Just after Toshi and Zajoru move on, and Kena is left alone by the mountain shrine, Zajo's voice echoes through her mind saying "there's only one spirit left for you to help". I really thought at that point they meant Kena herself, which I thought was beautiful. The game goes on to make clear it was actually the rot god which she then puts back together, but with your video I again feel like maybe it was about her. I fully agree that there is a lot of personal growth for Kena in the story, it is just very subtly shown.
Which is amazing that it is subtly shown, because that's how it is in real life too. Sometimes you look back and you think, woah I've grown. We didn't need much background story of her, because it felt like we knew her all along and we grew with her throughout the game. Amazing
I thought the exact same thing at that section of the game, even briefly questioned it at one point while exploring. That would have been a beautifully bittersweet way to end the experience had the developers wanted it to be a one-and-done game, I'm sure we'll instead see more of Kena in the future.
The double meaning was definitely there. The first was the spirit of the mountain, but also her own spirit so she didn't end up trapped like the spirits she's been helping. I loved it. Just amazing...
Yeah I agree, totally love a game with a great story! If you haven't checked it out, the pathless is a really cool one that has a really cool story if you dive deep into it (especially if you played abzu and journey as well)
I thought this game was beautiful in a lot of ways. It is kind of vague unless you really pay attention to every little detail that happens, but watching this video and looking back on it definitely shows how emotionally driven the story was. I definitely won’t forget about this one.
The moment she sees herself as a child was so wholesome and true beyond words. We always have an inner drive why we do things, but it's about being able to let go and use it for the good. And that Toshi had to forgive himself to move on, sometimes it is yourself that imprisons you. And this was only a few moments of the game, oh my
Great analysis! The game strips out all the garbage that surrounds similar formulas like assassins creed and really does leave us with an original, Pixar-like story. This is a game and story for everyone.
I totally agree. It's something that I think a lot of people who even not as big gamers would enjoy. They definitely should turn it into an animated movie or something haha
the 6:30 mark is the factor moment when we realize your perspective of Kena's intensions. True Kena said she was going to the mountain shrine. She said she was searching for the mountain shrine to get a better connection to the spirt world in hopes of finding her father, but Kena has been nothing but kind, helping and friendly to all she has encountered along her way. She was helping all with the kindness of her heart, Thus upon returning from the spirt world zajuro tells Kena that many spirit guides before her have come and failed, but her father would be proud of who she has become today. In other words she is not acting selflessly otherwise she would have failed, but instead pressed on and went to all lengths to help the spirits in the forest on her way to the mountain shrine.
This is probably one of the most unique games to come out in a long time. Love it to death and I’d really want to see a sequel, but I don’t know where they’d take the story from here. It all seems complete and if anything maybe deserves a prequel instead. I doubt that’ll happen though.
Yeah a prequel would be really cool or something showing some of the other spirit guides. They said they aren't going to do another game of Kena but might do a movie or something
@@UnbrokenOdds Oh so they’ve actually confirmed that this is the only one they’re going to make? Damn that’s a shame. I really saw a lot of potential for a game series.
They were all dead before she got there. It was when the rot God was killed that killed the village. We don't know how many years its been since that happened but there have been other spirit guides who tried to help the village and failed so I would assume quite some time
@@UnbrokenOdds But, wasn't her father a member of that village and trained her to be a spirit guide like some of the others? Or, was she trained abroad, and came back after everyone was dead? It doesn't really make sense, since they talk about her with the staff as a child. I know, it's just a game. No sense in over analyzing it. lol.😄
Recently beat this game and it was one I truly, truly enjoyed. It does get you in your feelings when saying goodbye to the spirits as they have to move on. My 8yr old daughter was brought to tears during parts of this game. They did a great job with this one! ❤
To add one more common Pixar trait; there isn't really any villain in the story. Toshi is the main antagonist narratively, but the story shows that no one was really evil in intent. And he disappears after the beginning to return for the final part of the game.
Beautiful game. Great analysis. I’d love a sequel. Beat it on expertise, but got stuck on Master difficulty, at that point it was too much for a casual gamer like me.
Loved your ending analysis. Pulling the lessons from all the spirits back to Kena's journey with her father. I loved the game and it's vague story telling, but was definitely left wanting at the end feeling like the story wasn't complete. You definitely opened my eyes to how each spirit actually reflected Kena's need to find her father. Now my only question is, the story opens with Kena and the Rot Spirit both being hurt or injured. Rot's antler is broken and they draw attention to Kena's blue veins glowing with spirit energy. They never explain that affliction nor really mention it again. Although her design leads to the idea that the viens travel up her arm and that's why all her outfits cover it. When I played this the first time, I thought she was traveling up to the mountain shrine to get help for that. But that's kinda left up to interpretation. Love the story telling, I love that it's left up to you and there are a lot of pieces missing. Definitely want a sequel one day! But we'll see. I'd also be happy if this was a stand alone and Ember Lab makes another game just as compelling and beautiful.
I'll admit that I got caught up in each of the smaller stories only to fall in to the pit of confusion and only seeing a surface depth of Kena herself. I didn't realize the connection between the spirits and that of her own. Thanks for highlighting this point as it has now given me a greater appreciation for the game. Now, I'm going to do some research on the Rot - as that is the only other piece I'm missing from the games story.
When you think about it more in depth, you realize that the smaller stories are in-fact all parts of Kena’s story. Spirits are adjacent to memories, they are manifestations of past events. Meaning that throughout the entire story, Kena is entirely alone. The only physical interactions she has are the cursed monsters and perhaps the Forest guardian thing that she cleanses at the end. Which makes the story far more tragic and adds a layer of complexity that I believe takes the story up a notch. I’d put it up to a 9-10 rating through this interpretation, and maybe a 5-6 if you take the story at face value.
