New game development studio, Ember Lab, is excited to reveal Kena: Bridge of Spirits. It was announced yesterday at Sony’s PS5 The Future of Gaming event. The game is a story-driven, action-filled adventure that blends together narrative, exploration, fast-paced combat and puzzle-solving. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is currently slated to make its debut in time for the Holiday season this year. It will be coming to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Those who want it on PC will unfortunately have to get it from the Epic Games store, at least for a while.
Players will find themselves on a quest to restore balance to an ancient village. The surrounding environment no longer thrives like it once did. You take on the role of Kena, a young spirit guide who must discover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the village’s demise. She utilizes a staff and a collection of very small companions called “the Rot” to expose secrets, unlock new skills, disarm enemies, and restore the beauty of the landscape around her.
Kena will need to build bonds with her Rot companions. Doing so enriches the combat through nuanced skill evolution. According to the press release, the game is also designed to take advantage of the upcoming PlayStation 5’s hardware and DUALSENSE controller. It supports immersive haptic feedback, with simulated string resistance for the Spirit Bow that Kena wields.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is the first game from Ember Lab, which was formed in 2009. It was co-founded by Josh and Mike Grier, whose mission was to tell great stories that can appeal to anyone. They are now a tight-knit team of 14 strong, that also seeks and collaborates with new emerging talent from all around the world. You may know them as the people behind a short fan film from 2016: Majora’s Mask – Terrible Fate. It delves into the Skull Kid’s dark origin story in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The short film combines real-world locations with CG characters from that game, and has accrued over 20 million views on YouTube and FaceBook. If you’re a fan of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, and haven’t seen it, you can watch it right here (and you should):
The small indie studio, Ember Lab, previously honed its skills through the creation of a series of character-driven animated commercials, as well as multiple branded game apps for clients like Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, and Hisense. They are also known for another short film, called Dust, which won the following awards:
- Best Film at DragonCon
- Best Sci-fi by Hollyshorts
- Best VFX, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best of Fest at Filmquest
- and is a Worldfest Remi Award winner
