can’t get one anywhere actually.

[@Hencid]

the fact that ign review didn't touch on any of the things that make this game worthwhile says it all, and they are big names. thank you so much for your work you truly make the gaming community so much better

[@MRBarton369]

Such a great time with this game…I was concerned like some…was going to get it immediately but the lack of stuff led to hesitation. You really came through on this one fella. Thoroughly enjoying my time…another great review

[@bensaarinen3661]

I figured out why I love your videos! Your style reminds me of the “Good Game” podcasts and game reviews hosted by Bajo and Hex that I use to watch on my ipod nano 4th gen back in the day. Love it

[@brandonchambers963]

Been playing since it released at midnight so almost an hour and half and I gotta say this is such an amazing game. It’s so beautiful and the story is great so far. Almost wonder if it’ll end up being a tear jerker considering what it’s about. Anyone on the fence needs to just buy this. I assure you, you won’t regret it. It’s just so good

[@jesserogalski1402]

Was excited for this. But with the lack of coverage, late review embargo, and Epic exclusivity deal, I was legitimately worried. Glad to see it ended up being great.

[@creatorsfreedom6734]

Im sure you would have liked to have had TODD HOWARD say something yes ? all of it jus owrks

[@jesserogalski1402]

@@creatorsfreedom6734 No, actually, I wouldn't have. I don't trust the entirety of Bethesda more than I could throw them. The last decent game they, themselves, have developed, is Fallout 4, since Morrowind, and it still a disappointment. Have any other misperceptions to throw my way? They're a good publisher, but they're no longer a good developer. Weaker and weaker; more shallow games with every release.

[@Ceece20]

@@creatorsfreedom6734 lol aw look at you shilling for the major corporates. Are you trying to get some Epic Vbucks? Is daddy Sony going to scratch your belly and call you a good boy?

[@creatorsfreedom6734]

@@Ceece20 wub wub wub wub tuchhem belly wub wub wub wub

[@creatorsfreedom6734]

@@jesserogalski1402 Have any other misperceptions to throw my way? learn to spot sarcasm

[@chromerot]

love to see a little plot twist like what you described in the beginning, adds some spice to the project

[@tottycapsgg]

This game takes me back in time in a way that would take way too long to articulate, but it's so refreshing for every reason you pointed out; new IP, new developer with chops that are as staggering on the gameplay front as the visuals are stunning as visuals. The soundtrack is masterful in tandem too, and surprisingly my game of the year so far. I had hopes for this game, had no idea how good it COULD be, and thankfully is. Instant cult classic, hopefully sales are up, I know review scores are.

[@themightyant.]

CRAZY decisions by the dev. Between the lack of reviews, reviews codes and the lack of hype and marketing at release I, like you and many, had started to fear the worst. (Exactly as you said spider-sense was tingling). Regardless glad to hear those worries were unfounded. But complete madness on part of the dev Ember Lab. Can only assume day 1 patch was coming in super-hot or being their first game they just completely ballsed this part of the process up.

[@TheJunnutin]

..or it wasn't up to the devs? Usually it's the publisher that dictates these things.

[@ReallyBigBadAndy76]

@@TheJunnutin exactly. That’s what a publisher is for. Looks like someone at the publisher didn’t think the game was worth putting any money into.

[@themightyant.]

@@TheJunnutin it’s developed AND published by Ember Lab

[@themightyant.]

@@ReallyBigBadAndy76 see above. The game is both developed and published by Ember Lab. They called the shots. Regardless happy it’s a good game. Only played 1hr so far but really enjoying it. Takes me back to simpler times like The first Jak and Daxter. There’s a simple magic to it so far.

[@ReallyBigBadAndy76]

@@themightyant. Glad you like the game. As it's their first outing (at least as a company) it's possible they didn't really account for all the tasks they needed to handle as a publisher.

[@M1tZk1]

I was so hyped for this game and I'm so relieved that it turned out well. Gonna buy it right now and download so I can play it after work

[@Steadymobbin711]

I'll wait for the eventual discounted steam release, really looks good though!

[@Ceece20]

Yep, that’s my plan. If they wanted me to pay full price, they should have released it on Steam instead of Epic.

[@PADG3Y]

There are only a few select reviewers I go to for honest and comprehensive reviews, Skillup is one of them. Even off script you are head and shoulders above the rest.

