440°

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits - A Stunning Action RPG With Big PlayStation Exclusive Style Energy

We've played Kena: Bridge of Spirits and it's absolutely looking like it'll live up to its stellar premise. Read our full hands on preview of Kena: Bridge of Spirits on PS5 for more!

masterfox1061d ago

looking forward to it, looks beautiful.

alb18991061d ago

Yep, this one was one of the prettiest games of the SONY presentation. Looking forward for it.

Lightning Mr Bubbles1061d ago

Yeah, this game has had my attention since it was first announced, and I was surprised when I found out it wasn't a full $59.99 game. It certainly has the look of a Triple A game. I think this is going to to one of those like Hellblade, where it starts off as an indie and then gets a full fledged sequel and eventually comes a major franchise. I just expect big things from it, it looks really good.

Snookies121061d ago

You mean full $69.99 game now... But yes, it's awesome that we're going to get it at a cheaper price point. I think that will help drive sales as well, for people who are on the fence about it. Always a bit risky buying into a new IP at full price. Looks like a lot of fun though, and the graphics are stunning. Here's hoping it will have a great reception!

phoenixwing1061d ago

will be nice to play this on my pc, just not sure if i should wait for an inevitable steam version or just the epic store one

King_Noctis1061d ago

I wonder why people downvote you for playing it on PC.

phoenixwing1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

I don't know to be honest. I genuinely own a gaming pc with a 2070 rtx super. Which looking back I was lucky to buy before the pandemic really affected hardware for pc and consoles. I've yet to find a ps5 readily available so I don't see why the hive mind is so against pc gamers when the fact is if you can get your hands on a series x, ps5 or next gen pc graphics card you're pretty lucky regardless of which one it is.

gamer78041061d ago

It’s a timed third party game it should be expected people will play this Microsoft platforms too.

dbcoops1061d ago

I wonder why anyone would all of a sudden believe he has a PC.

DJStotty1061d ago

"I wonder why people downvote you for playing it on PC."

Because they think playing on anything other than the Playstation platform is the devil's work.

I'll play it on PC also.

ElvisHuxley1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

Probably because they're not new to gaming comment sections. I'm a PC gamer as well, but I never feel the need to let people know specifically that I'm playing a particular game on PC, because it doesn't really matter. Everyone knows what they're doing, lol.

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Teflon021061d ago

It not having a steam version made me say 100% a PS5 buy. Though I'd have likely picked ps5 as long as it's 60fps. But I absolutely hate the epic store and skip anything exclusive to it.

1061d ago
Snookies121060d ago

@Banthis - There are plenty of reasons. Some people, like myself have a PC that can get 60+ FPS but certain games might not perform quite as well. Maybe they want the convenience of a disc to take to a friend's. Maybe they like the trophy system. Maybe they are worried about a shoddy PC port. Which happens a lot more often than it should.

1060d ago
1061d ago Replies(3)
sourOG1061d ago

“Playstation exclusive style energy” lol. That’s how you say PlayStation games feel the same without getting people mad. It looks good, I’m waiting to see if it’s gets a physical release before I preorder.

Lightning Mr Bubbles1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

What are you talking about? Can you give a specific example of which Playstation games feel the same?

Lore1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

Maybe the fact that Days Gone and Horizon are both open world games, but where the actual openness of the world serves no purpose other than to take out camps and find meaningless collectibles. Equipment management and crafting both being simple as well, along with no world building. The following is a game that Sony has never produced and quite honestly I don’t believe ever will. Easy for anyone to pick up and play, but offers fun and deep crafting, hundreds of equipment, multiple playable characters each with their own move sets and magic capabilities. Exploration that leads to satisfying loot that doesn’t become stale after 5 hours of play. This is just one example.

https://youtu.be/XZ_SaakVwl...

1061d ago
BehindTheRows1061d ago

Yeah, he’s one to ignore. Just constantly looking to start needless fights and generally trolls in Sony topics.

OT: Been looking forward to this since its announcement!

sourOG1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

It explained itself. “Big Sony exclusive style energy”. What kind of game do you think of when you hear “Sony exclusive energy”. MLB the show? Well it’s not now but when it was did you associate that with “Sony exclusive energy”? No, that’s not the typical experience.