Nice video. I would agree with the criticism Kena is left a little bit two dimensional, but with eyes on a sequel, maybe that was intentional. It left me wanting more to know her backstory. It has almost a western vibe... the nameless, silent hero you do not know much about, but who conveys his personality through his actions. Now Kena does talk a little more and shows compassion and understanding, but she never opens up herself. like someone else commented, the final words of zajo could not only have meant the rotgod, but maybe Kena herself, maybe she is also already dead and in this function can be a spirit guide, a medium between the real world and the world of spirits. we never get explained the mechanics how this works. we know her dad was one, we know she lost him (but not if he went away or is dead, although it is implied in the flashback). but basically everyone we interacted with in the game is dead if I am not mistaken. So why couldn't it be that Kena, just like the other spirits, has problems "passing on?"- Would be a little ironic, a spirit guide who can not herself be guided or move on. then, she seems to have some sort of condition or curse as well, implied by her covered arm and the veins that show in some scenes. Is this maybe what is preventing her search or development? (this cursed arm reminded me ashitaka in princess mononoke, just as her outfit does. She is sort of a female version of ashitaka to me... lone wanderer, helps people, bridge between different factions-world. both also highly nature/eco centric stories). Curious also that Kena often meditates. In zen meditation, as I am aware most will know, you sort of get in this "observer role", so not harboring any feelings or emotions, either good or bad, to cloud your view and judgement. And this is necessary for all characters Kena has to guide and ultimately herself too. so I feel apart from levelling your health up, it also does serve somewhat the story. neutral as possible introspection to sort your feelings out seems necessary to me. so yeah, fantastic story, left me wanting a little bit more TBH and I can understand the criticism to a degree, but it has been a long time since I had so much fun with a game. Also from a gameplay mechanic, Kena does not do anything new or groundbreakingly revolutionary, but all mechanics work beautifully in tandem together, the platform elements, the battles, the exploration and looting... I just hope we had other means of achieving new outfits (the trials are pretty hard, not gonna lie, as were the bossfights. Not Souls-level bad, but close) and maybe a little more world interactivity. Other than that, very impressive for the first game from ember labs. I sincerely hope we get a sequel. But even if not, this game goes unto my "games to play before you die" list.
I hope one day it will become a movie. Also this story will teach us about how deal our pain and stuff feelings. I really do hope it become a movie it would be awesome.
This game is so wholesome, not to forget the beautiful music and all the small things that made you feel as if you were there. The culture is also so healing and refreshing, connected with nature something I'd love to see back in real life. I really think that in the past people were wise enough to see the connection between the world and our own world (inner & outer) and that for the world to heal we needed to heal ourselves. After all, were all part of this together. This was a very inspiring game, thank you makers!
I’m pretty sure the size of the development team affected how much they could do with the story but with they could do I think it was interesting. I really do hope a sequel is made because there’s so many questions that can be answered and this world they built is too good to be one and done. I just hope enough people bought this game lol. Also can’t go without mentioning how great the music is.
Yeah I agree. Sadly they've said in some interviews they don't plan on making another Kena game but rather another new IP building on what they learned from this. They did say they might continue Kenas story in another form, they are an animation company so maybe a movie? That would still be cool!
@@UnbrokenOdds yes! I did and I already finish it but not really because I still need to complete the whole game just to get complete all platinum trophies for this game
Oh awesome! Yeah it was a fun platinum. The hardest difficulty was a tough challenge! But really rewarding once I finished it, I just hope they release more for this game!
The beautiful truth is essentially the inverse of what Toshi accuses Kena of- that through her own gradual acceptance of grief, she is able to better help others. In this way, her self interest balanced with regard for others is what helps her to deliver a grounded explanation of grief to Toshi. I think for each of us, we will never be in that perfect “I’ve moved on” stage, we can start when we are imperfect and grow and help in parallel.
Beautiful scenery and music, moving and enchanting story and atmosphere. I loved it. the characters and their stories moved me to tears. The gameplay is organic and simple, yet not easy, not at all. I love that there is minimal HUD and no mini-map. The puzzles are connected to the equipment we have. Very immersive game and story. Yes a masterpiece. A game I will never give away and will play again. I hope they make more games of this style.
More games need to be like this one! I really hope the company that made Kena, continues to make games! I HAD A BLAST playing this game and I absolutely love the visuals, soundtrack and story! Also i got platinum trophy for this game, sooo accomplishing!
I really hope Ember Lab will make a second part of this game or extend it more with more chapters in the future talking about Kena herself and how did her father passed away? Or where was she from? I need to know. This game is way too much for me but I need more of it 😭
Just finished the game today! and I cried when each spirit found peace. I really like Kena and think they left her just ambiguous enough without feeling the need to bog her or the audience down with silly tropes and cliches for backstory.
The ending is amazing 👏 😍 🙌 😭 ❤️ I cry at the end, it's emotional and amazing music. She reunited the creatures together to bring back the big spiritual creature, it's sad to see the Littles to go away, the real question that left us all questioning is what will she do now. She healed the land. The adventure is amazing, u don't see games like this much no more, to much call of duty games and fornite man I get tired of seeing those games, now kena is a beautiful game, story, adventure and music.
Really good video mate. I loved this game . Played on hard first time then the higher difficulty to platinum . It’s pretty hard ,the last boss was super tough . Amazing graphics ,great kinda souls like combat . This game is super underrated .
This game was wonderful and this little video essay helped me decompress and process it once I had finished. Thanks for that. I have been stuck in a rut and this story gave me hope that I can move forward.
If it wasn't for Alex Chen in Life is Strange True Colors, Kena would easily be the best new character of the year. Really, Alex and Kena feel very similar in many ways and both had subtle inner conflicts that drove them back.
@@UnbrokenOdds All four games are excellent, with True Colors being the latest. The first game and its prequel are coming with remasters in February as well.