[@darthmarth87]

Woo! Was pulling for this game and the devs when we first saw it. Will be picking it up, hope it's successful for them :)

[@wigglesft1574]

I'm so glad to see a possitive review. I was really worried that seemingly no one was getting review codes. I was thinking it was gonna be one of those games that focuses completely on visuals and has no actual content to back it up. It looks great and I can't wait to buy it. I was only able to watch in 1080p and it still looks beautiful.

[@jhyde2129]

Another great review, Ralph. I can't wait to check out Kena. But I have to say, I am just as impressed with your review as the game that you so clearly and effectively describe. Your narrative and delivery is always so thoughtful, deliberate, and polished, but never over the top or overly crude. And you did it without a script! You are one of the few game reviewers I can actually watch without getting strange looks from my wife. It's game reviews for grown-ups! Love it!

[@FinnDruryReviews]

I feel so bad that I Cant pick this up at the moment! These developers deserve all the praise! Though I havent played it of course this is obviously a very well done piece of work and the passion behind this looks like its felt at every corner. Well done devs thank you!!!!!

[@kleanupkid]

I can actually hear Shillup smiling while recording this! Happy to see him so happy with this one!

[@tobywebb3377]

Shill?

[@kleanupkid]

@@tobywebb3377 that’s what he calls himself occasionally

[@peastri7804]

Mate you almost broke my heart at the start 😂 I've been soooo looking forward to this game so glad to hear it gets your tick of approval 😄

[@inanimatesum4945]

Okay so here's something odd about this game, it got so much hype from Playstation at their first showcase and was supposedly a PS5 exclusive, but then its a Playstation one overall and Sony gave it NO advertisement. Then all of a sudden its now "Exclusive to PC" on Epic according to my pop up notification. I think we might have a case of Publisher interference or some behind the scene issues as this game suddenly came to EPIC. I'm betting that because EmberLabs took the deal for a EPIC store exclusive for a PC release, Sony got miffed and decided to let them release quietly with no support on their end so they pretty much had to push coverage of the game on their own even though they are a small team polishing up the game. I'm glad the game turns out well and I'd happily buy it for PC, especially since PS5's are still out of stock, but there was so much anxiety over what was happening with this game its just a relief that nothing egregious happened.

[@Gharon]

It only took a few seconds of footage for me to fall in love with the art style and music when they first revealed it last year. I'm so glad it turned out great.

[@MrLimo217]

Thanks for the coverage Skill Up, will definitely look into this for sure. Looking forward to gaming weekly news 🙌

[@dylandog1289]

This seems like a brilliant game to platinum. No more than 10 hours, super colorful, great production value, and good value overall.

[@menzoznem]

I'm only still wondering if the gameplay is good and the main character is actually interesting and does not have a bland personality like ratchet and clank have now :l

[@chillax319]

When it's released from the Epic prison I'm sure to purchase this game.

[@rigomortiz]

Thanks for the detail and depth. We were hesitant but now we'll snatch up a physical copy

[@BA3YDADDY]

It’s kind of funny that the two best games this year is from two small indie studios who is making the studio’s first game, The Ascent and now Kena 🙌🏻 The Ascent and Kena is so beautiful crafted 💯 the visuals is just stunning 🤩

[@Sushi-Katana]

Dont you mean Returnal and Deathloop? Or maybe Little Nightmares II? I tried The Ascent over the weekend and it was as bad as the reviews say it is.

[@jaahman0098]

I wouldn’t go as far and say those are the best. We had Returnal,ratchet and clank, little nightmares and other good games

[@emulation2369]

You mean Valheim? 🤔

[@Webrock]

So glad this game is good as I am always rooting for pure single player experiences to be successful. Was worried this might disappoint the same way Biomutant did but so glad that isn't the case. Only one gripe as a PC gamer, it's not on Steam 😑

[@cjsjdcjsjdxahxjs2165]

I'm not a pc guy, but what's the difference between steam and epic games store? Like does one cost more, run better or something else?