A shoulder view, story over systems driven game with slower pacing? He’s saying kena feels like the last of us, uncharted, horizon, days gone, etc. They are happy about it. I’m not talking shit either, I literally said I was going to buy it.

Sony has a style when it comes to making games like any other publisher. Sony’s game brand is a certain cinematic feel. That’s facts, it was just funny how they said it. I shouldn’t have to explain that and we only have 10 comments so hopefully that clarifies.

@behind
Just because you don’t like what I say doesn’t mean I’m trolling you. And it doesnt mean that I’m wrong. I didn’t pick a fight with anyone. You told somebody to ignore me for no reason lol. You’re the asshole.

Lore1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

@moronspotter

I agree just figured these two are the most egregious with also the most hype surrounding them. The other ones at least are fun games for what they are - they are just getting tiresome (Uncharted, TLOU, Sackboy). Those games are great to balance things out but when Sony isn’t offering deeper more lore driven RPG experiences it becomes more difficult to get excited for their platformers and action adventure games. God of War & Ghosts were also great I just didn’t care for the setting of Ghost.

lellkay1061d ago

Did this guy just say Horizon has no world building? OK

BehindTheRows1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

As expected, he slings insults due to hurt feelings because he was called out (yes, people should ignore troublemakers), yet ‘thinks it’s funny’ that the article is apparently taking digs at PlayStation.

Truth is, despite the over-the-shoulder perspective in some of the games, PlayStation titles feel pretty different from one another. I certainly don’t feel like I’m playing God of War when Horizon is on or like Miles Morales during a Rift Apart play through.

Thus, ignoring trolls is the best option. :)

sourOG1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

@behind

I’m not insulting you and I’m not hurt at all. You come into my conversation calling me an asshole that needs to be ignored. I’m just saying that you are being the asshole here lol. I didn’t start any trouble. Where have I attacked anyone?

They have the same feel and style yes. The perspective is just one aspect.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1061d ago
Silly gameAr1061d ago

A person that would be petty enough to think that little jewel up, probably would write for PSU.

dbcoops1061d ago

From what I've seen of this game there's nothing for Playstation gamers to be mad about, why don't you stop with the trolling.

WillyC0091061d ago

That’s not at all what they’re saying. But you know that, don’t ya?

Playstation style energy simply means a quality product. You know, something Xbox hasn’t produced in years.

Flewid6381061d ago

I mean, games on all platforms are literally the same:

PlayStation: Third-person, epic adventure.
Xbox: Everything FPS
Nintendo: Everything cute & cuddly

sourOG1061d ago (Edited 1061d ago )

Precisely. Xbox was not known for its diversity before buying 20-some studios. My point was that’s how they say it without making people mad. Although some people here seem perpetually mad regardless lol. I thought it was funny, that’s all.

The Wood1061d ago

They probably just mean quality..... thats sure to rattle some peoples feathers..... when the brand you champion release so little I guess you just have to vent with passive aggression under guise of opine.... yeah sure dude.

Hope this game turns out solid. It seems a lot of thought has been put into the world. May not be everyone's cup of tea but quality and variety aren't negatives as some would have us believe

sourOG1061d ago

That’s the second time I’ve seen that canned answer so I’ll post because it will probably come up again lol. “The Sony brand is quality” is the most generic “loyalist” take I’ve seen lol. That’s the gist of that conversation.

I didn’t and don’t “champion” any brand especially corporations. I prefer some brands to others but I don’t champion them lol. I praise good shit, period. I buy good shit (and terrible shit sometimes lol). I play primarily on PlayStation 5. GOW is exactly like those games. Over the shoulder, similarly paced, a narrative driven “Sony” game. It’s in my top 5 all time. It’s not a negative statement, it’s just a style.

I didn’t say a single negative thing about this game. I said I’m waiting to see about a physical release before I preorder. That’s not “passive aggression disguised as an opinion”, it’s just an opinion. It’s not my fault you conjure scenarios in your head. Do you want me to use caps and be more aggressive lol? IM BUYING IT DAY ONE.