The story really touched my heart and I honestly had to cry at many of the cutscenes. They reminded me also of someone whom I lost, so I think that's why it hit me so hard. I think many people can identify with the feeling of losing someone which they love, that's why the story worked out so great. I really wished for a Pre/Sequel since they could have gone more into Kenas Character and backstory in my opinion. However I can see how there is also an advantage in leaving space for some imagination. I haven't actually realized how big the freeing of the spirits has shaped Kenas Character before your video. Thanks for your work, great Video keep it up 👍
Maybe I overlooked at it, but I think there was kind of a loose end with the "curse" Kena had in her right hand. The veins shined blue when she touched the rot and when she touched Saiya's check before saying goodbye. Also while during the gameplay, if you leave Kena without doing any action, after some time she touches her right arm at the height of the humerus, like if the "curse" spread through all of her arm. Or maybe is just me trying to find a reason for a 2nd part of this game, cause I loved it 😅 In any case, great vide and great analysis. 🙂
literally just finished Kena after finally getting around to playing it the past several nights. I think the story itself is solid but not told. It's the underlying story that the player needs to see and apparently a lot of players seem to have missed. I also think there's actually more that can be said but a great summary nonetheless. Great game though & I hope to see more entries. Just, maybe with a few less collectibles and no trophy tied to Master XD
Maybe it's just me but I really didn't care for the middle story about Hana and Adira. It wasn't bad but it didn't really seem to connect to the rest of the story, other than what happened to the village overall. Your analysis does help explain their purpose but it still failed to resonate with me emotionally the way the stories of Taro and Toshi did. The combat and boss fights continued to improve throughout the game which helped when the story faltered but I wish that Kena and other characters had gotten more depth. Specifically, I think it would have been better if Kena was actually connected to the village in some way and knew the people who died. Zaju mentioned that other spirit guides had tried to help, but failed. This could have alluded to her father failing to help the village and possibly Toshi being responsible for killing him. Kena would have had to deal with other emotions like anger and revenge. Missed opportunity I feel like.
Wow thanks for that! Yeah I really agree with you! Having more to do with the village would have been really nice. I also wondered about the other spirit guides that failed, what happens when a spirit guide fails? Did they fall in battle and become spirits themselves? That could have been a really cool element too, helping them move on since they clearly had unfinished business and they could have either been really tough enemies (powers similar to Kena) or really interesting characters to interact with since they would have insight into what she's dealing with
@@UnbrokenOdds We could have unlocked our abilities from fallen spirit guides. Kena's power alone would have left her to a similar fate but with their combined strength in her, she overcomes. Reminds me of Rey in Star Wars ep. 9
Yeah that's a really good thought! It would have definitely given a chance for some more backstory and history as they could explain what happened to them as well. Hopefully they'll either do dlc or a movie or something. Sadly they already came out saying if they do another game they'll most likely move onto something else
I really enjoyed the game, everything about it was so beautifully shown and presented, and the stories were so heart wrenching. PLUS the addition that it has you thinking “these stories all happened at the same time, but different places.” One thing I might say was a let down was how short the game was!! I was left wanting more! I was hoping there’d be more to it after the mountain shrine was restored but unfortunately there wasn’t. I wonder if more will be added to it in the future?? Or is it complete?
hey yeah I totally feel the same way! It was so much fun and I really connected with them too. I really hope they do more like DLC, sadly in interviews the devs have already said they aren't going to make another Kena game but rather make another new IP for a game, but they did hint they might consider making a movie or something of Kena which would be really cool!
@@UnbrokenOdds oh gosh really?! That would be so cool to see a film of it! I’d love to learn more about those certain topics that players were left to think about! Maybe even learn more about where Kena and her father came from!
The very first game I played on my PS5. I love this game, it’s graphics, characters, music and world. I love how it leans on spirituality aspects as well. While I’d love a sequel , I want ember lab to take their time so the quality will be just as good, if not better than this game.
Wow what a great game to start with! Welcome to the PS5 club! Yeah I really want them to do another as well, sadly they've said in interviews they won't do another Kena game, maybe a movie or show or something, but who knows maybe they'll change their mind!
It still sucks that the only reason I know the story is because I had someone on youtube explain it to me. I didn't understand the story at all but the gameplay was so amazing so I still continued on.
Yeah I was thinking something like that too, but we definitely see it happen to Adira before she finishes the tower and then still finishes so I'm really not sure
yeah I'm not 100% sure, I just always interpreted that as her connection to the spirit realm, kind of a representation of her powers? but it is interesting that it's only on the 1 arm
I just finished playing the game. The story of the game confused me. I just understood Taro's story, Adira's story and Toshi's story. I didn't understand the overall story and why Kena wanted to go to the mountain shrine. After that I watched your video and I understood everything. The criticisms are correct: the overall story is a bit weak and Kena's story needs more details. Overall the game is cute and it's fun to play. I had a nice time playing it :)
By the time you get to the third spirit, Toshi, you can feel the budget/size constraints of the development team. All it needed was one more story arc and resolution with the father of our protagonist. The game is great as it is, but unfortunately, there is still room for improvement.
Decent Game. Not bad. It's weird how there's no answer at all to what her glowing hand was about (as if she's dying as a spirit guide or has dark potential) or what the hell happened to her father... 6/10. I enjoyed it. Fairly sweet story. Underdeveloped though.
I think most people are unhappy not with the story, but the storytelling. As in, the story itself is not nonsensical, and the storytelling actually goes imho the right way, it goes for the Show, dont tell approach. The issue is, that the story explains nothing and you have to pick on it from what is happening alone. So skipping cinematics is a big NONO, which I personally do not see as a problem, but it also, since the game has no flashbacks with Kena, only with the spirits, literally explains NOTHING about the protagonist. You can see her reactions to what is happening to the spirits, but other than that the main character is as unknown as she is at the start of the story. Other than her hand glowing for some reason and her father dying you know nothing more about her at the end of the story.
Yeah those are some great points. I'm sure they wanted an air of mystery around her and the world but it could have used some more fleshing out to really sell their points!
The problem with the story is that they practically wrapped Kena's character arc before the end of the game... When Toshi sends Kena into her memories, that's when she accepts she won't be seeing her father again and completes her journey... They should have saved that cutscene for the very end to make Kena's arc cover the entire game, instead of leaving an empty patch at the very end.
I'm not sure, I think it would be a little too abrupt if it was all saved till the end. Yes after revisiting her memories she's more resigned to never seeing her father again, but it also doubles down her want/need to complete her task here, save the village, make her father proud and then finally let go of all she had been holding onto. At least that's how it seemed to me. Thanks for the comment!
As good as the game and the story are, the game feels like its denying you a proper ending The ending just needed no more than an extra minute to close things out The frustrating thing is that in a lot of cases this is done on purpose so people feel restless, ask for a sequel or check for more related content Its like you have been following the story of someone and seeing their suffering and the moment when they are about to achieve happiness the story ends :|
I can see where you're coming from but at the same time I think we did get to that point. She achieved her happiness, she reached the mountain shrine and realized that she had to let go. Her father is gone and she's not going to see him again, so she finished everything she could do to honor him. What else would you like to have seen after that?
