We discussed the technical specs for Kena on Xbox Series X and S, what's been added to the title since its initial launch and much, much more. So, without further ado, here's our full chat with Ember Lab's Chief Operating Officer, Josh Grier, on all things Kena: Bridge of Spirits:
Pure Xbox: Hey Team! Thanks for talking to us today. First off, could you sum up exactly what Kena: Bridge of Spirits is for our Xbox readers out there?
Josh Grier: Kena: Bridge of Spirits marks the gaming debut of our studio and it went on to win multiple awards including “Best Indie Game” at the Game Awards. At Ember Lab, we’ve always had a passion for telling great stories. Kena is a single-player, third-person, action-adventure that blends a narrative focus with exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced combat. Since our small animation studio officially turned to game development, we’ve been honored to receive both fan support and critical acclaim.
Taking inspiration from nostalgic games and films, the game blends Eastern and Western themes as players untangle the past of a forgotten village. Kena is a young Spirit Guide searching for the mysterious Sacred Mountain Shrine. On her journey, she helps spirits trapped by their personal tragedies. Joined by a team of cute (yet powerful) spirit companions called the Rot, Kena ventures through a tale of self-discovery as she fights back Corruption. With the aid of the Rot and her knowledge of the Spirit Realm, Kena helps these trapped spirits face their pain and heal the afflicted village.
Full of adventure and charm, Kena: Bridge of Spirits weaves a compelling story complete with lovable characters, extraordinary music, exciting gameplay and rich visuals.
Pure Xbox: How are you feeling about bringing Kena: Bridge of Spirits to Xbox consoles after such a long time on PlayStation?
We are extremely excited for Xbox players to experience Kena’s adventure. Since its original launch, we have added a lot of exciting content to the game including New Game+, cosmetics for Kena and fun Spirit Guide Trials. The Kena community has been patiently waiting for the game to come to Xbox, and we’re excited to bring the fully expanded Kena experience to Xbox players!
Pure Xbox: On that note, how has the porting process been? And have you run into any challenges developing for Xbox Series S?
Kena was developed in Unreal Engine 4, so that helped make the porting processes easier. However, Xbox is a new platform for our team and there were some learnings we had to work through. We wanted to make sure Xbox players had an excellent experience with Kena. We focused most of our efforts on making graphical and performance enhancements to ensure the quality was there while delivering on the visual fidelity and art style of the game for Xbox players.
Pure Xbox: Could you tell us the resolution and performance targets for the Xbox Series X and S versions of Kena?
Xbox Series X - 60FPS at 4K
Xbox Series S - 30FPS at 4K
Pure Xbox: We noticed that although Kena: Bridge of Spirits didn't launch on PlayStation Plus, it did eventually make its way onto the service. Do you have any plans for Xbox Game Pass?
At the moment we don’t have plans for Xbox Game Pass.
Pure Xbox: We know that Xbox fans are excited to finally play and experience Kena. Is there a feature or a section of the game that you and the team are particularly proud of?
Throughout the game, players find and grow a team of spirit companions called the Rot. Timid and elusive creatures scattered throughout the forest, the Rot maintain balance by decomposing dead and rotting elements. There are 100 of them to find and they help Kena interact with the world.
While central to the narrative, the Rot also play a big role in gameplay. Kena’s team of companions assist her in combat as they augment her abilities. The Rot can swarm attackers, create piercing projectiles, and even form a shape-shifting cloud to pummel enemies. These abilities become more powerful as the player finds and builds a larger team. The Rot are a big part in the game’s identity and one of the features we are most proud of.
Getting all of the Rot to follow behind Kena was a technical challenge but was critical to the satisfaction of seeing the player’s progress reflected in the growing team of Rot. It's also really fun to dress up the Rot in adorable hats discovered along the way!
Pure Xbox: Finally, do you have a closing message for our Pure Xbox audience who are eager to try out the game?
Kena was a labor of love for our indie team, and we’ve been happy to see the game resonating with so many people since its initial launch. Many fans have shared how they’ve been touched by the characters, the look of the world, and the concept of helping troubled spirits. We took a slightly different approach to a combat-based game, where the player is instead fighting against manifestations of pain in order to help troubled spirits move on peacefully.
Since the game came from such a personal place, we hope that passion has come through. Many players have shared their pleasant surprise at the challenging combat in light of the charming world. The team is really proud of the experience we created, and we can’t wait to share it with the Xbox community.
Thanks to Ember Lab for chatting with us. You can catch Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Xbox on August 15th - and we'll have our full written review on the site between now and launch!