[@MrRinre]

Epic is not that bad since this isnt a multiplayer

[@ericthomas2388]

@@cjsjdcjsjdxahxjs2165 bad storefront. we are used to a level of quality for the storefrontand services. It’s hard to use epic because it’s lacking many features we have on steam

[@Webrock]

@@cjsjdcjsjdxahxjs2165 for me personally the two stores aren't even comparable when it comes to features and accessibility. Also, call it personal preference I like when all my games are in one place its like gamers with physical collection hobby. Also there are exclusives when it comes to systems anyways, this store exclusivity thing by Epic is just plain annoying. Its clear that their store is inferior so they have to pull the exclusivity card for people to use their store and I am not gonna support that. Make gamers use your store by improving it not by forcing.

[@cjsjdcjsjdxahxjs2165]

@@Webrock oh that makes more sense.

[@0311beast]

Thank you always for everything you do; I don't think you'll ever realize how much your opinion on games means to me. You're one of the most straight forward and honest reviewers out there. Thank you again.

[@Grim_Pinata]

Everyone is so excited about this being a throwback to old 3D platformers and for being so bold as to do something like that in 2021 with so high a budget and I'm like *did all of you just forget Psychonauts 2 already*

[@user-ok3th3hu2c]

Psychonauts 2 is amazing

[@abductodudeDT797]

Been waiting on this review for a while! If only Austin would've edited faster. ;) I haven't watched your video yet but the title gives me a lot of relief. Can't wait to see what we're dealing with!

[@BloomHD]

>:|

[@abductodudeDT797]

@@BloomHD BUT WE LOVE YOU ANYWAY!

[@justgoosing9662]

Was one of my most anticipated games of the year and can't wait to dive in. Honestly, glad they didn't spend a ton of time marketing and focused on putting passion into the actual game. A great game will get it's word out there even without an early preview.

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Looks good. I might even get it one day when it appears on PC in a store that I don't hate with every fibre of my being.

[@adamc_vp77]

Glad to see it reviewed well, I'm normally hesitant of new games, especially pre ordering them as I've been burnt practically everytime I've preordered but with this game...idk, something just gave me faith that it would be fantastic and it seems to be the case, I have yet to play it as I'm currently downloading because EPIC doesn't allow preloading...nice going EPIC you incompetent fools but I guarantee when I get home from work it should be a blast

[@ThePughski]

Cant wait to play this tomorrow, thanks for the review brother!!

[@FromTheAtticTV]

Cutscenes really do look out of this world. Like WAY above the competition when it comes to the use of camera, movement, depth of field, animation, lighting, etc.

[@PursuedByAMemory]

Cutscenes are CGI. It's basically a game with a pre-rendered CGI animated short film. Ofcourse they worked hard to meld the gameplay and CGI cutscenes.

[@Ansatsunin]

@@PursuedByAMemory .. 1) You mean "pre-rendered" cutscenes, and 2) I think they're in-engine, as Skillup described them. There are no loading screens between cutscene and action. I don't think they're using pre-rendered videos.

[@PursuedByAMemory]

@@Ansatsunin Some cutscenes are realtime but the more effects heavy scenes are "off-line" rendered in a game engine meaning a video file is playing instead of the computer rendering them in realtime(I'm trying to be clear and concise hence the additional verbiage)

[@Edsabre]

Hearing you speak on how the story is about her helping people deal with loss and helping spirits cross over reminds me of one of my favorite RPGs of all time: Valkyrie Profile. Though very different, that game was about playing as a Valkyrie, recruiting the souls of the fallen to fight in the final battle of Ragnarok, and that meant that when you met these characters, they were right on the edge of death and it was always interesting to see their tragic story and how they deal with it before they pass on. The overarching story was good, but the thing I remember the most is the individual character stories you experienced throughout the game as you recruited these souls. I definitely plan on picking Kena up, and Im hoping the story and characters in it will illicit the the same feelings I got from playing VP all those years ago.

[@KnossJXNgaming]

Man i work for a big gaming website and no matter how much im done with whatever game it is, i always end up watching your reviews because you explain things in a very understandable, relatable way. I aim to review games this well someday. Cheers!

[@MattTheHuman9]

Glad to hear this game is great it gives me Jak and Daxter Precursor Legacy vibes in terms of its gameplay and environments which makes me look forward to it.

[@xxxxx222]

I am so glad this game is looking so good. So many new games are such failures but it's great to see that this game is solid

[@snorremortenkjeldsen6737]

Thanks for yet another superb review, Mr. Skillup! Was slightly on the fence till now

[@jsphmoore]

Ralph. Lemme just say you missed out by now experiencing this with the Dual Sense. The feel of the bow when you pullback is something I never knew was possible. You literally can feel the bow string tighten on your fingertips.It's truly amazing. Anyways, great review as always man.