Her father is dead, he died when she was young and talked about going to the mountain, thats why she wanted to. She's essentially the only living person in the game
I really needed this. I mean I really enjoyed the game but I was not at all interested in the story. Helps to see this, it really is more interesting than I thought while playing the game. Don't know if it's my fault for not paying attention or if they just didn't do such a great job in captivating the players to care that much but it's actually a really good story.
I wouldn't ever say it was your fault! I think it depends on how you interpreted it, how long it took to play and how much time in between each big story beat. I found the pacing was pretty good but if you get distracted collecting everything it could be a long time between story pieces making it harder to keep track of as a whole. I feel like a lot of games run into this kind of problem!
I feel like there was some heavy handed assuming about the father situation. In all honesty we don't know enough. The game really doesn't tell us much about kena or her father.
@Unbroken Odds the game tells us she was looking for her father as a child. We don't know how she lost him. She knows she won't find him. What we don't really know what her main reason for going to the mountain is. You can make guesses, but we could think it's one thing, and it could be a totally different thing. It's very vague.
Yeah that's very true. It's definitely my interpretation of what they tell us in the game but there is a lot more we could find out and I hope they do give us more in this world (even if it is just a movie)
This was interesting. I have appalling focus and concentration, so only vaguely followed the plot while playing, wasn't even sure who were spirits as they're 'solid', and missed that the same catastrophic event wiped everyone out at the same time (what an idiot). It made a little more sense later and the game's ending was clever, but your video here is a nice summary for thickos like me. I absolutely loved this game, though find repeat dying in boss or timed level areas breaks the flow rather a lot, I'd prefer a different method, for the timed areas at least. I loved Kena and the adult characters; I wasn't so keen on the actual visual design of the children, Taro and especially the Rot, all too cheesy for me, and I actually found the Rot unpleasant to look at, those facial expressions with the teeth made them look like ugly old men rather than anything cute 😅. Still, a stunning, beautiful game to look at.
It’s not vague, it just doesn’t need to bluntly shove it’s meaning into your face. The plot and the lessons from the game were all perfectly clear to a moderately attentive player.
yeah, I love it when there is a little more subtly to the story and we can piece together all the bits of information if we look for it or put it all together. Kind of like the Pathless, you understand what's going on on the surface, but if you explore and read all the text you find out so much more about the world, really cool to discover!
![Corrupt Rot God Final Boss Fight - Full Narrated Guide - Kena Bridge of Spirits [4k HDR]](/img/n.gif)
All of the spirits stories made me cry, they really did hook me in.
Yeah they did a great job at telling the story, everything felt really emotional and rewatching some of those scenes gets me each time
Awwwwwww..😓😭😭
This game was masterpiece. Game were not only about gameplay, but its story and experience brought me tears and joy. I need more Kena game 😭
I completely agree!
Me too. We need a DLC with people coming back to populate the village, with Kena as their new spirit guide, and fighting the Rot.
Just after Toshi and Zajoru move on, and Kena is left alone by the mountain shrine, Zajo's voice echoes through her mind saying "there's only one spirit left for you to help". I really thought at that point they meant Kena herself, which I thought was beautiful. The game goes on to make clear it was actually the rot god which she then puts back together, but with your video I again feel like maybe it was about her. I fully agree that there is a lot of personal growth for Kena in the story, it is just very subtly shown.
Which is amazing that it is subtly shown, because that's how it is in real life too. Sometimes you look back and you think, woah I've grown. We didn't need much background story of her, because it felt like we knew her all along and we grew with her throughout the game. Amazing
I thought the exact same thing at that section of the game, even briefly questioned it at one point while exploring. That would have been a beautifully bittersweet way to end the experience had the developers wanted it to be a one-and-done game, I'm sure we'll instead see more of Kena in the future.
The double meaning was definitely there. The first was the spirit of the mountain, but also her own spirit so she didn't end up trapped like the spirits she's been helping. I loved it. Just amazing...
Can't wait for more story driven movie-like games like this one... definitely hits different, 10/10😃
Yeah I agree, totally love a game with a great story! If you haven't checked it out, the pathless is a really cool one that has a really cool story if you dive deep into it (especially if you played abzu and journey as well)
I cried my eyes out.. one of the best games i played.
But why cant she keep the little Rot.. so sad.
Now I kinda want a Mushi-shi style Anime or Cartoon with Kena as the MC traveling the land to help more lost spirits.
I thought this game was beautiful in a lot of ways. It is kind of vague unless you really pay attention to every little detail that happens, but watching this video and looking back on it definitely shows how emotionally driven the story was. I definitely won’t forget about this one.
Thanks so much, I really connected with the game and enjoyed it, glad that you could as well!
The moment she sees herself as a child was so wholesome and true beyond words. We always have an inner drive why we do things, but it's about being able to let go and use it for the good. And that Toshi had to forgive himself to move on, sometimes it is yourself that imprisons you. And this was only a few moments of the game, oh my
Great analysis! The game strips out all the garbage that surrounds similar formulas like assassins creed and really does leave us with an original, Pixar-like story. This is a game and story for everyone.
I totally agree. It's something that I think a lot of people who even not as big gamers would enjoy. They definitely should turn it into an animated movie or something haha
the 6:30 mark is the factor moment when we realize your perspective of Kena's intensions. True Kena said she was going to the mountain shrine. She said she was searching for the mountain shrine to get a better connection to the spirt world in hopes of finding her father, but Kena has been nothing but kind, helping and friendly to all she has encountered along her way. She was helping all with the kindness of her heart, Thus upon returning from the spirt world zajuro tells Kena that many spirit guides before her have come and failed, but her father would be proud of who she has become today. In other words she is not acting selflessly otherwise she would have failed, but instead pressed on and went to all lengths to help the spirits in the forest on her way to the mountain shrine.
This game was a therapy for me, as I struggled to move on from my hard break up that i've had. thank you for the video!
This is probably one of the most unique games to come out in a long time. Love it to death and I’d really want to see a sequel, but I don’t know where they’d take the story from here. It all seems complete and if anything maybe deserves a prequel instead. I doubt that’ll happen though.