The negativity is in your head bro. I didn’t ask for your commentary, I made a statement about the article, said the game looked good and that I’m preordering. You’re fighting Xbox in your head and lashing out at me because you can mind read my secret intentions through the internet lol. But there is no secret motive and I’m not interested. What I said is what I said. Take it on face value. Everybody is terrible at mind reading, you’re not alone.

BehindTheRows1060d ago

I’m sure it’ll be a quality title. Sony’s been on fire all year and this will just add to their portfolio even if it isn’t an in-house game!

sourOG1060d ago

What does “big Sony exclusive energy” mean to you? I’m curious to see what y’all associate with that whether it just be “quality” or not. I won’t respond I’m done after this but I will read them.

Having a style isn’t an insult. Why are some of you guys, champions in some cases pretending like you are ashamed of Sony’s style? It’s interesting to me. Why would you be mad at “big exclusive energy”?

Sony’s games have a certain pacing because sometimes they f***ing nail it. It’s that simple. God of war? Perfect pacing. Uncharted 2? Perfect pacing. TLOU2? Great pacing. They are always chasing that sweet spot between game and cinematic. And when they nail it they are some of the best games of all time.

They don’t always hit it though and it’s not to say they are bad games. To say Sony has a style and is the best in the industry at that style is nothing to be mad about imo. I found “big Sony exclusive energy” a funny and accurate alternative to that drawn out description. It’s not trolling or console wars lol. It was a laugh and a purchase confirmation. Have a nice day guys.

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370°

PlayStation Exclusive 'Kena: Bridge Of Spirits' Rated For Xbox Series X|S

There's been plenty of news about Xbox games moving over to PlayStation recently, but how about one coming the other way? Well, 2021's Kena: Bridge of Spirits has just been ESRB rated for an upcoming Xbox Series X|S release

Read Full Story >>
purexbox.com
shadowT28d ago

Kena was original announced as console exclusive "for a limited time"..

Inverno28d ago

Not to mention it's also been on PC, so not exclusive at all.

Cacabunga28d ago

Finally.. i think they said it would be time exclusive for like 6 months.

Juancho5128d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Console exclusives are exclusive to certain consoles … really not hard to comprehend unless you’re a salty gamer fighting an imaginary console war.

I just got this game on the PS+ Catalogue to redeem some points on the rewards program, it’s not mindblowing, but it’s a very pretty action adventure game. Not thrilled about it but i pick it up randomly sometimes when i take a break from my usual fare.

Inverno28d ago

It may be "exclusive" to a certain console but it's still multiplatform because it's on more than one platform.

Jin_Sakai28d ago

Amazing game. I wish they’d make a sequel.

Eonjay28d ago

Its available on PS Plus for anyone to try.

Sonic188128d ago

It should go the Nintendo switch as well

Profchaos27d ago

I was thinking this would make a good launch title for the switch 2

roadkillers27d ago

Ah, I was hoping Sony would purchase them.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 27d ago
Elda28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

Kena is owned,developed & published by Ember Labs studios & it was a "limited" PS console exclusive. PS having it as a console exclusive for 3 years is enough time to pass it on to another console platform.

VersusDMC28d ago

It's just hack journalism saying 3rd party exclusives going to other competing platforms is the same as 1st party. Shall we say that Nintendo games are going to other consoles since No More Heroes 3, Octopath and Monster Hunter Rise got ported to other consoles? Dumb.

Crows9028d ago

It's also called fake News journalism or bad journalism, misinformation...so many names for it.

Abnor_Mal28d ago

Okay might be showing my age, but back in the days, way back it was called yellow journalism.

DOMination-28d ago

So defensive lol..

If we're so concerned about third party now, can we apply the same logic to games like FF7 Rebirth, Stellar Blade & Helldivers which I regularly see people on here spouting as First Party or "Sony Games"

VersusDMC28d ago

@DOM

If you want to say sea of thieves going to PS5 is the same as Kena going Xbox then go crazy.

It's as dumb as saying Horizon going to xbox is the same as Cuphead going to PS5.