[@jaythomas468]

Damn, this might end up being one of the best “premiere titles” from a newly-formed studio.

[@azrazelhananto]

this was the one game I was waiting for from the PS5 reveal, so confused there was little to no news about the game during its launch

[@LeonidasGGG]

I believe that being such a small studio they didn't have that big marketing team so they did just what was necessary in the Sony agreement and that's it. Ultimatelly that was a good thing. Right now entertainment studios spend 1/3 to 1/2 their budgets in marketing, and the final product if left behind so SO many times. Also, more trailers or hype can actually be damaging because that there is already so much noise going around between movies, series and game releases, that this one would probably be lost in all of it. My impression was that the team decided to work on the best product they could deliver and let the game sell itself... And I am very glad they did. On another note, there's this talk about "franchise" and I know that there is definitelly room for more, but does everything that is a success needs a "more" these days? I remember Journey was just that... Journey. They didn't need a sequel or a prequel or a side story or whatever to sell more of it. We all know Exects love "growth" but sometimes a thing is just that, ONE thing. That said, Ratchet & Clank got a movie, a remastered, and now a sequel and is doing fine, so if this one follows the trend I'd be very happy for this studio that definitelly looks like it deserves it.

[@BroadStBully194]

Been waiting for reviews on this! Grabbed my attention at the PS5 reveal event, but then never heard anything else about it. Looking forward to picking this up!

[@harrison127]

Really happy you like it, I was looking forward to this one. Gonna play it on PS5 for sure :)

[@innocentpixels]

I was excited for this game so I'm really happy it reviewed well.

[@rynegreen7902]

Awesome to hear, will pick it up in November when they get a physical copy

[@danielvutran]

18:00 i thought that was communicated very well! it's the animation that makes the cut scenes really great lol. I think it's fairly easy to grasp the concept that an animation studio will have great cutscenes xD

[@KingSulley]

Another game I never would have played if SkillUp didn't review it. Honestly, thank you for covering this one. I'm now an hour in and my SO made me promise not to play it without her.

[@Hexentric8]

Only been playing for 4 hours but it's already my Game Of The Year, the graphics, music, story and setting not to mention all the cuteness with the Rot makes this a winner to me.

[@empirezz2728]

Its definitely winning best art award

[@menzoznem]

How's the gameplay though?

[@Hexentric8]

@@menzoznem combat and exploration is pretty basic, nothing that's never been done before, but it's very fun imo

[@sergel02]

Happy to see so many positive reviews! The game is breathtaking and the music is fanatic! I feel like this may end up as one if my all-time faves from recent years. Now I’m going back to getting my butt handed to me by a bunch of trees.

[@maxgarcia2790]

Your appreciation for this game is so apparent! I’m loving this video review ‼️❤️

[@bjwal6]

Really liked the natural presentation of this unscripted review. It added a layer of 'genuiness'. Well done with the short time available, and maybe even integrate some more un/loosely scripted elements into reviews in the future

[@GabrielOnuris]

This is exactly the kind of game I need right now, never heard of it before, but you sold it to me perfectly well.

[@scarlettwoman7880]

I brought this for my son for a new challenge as he is finding most of the kids game’s pretty easy these days. However, my advice is to be on hand for when you get the “Mum, I need help!” The boss fights can be a little hard but I tell my son to give it them a least five goes before asking for help. Most of the time he finds his way through but we are there when things get murky. Kena is meant for kids 12 years up but I have often liked this to Dark Souls without the potions to help you get through the boss fights.

[@Oldsurfer65]

I am so glad you were able to communicate how I felt about this game so well!

[@matteosivilotti9800]

Finally a review that truly represent my feelings about this game. Great job and use of words. You said it and I agree with it. It's not a 10/10 but it's special. And sometimes special is all we need. You have a new sub.

[@XiLock_Alotx]

This is by far one of my most anticipated games this year for PlayStation five. I really do wish that everybody got to experience regardless of what platform they play on. But at least it’s also on PC

[@Mikri90]

I had high hopes for this as the reveal trailers had a lot of promise and curiously one of the reasons why I liked the trailers was especially that character you speak of. It just has some heartwarming feel to it. I am glad it's turning out to be a success!