Yeah a prequel would be really cool or something showing some of the other spirit guides. They said they aren't going to do another game of Kena but might do a movie or something
@@UnbrokenOdds Oh so they’ve actually confirmed that this is the only one they’re going to make? Damn that’s a shame. I really saw a lot of potential for a game series.
Yeah I agree. They did say they plan on making another game using what they learned from this
Love it to death? Dude... this game is about death, and the "rot" minions are not a mistranslation.
Was the pun intended?
What i would like to see is not a sequel, but i'd rather play a prequel, discovering kena's father story
That would be really cool! I was even thinking seeing how some of the other spirit guides failed in the town would be cool too
Same!!
What I don't understand is that if Kena is alive, how did she survive when everyone else in the village is dead?
They were all dead before she got there. It was when the rot God was killed that killed the village. We don't know how many years its been since that happened but there have been other spirit guides who tried to help the village and failed so I would assume quite some time
@@UnbrokenOdds But, wasn't her father a member of that village and trained her to be a spirit guide like some of the others? Or, was she trained abroad, and came back after everyone was dead? It doesn't really make sense, since they talk about her with the staff as a child. I know, it's just a game. No sense in over analyzing it. lol.😄
Recently beat this game and it was one I truly, truly enjoyed. It does get you in your feelings when saying goodbye to the spirits as they have to move on. My 8yr old daughter was brought to tears during parts of this game. They did a great job with this one! ❤
Yeah they really did! I hope they make a movie or show of it, I think that could be really good!
@@UnbrokenOdds I agree completely!!
To add one more common Pixar trait; there isn't really any villain in the story. Toshi is the main antagonist narratively, but the story shows that no one was really evil in intent. And he disappears after the beginning to return for the final part of the game.
Yeah that's a really great point! Thanks for sharing!
and i cried twice while playing this game ;__;
Beautiful game. Great analysis.
I’d love a sequel.
Beat it on expertise, but got stuck on Master difficulty, at that point it was too much for a casual gamer like me.
Loved your ending analysis. Pulling the lessons from all the spirits back to Kena's journey with her father. I loved the game and it's vague story telling, but was definitely left wanting at the end feeling like the story wasn't complete. You definitely opened my eyes to how each spirit actually reflected Kena's need to find her father.
Now my only question is, the story opens with Kena and the Rot Spirit both being hurt or injured. Rot's antler is broken and they draw attention to Kena's blue veins glowing with spirit energy. They never explain that affliction nor really mention it again. Although her design leads to the idea that the viens travel up her arm and that's why all her outfits cover it. When I played this the first time, I thought she was traveling up to the mountain shrine to get help for that. But that's kinda left up to interpretation.
Love the story telling, I love that it's left up to you and there are a lot of pieces missing. Definitely want a sequel one day! But we'll see. I'd also be happy if this was a stand alone and Ember Lab makes another game just as compelling and beautiful.
The story was not very clear during playing but looking at this video it all makes sense. It's a really subtle story that is perfect for this game.
I seriously f-ing love this game so much. I want a sequel! I feel like this game is vastly underrated.
I'll admit that I got caught up in each of the smaller stories only to fall in to the pit of confusion and only seeing a surface depth of Kena herself. I didn't realize the connection between the spirits and that of her own. Thanks for highlighting this point as it has now given me a greater appreciation for the game. Now, I'm going to do some research on the Rot - as that is the only other piece I'm missing from the games story.
Thanks so much! Glad that iy was able to help! That's a great point, i should do a video on them as I found a bunch of info on them as well
When you think about it more in depth, you realize that the smaller stories are in-fact all parts of Kena’s story. Spirits are adjacent to memories, they are manifestations of past events.
Meaning that throughout the entire story, Kena is entirely alone. The only physical interactions she has are the cursed monsters and perhaps the Forest guardian thing that she cleanses at the end.
Which makes the story far more tragic and adds a layer of complexity that I believe takes the story up a notch. I’d put it up to a 9-10 rating through this interpretation, and maybe a 5-6 if you take the story at face value.
Nice video. I would agree with the criticism Kena is left a little bit two dimensional, but with eyes on a sequel, maybe that was intentional. It left me wanting more to know her backstory. It has almost a western vibe... the nameless, silent hero you do not know much about, but who conveys his personality through his actions. Now Kena does talk a little more and shows compassion and understanding, but she never opens up herself. like someone else commented, the final words of zajo could not only have meant the rotgod, but maybe Kena herself, maybe she is also already dead and in this function can be a spirit guide, a medium between the real world and the world of spirits. we never get explained the mechanics how this works. we know her dad was one, we know she lost him (but not if he went away or is dead, although it is implied in the flashback). but basically everyone we interacted with in the game is dead if I am not mistaken. So why couldn't it be that Kena, just like the other spirits, has problems "passing on?"- Would be a little ironic, a spirit guide who can not herself be guided or move on. then, she seems to have some sort of condition or curse as well, implied by her covered arm and the veins that show in some scenes. Is this maybe what is preventing her search or development? (this cursed arm reminded me ashitaka in princess mononoke, just as her outfit does. She is sort of a female version of ashitaka to me... lone wanderer, helps people, bridge between different factions-world. both also highly nature/eco centric stories). Curious also that Kena often meditates. In zen meditation, as I am aware most will know, you sort of get in this "observer role", so not harboring any feelings or emotions, either good or bad, to cloud your view and judgement. And this is necessary for all characters Kena has to guide and ultimately herself too. so I feel apart from levelling your health up, it also does serve somewhat the story. neutral as possible introspection to sort your feelings out seems necessary to me. so yeah, fantastic story, left me wanting a little bit more TBH and I can understand the criticism to a degree, but it has been a long time since I had so much fun with a game. Also from a gameplay mechanic, Kena does not do anything new or groundbreakingly revolutionary, but all mechanics work beautifully in tandem together, the platform elements, the battles, the exploration and looting... I just hope we had other means of achieving new outfits (the trials are pretty hard, not gonna lie, as were the bossfights. Not Souls-level bad, but close) and maybe a little more world interactivity. Other than that, very impressive for the first game from ember labs. I sincerely hope we get a sequel. But even if not, this game goes unto my "games to play before you die" list.
I hope it will have a sequel. Just finished it now. Its short but good and emotional
Me too! Or even a movie or something would be cool!
The devs said their won't be a sequel. Sad.
@@amyblackwood6749 thats sad
This game was on sale this week, I couldn't let it go until I was finished. I regret not playing sooner. I cant wait for what ever these devs do next.
This game is one of the best, especially in terms of stories & bosses' cutscenes, God I never saw cutscenes like this in my life, really 10/10 ♥
Yeah it really does deserve to be a movie!
I hope one day it will become a movie. Also this story will teach us about how deal our pain and stuff feelings. I really do hope it become a movie it would be awesome.
Yeah I would be a really good movie!
This game is so wholesome, not to forget the beautiful music and all the small things that made you feel as if you were there. The culture is also so healing and refreshing, connected with nature something I'd love to see back in real life. I really think that in the past people were wise enough to see the connection between the world and our own world (inner & outer) and that for the world to heal we needed to heal ourselves. After all, were all part of this together. This was a very inspiring game, thank you makers!
I’m pretty sure the size of the development team affected how much they could do with the story but with they could do I think it was interesting. I really do hope a sequel is made because there’s so many questions that can be answered and this world they built is too good to be one and done. I just hope enough people bought this game lol. Also can’t go without mentioning how great the music is.
Yeah I agree. Sadly they've said in some interviews they don't plan on making another Kena game but rather another new IP building on what they learned from this. They did say they might continue Kenas story in another form, they are an animation company so maybe a movie? That would still be cool!
@@UnbrokenOdds what’s your take on kena?
I really liked it! It was a good challenge, with lots to do and really impressive for a first game! Did you play?
@@UnbrokenOdds yes! I did and I already finish it but not really because I still need to complete the whole game just to get complete all platinum trophies for this game
Oh awesome! Yeah it was a fun platinum. The hardest difficulty was a tough challenge! But really rewarding once I finished it, I just hope they release more for this game!
The beautiful truth is essentially the inverse of what Toshi accuses Kena of- that through her own gradual acceptance of grief, she is able to better help others. In this way, her self interest balanced with regard for others is what helps her to deliver a grounded explanation of grief to Toshi. I think for each of us, we will never be in that perfect “I’ve moved on” stage, we can start when we are imperfect and grow and help in parallel.
Beautiful scenery and music, moving and enchanting story and atmosphere. I loved it. the characters and their stories moved me to tears. The gameplay is organic and simple, yet not easy, not at all. I love that there is minimal HUD and no mini-map. The puzzles are connected to the equipment we have. Very immersive game and story. Yes a masterpiece. A game I will never give away and will play again.
I hope they make more games of this style.
I hope so too! The devs did say they are definitely making another game, just won't be another Kena 😭
More games need to be like this one! I really hope the company that made Kena, continues to make games! I HAD A BLAST playing this game and I absolutely love the visuals, soundtrack and story! Also i got platinum trophy for this game, sooo accomplishing!
Way to go! That master playthrough is no joke! Congrats!
I really hope Ember Lab will make a second part of this game or extend it more with more chapters in the future talking about Kena herself and how did her father passed away? Or where was she from? I need to know. This game is way too much for me but I need more of it 😭
Kena was so good! I wish more people played it, and I hope we get Kena 2.
Just finished the game today! and I cried when each spirit found peace. I really like Kena and think they left her just ambiguous enough without feeling the need to bog her or the audience down with silly tropes and cliches for backstory.
Very well said! It definitely resonated with me too and I really enjoyed the story as a whole!
Loved the analysis 😊
I've watched Taro's transformation scene more than a dozen times and I still love it 😁
Yeah that one definitely hit the hardest besides the very end of the game
The ending is amazing 👏 😍 🙌 😭 ❤️ I cry at the end, it's emotional and amazing music. She reunited the creatures together to bring back the big spiritual creature, it's sad to see the Littles to go away, the real question that left us all questioning is what will she do now. She healed the land. The adventure is amazing, u don't see games like this much no more, to much call of duty games and fornite man I get tired of seeing those games, now kena is a beautiful game, story, adventure and music.
I totally agree! I love games that have a great story and things that we can dig into!
Well said, totally agree with every word u said. 💛💚💙💜
Thanks so much!
Really good video mate. I loved this game . Played on hard first time then the higher difficulty to platinum . It’s pretty hard ,the last boss was super tough . Amazing graphics ,great kinda souls like combat . This game is super underrated .
Thanks! 100% agree! I can't wait to see what the studio does next, they said most likely something new but I'm still hoping for a sequel
This game was wonderful and this little video essay helped me decompress and process it once I had finished. Thanks for that.
I have been stuck in a rut and this story gave me hope that I can move forward.
If it wasn't for Alex Chen in Life is Strange True Colors, Kena would easily be the best new character of the year. Really, Alex and Kena feel very similar in many ways and both had subtle inner conflicts that drove them back.
Oh really? I haven't had a chance to play life is strange but I'll have to give it a look! Thanks!
@@UnbrokenOdds All four games are excellent, with True Colors being the latest. The first game and its prequel are coming with remasters in February as well.
They really need to make a movie!!!
Thank you ! Really great video ! I put Kena in my top 5 best games of all time.
Glad to hear that! I really enjoyed it as well, definitely one of my favs from this year!
The story really touched my heart and I honestly had to cry at many of the cutscenes. They reminded me also of someone whom I lost, so I think that's why it hit me so hard. I think many people can identify with the feeling of losing someone which they love, that's why the story worked out so great.
I really wished for a Pre/Sequel since they could have gone more into Kenas Character and backstory in my opinion. However I can see how there is also an advantage in leaving space for some imagination.
I haven't actually realized how big the freeing of the spirits has shaped Kenas Character before your video.
Thanks for your work, great Video keep it up 👍
Maybe I overlooked at it, but I think there was kind of a loose end with the "curse" Kena had in her right hand. The veins shined blue when she touched the rot and when she touched Saiya's check before saying goodbye. Also while during the gameplay, if you leave Kena without doing any action, after some time she touches her right arm at the height of the humerus, like if the "curse" spread through all of her arm.
Or maybe is just me trying to find a reason for a 2nd part of this game, cause I loved it 😅
In any case, great vide and great analysis. 🙂
literally just finished Kena after finally getting around to playing it the past several nights. I think the story itself is solid but not told. It's the underlying story that the player needs to see and apparently a lot of players seem to have missed. I also think there's actually more that can be said but a great summary nonetheless.
Great game though & I hope to see more entries. Just, maybe with a few less collectibles and no trophy tied to Master XD
I love this game, I couldn’t stop playing it,
Maybe it's just me but I really didn't care for the middle story about Hana and Adira. It wasn't bad but it didn't really seem to connect to the rest of the story, other than what happened to the village overall. Your analysis does help explain their purpose but it still failed to resonate with me emotionally the way the stories of Taro and Toshi did. The combat and boss fights continued to improve throughout the game which helped when the story faltered but I wish that Kena and other characters had gotten more depth. Specifically, I think it would have been better if Kena was actually connected to the village in some way and knew the people who died. Zaju mentioned that other spirit guides had tried to help, but failed. This could have alluded to her father failing to help the village and possibly Toshi being responsible for killing him. Kena would have had to deal with other emotions like anger and revenge. Missed opportunity I feel like.
Wow thanks for that! Yeah I really agree with you! Having more to do with the village would have been really nice. I also wondered about the other spirit guides that failed, what happens when a spirit guide fails? Did they fall in battle and become spirits themselves? That could have been a really cool element too, helping them move on since they clearly had unfinished business and they could have either been really tough enemies (powers similar to Kena) or really interesting characters to interact with since they would have insight into what she's dealing with
@@UnbrokenOdds We could have unlocked our abilities from fallen spirit guides. Kena's power alone would have left her to a similar fate but with their combined strength in her, she overcomes. Reminds me of Rey in Star Wars ep. 9
Yeah that's a really good thought! It would have definitely given a chance for some more backstory and history as they could explain what happened to them as well. Hopefully they'll either do dlc or a movie or something. Sadly they already came out saying if they do another game they'll most likely move onto something else
Fantastic game. Got the platinum last week. Not at all a easy game either. Master difficulty was one of the hardest games I've ever played
Amazing game I just finished it today! They should make it into a movie
Yeah I hope they do more with it! They said they might do a movie or something so fingers crossed!
Loving that game even more now
awesome I'm glad to hear that! I really enjoyed this game, I hope they can add more!
I really enjoyed the game, everything about it was so beautifully shown and presented, and the stories were so heart wrenching.
PLUS the addition that it has you thinking “these stories all happened at the same time, but different places.”
One thing I might say was a let down was how short the game was!! I was left wanting more! I was hoping there’d be more to it after the mountain shrine was restored but unfortunately there wasn’t.
I wonder if more will be added to it in the future?? Or is it complete?
hey yeah I totally feel the same way! It was so much fun and I really connected with them too. I really hope they do more like DLC, sadly in interviews the devs have already said they aren't going to make another Kena game but rather make another new IP for a game, but they did hint they might consider making a movie or something of Kena which would be really cool!
@@UnbrokenOdds oh gosh really?! That would be so cool to see a film of it! I’d love to learn more about those certain topics that players were left to think about! Maybe even learn more about where Kena and her father came from!
im not crying you are
The very first game I played on my PS5. I love this game, it’s graphics, characters, music and world. I love how it leans on spirituality aspects as well.
While I’d love a sequel , I want ember lab to take their time so the quality will be just as good, if not better than this game.
Wow what a great game to start with! Welcome to the PS5 club! Yeah I really want them to do another as well, sadly they've said in interviews they won't do another Kena game, maybe a movie or show or something, but who knows maybe they'll change their mind!
I would love to see a sequel, a well made and engaging game. Nice to see game plus, new outfits etc coming out on 27th Sept! 😊
This game was really beautiful in graphics and in story too
Yeah I hope they do more in the world of Kena!
This was a beautiful explanation ty!! I feel sad she will walk this path alone, but don't we all.
We are never truly alone, we have memories of the ones we love.
God is always with us.
This game and the last guardian made me cry like a kid.
Great breakdown of the story! This game was a wonderful experience.
Beautiful video. I love this game to its very core and it transformed into my top 5 favorite games of all times.
Is she the last human left? Omg I hope they do a sequel😭
In that Village I believe so! In some interviews they've said they won't do another Kena game but maybe a movie or something
I adored this game❤❤❤and the music was amazing!!
Exceptional breakdown. Loved it.
Thank you so much!
This game was incredible. Just wish it had been longer and more in depth.
Quantity and quality don't tend to mix, bud
Choose one
Very well narrated. Thanks
Thank you so much!
It still sucks that the only reason I know the story is because I had someone on youtube explain it to me. I didn't understand the story at all but the gameplay was so amazing so I still continued on.
Yea tbh I didn't quite get the connection till now. Would have helped if it showed us that she dealt with her dead dad issues
I got the impression that the red thing being knocked out of them is their soul, so that's actually when they die
Yeah I was thinking something like that too, but we definitely see it happen to Adira before she finishes the tower and then still finishes so I'm really not sure
@@UnbrokenOdds yeah I found that odd too but figured that's her in spirit form at that point
@@sinephase as i observed, even in Spirit they can touch and move objects even Rot, you can see that if you observe them
one thing i still don’t get are those blue veins Kena has
yeah I'm not 100% sure, I just always interpreted that as her connection to the spirit realm, kind of a representation of her powers? but it is interesting that it's only on the 1 arm
@@UnbrokenOddsIt could be from the night she lost her father
Is she also dead at the end of the game or does she have the ability to just travel to the after life & come back alive?
I don't think she died, I think she did travel to the spirit realm and make her way back which is what she's told before you get the dash ability.
I just finished playing the game. The story of the game confused me. I just understood Taro's story, Adira's story and Toshi's story. I didn't understand the overall story and why Kena wanted to go to the mountain shrine. After that I watched your video and I understood everything. The criticisms are correct: the overall story is a bit weak and Kena's story needs more details.
Overall the game is cute and it's fun to play. I had a nice time playing it :)
By the time you get to the third spirit, Toshi, you can feel the budget/size constraints of the development team. All it needed was one more story arc and resolution with the father of our protagonist. The game is great as it is, but unfortunately, there is still room for improvement.
This was helpful. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Love this game, noice vid.
thanks for the review, really well done.
I'm glad you liked it! I really had a lot of fun with Kena and hope that we get more in her world!
This is an incredible game !
Thanks for your video
I loved this game.
me too! I really hope they do more with Kena!
Very well done!!
Thank you so much!
Decent Game. Not bad.
It's weird how there's no answer at all to what her glowing hand was about (as if she's dying as a spirit guide or has dark potential) or what the hell happened to her father...
6/10. I enjoyed it. Fairly sweet story. Underdeveloped though.
Loved this game
Me too!
This video is a masterpiece!
Thank you so much that really means a lot to me!
This game is a master piece
This is probably the last game I’m gonna play before my own death
Wow! Thats a deep thought, hopefully that wont happen for a very long time but i understand what you mean. The story definitely hits hard
Wow u make it sound so deep.Is it though?
That's the way I interpreted it! I love digging into lore and the world of games I really like!
🧡🧡🧡
a sequel i love two yes
Me too! I think they have so much more to explore in this world a sequel would be amazing!
@@UnbrokenOdds yes i agree with you sir
She is only alive person in game.. All spirit whit unfinished business..
Simply Amazing!!
Really glad you liked it!
I think most people are unhappy not with the story, but the storytelling. As in, the story itself is not nonsensical, and the storytelling actually goes imho the right way, it goes for the Show, dont tell approach. The issue is, that the story explains nothing and you have to pick on it from what is happening alone. So skipping cinematics is a big NONO, which I personally do not see as a problem, but it also, since the game has no flashbacks with Kena, only with the spirits, literally explains NOTHING about the protagonist. You can see her reactions to what is happening to the spirits, but other than that the main character is as unknown as she is at the start of the story. Other than her hand glowing for some reason and her father dying you know nothing more about her at the end of the story.
Yeah those are some great points. I'm sure they wanted an air of mystery around her and the world but it could have used some more fleshing out to really sell their points!
The problem with the story is that they practically wrapped Kena's character arc before the end of the game... When Toshi sends Kena into her memories, that's when she accepts she won't be seeing her father again and completes her journey... They should have saved that cutscene for the very end to make Kena's arc cover the entire game, instead of leaving an empty patch at the very end.
I'm not sure, I think it would be a little too abrupt if it was all saved till the end. Yes after revisiting her memories she's more resigned to never seeing her father again, but it also doubles down her want/need to complete her task here, save the village, make her father proud and then finally let go of all she had been holding onto. At least that's how it seemed to me. Thanks for the comment!
wow
Well done :)
Thank you so much!
I hope there will be e another one.
Me too!
As good as the game and the story are, the game feels like its denying you a proper ending
The ending just needed no more than an extra minute to close things out
The frustrating thing is that in a lot of cases this is done on purpose so people feel restless, ask for a sequel or check for more related content
Its like you have been following the story of someone and seeing their suffering and the moment when they are about to achieve happiness the story ends :|
I can see where you're coming from but at the same time I think we did get to that point. She achieved her happiness, she reached the mountain shrine and realized that she had to let go. Her father is gone and she's not going to see him again, so she finished everything she could do to honor him. What else would you like to have seen after that?
@@UnbrokenOdds i dont know, but it felt to me like the story was still building for something
Fair enough! If they don't do another game they said they might do a movie or something
But she’s dead already, you can see her dad in some scenes near the end looking away at her
Her father is dead, he died when she was young and talked about going to the mountain, thats why she wanted to. She's essentially the only living person in the game
I really needed this. I mean I really enjoyed the game but I was not at all interested in the story. Helps to see this, it really is more interesting than I thought while playing the game.
Don't know if it's my fault for not paying attention or if they just didn't do such a great job in captivating the players to care that much but it's actually a really good story.
I wouldn't ever say it was your fault! I think it depends on how you interpreted it, how long it took to play and how much time in between each big story beat. I found the pacing was pretty good but if you get distracted collecting everything it could be a long time between story pieces making it harder to keep track of as a whole. I feel like a lot of games run into this kind of problem!
I 100% understand what you mean here. I didn’t know what was going on through most of the game but I really enjoyed the gameplay
It's sad that I need to get this game in Epic Games if I want it legally in my PC :)
I feel like there was some heavy handed assuming about the father situation. In all honesty we don't know enough. The game really doesn't tell us much about kena or her father.
Thanks for the comment. What parts do you feel we're assuming about? A lot of it is told directly to us through the course of the game
@Unbroken Odds the game tells us she was looking for her father as a child. We don't know how she lost him. She knows she won't find him. What we don't really know what her main reason for going to the mountain is. You can make guesses, but we could think it's one thing, and it could be a totally different thing. It's very vague.
Yeah that's very true. It's definitely my interpretation of what they tell us in the game but there is a lot more we could find out and I hope they do give us more in this world (even if it is just a movie)
So you mean to tell me the people that she saving are already dead and she just trying to return they spirit souls back to there grave
That's correct, the spirit guides job is to help spirits move on!
I had a feeling that what it was because of how dark the story was
The awkward moment when you realize that you are playing the grim reaper!
haha in a sense, except the people are already dead, but yeah, helping those lost souls
This was interesting. I have appalling focus and concentration, so only vaguely followed the plot while playing, wasn't even sure who were spirits as they're 'solid', and missed that the same catastrophic event wiped everyone out at the same time (what an idiot). It made a little more sense later and the game's ending was clever, but your video here is a nice summary for thickos like me. I absolutely loved this game, though find repeat dying in boss or timed level areas breaks the flow rather a lot, I'd prefer a different method, for the timed areas at least. I loved Kena and the adult characters; I wasn't so keen on the actual visual design of the children, Taro and especially the Rot, all too cheesy for me, and I actually found the Rot unpleasant to look at, those facial expressions with the teeth made them look like ugly old men rather than anything cute 😅. Still, a stunning, beautiful game to look at.
It’s not vague, it just doesn’t need to bluntly shove it’s meaning into your face. The plot and the lessons from the game were all perfectly clear to a moderately attentive player.
yeah, I love it when there is a little more subtly to the story and we can piece together all the bits of information if we look for it or put it all together. Kind of like the Pathless, you understand what's going on on the surface, but if you explore and read all the text you find out so much more about the world, really cool to discover!