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neomahi28d ago

Microsoft began buying timed exclusives and timed DLC starting with GTA IV back on Xbox 360. This didn't used to be a practice until then. I don't ever recall this being a thing

VersusDMC28d ago

Pretty sure the PS2 gen had 3rd party exclusives. Panzer dragoon orta, Jet set , dino crisis 3, steel batallion for xbox. Nintendo had Capcom exclusivity for a bit on RE4, Viewtiful Joe and REmake. Onimusha, Gta, Final Fantasy for Sony.

Probably way more than that.

PS1 gen as well...but most exclusives then were developers chosing cartridge(N64) over CD. You could bring up the Saturn but i believe it just didn't get ports because it had a horrible launch in the states.

Gamer7528d ago

Timed exclusivity was a thing before Xbox existed

Lightning7727d ago

Not even remotely true or maybe you're too young . This practice has been going on since Sega, nintendo and PS1 days.

porkChop27d ago

Not true. Timed exclusivity existed before Xbox even entered the console business. Sony did it, Nintendo did it, and Sega likely did as well.

Profchaos27d ago

I recall this was a practice as early as the NES however Nintendo wrote in their licensing agreement if you want to make games for NES they must be exclusive to the console. Given the closest competitor at the time was the master system they were the only real act in time and the Atari had bombed hard that gen. Nintendo would also threaten to stop supplying games to retailers if they sold unlicensed third party games which and retailers would then be faced with the choice of hey do we sell this tengen garbage or so we want Mario easy choice there was a lot of legal battles in those days.

Also noteable in the more modern era was the Capcom 5 Nintendo got 5 exclusive titles from Capcom.

In the PS1 and N64 era exclusive games were mainly because the system architectures were vastly different it was a huge undertaking to port a game I done recall either company paying for exclusivity and the biggest name games often found their way onto both platforms with bespoke editions like quake 2.

Microsoft definitely threw their wallet around that generation while Sony publicly stated they believed they no longer had to do this and their first party was strong enough to carry them which they went back on pretty quickly after Microsoft walked away with timed exclusive GTA and cod content that really hurt them.

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Lexreborn228d ago

Kena was a really good game, anything that helps it get more exposure is welcomed.

purple10128d ago

what's that one Sony did before Kena that was like Ninetndo's pikimin, I forget, I missed that and it looked fun, might try to grab on sale, it would be my second ONLY ever digital purchase, (as I don't think it was ever physical as its a small game)

Crows9028d ago

Not sure but Sony didn't do kena

purple10128d ago

okay smartie pants, "one sony paid for exclusivity, like they did with Kena"

found it anyway, was called "Bugsnax"

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

neomahi28d ago

I don't think Pinkman and Kena are really the same thing. At the end of the day though, Ember Labs has a really talented animation team, but as game designers they're lacking. It was a really pretty game but, man was it frustrating! Areas you thought you could go but we're blocked off, poor level design, probably what Hellblade II is gonna end up being

purple10128d ago

Pikimin and bugsnax

Not pikimin & Kena

GamingSinceForever28d ago

That was a good game and surprisingly difficult.

blackblades27d ago

Not really, some parts a little bit. Should've tried hard mode.

nitus1027d ago

IMO the best way to play is to choose the easy mode first up to at least the first and second bosses then choose to restart on a harder dificulty with the hardest difficulty being very challenging.

Actually playing on easy mode allows you to find all the items including the "rot" (use your mask to look for footprints) without being that frustrated. By doing this you can always look at your easy saved game map to find to find all items if you eventually play on a harder difficulty.

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250°

The 7 Most Underrated Games on PS5 You Need to Play

Amongst all the new PlayStation 5 releases, it's easy to miss some gems. Here's Chit Hot's picks for the seven most underrated games on PS5.

thorstein76d ago

Returnal: such a great game that got some weird misinformation in the press. Like, if you don't know why lie?

jznrpg76d ago (Edited 76d ago )

It’s a 10/10 for me. It doesn’t get enough love for sure. It’s way better than the rest of the games they listed except for Demons Souls.

ravens5276d ago

Returnal was a masterpiece. That's what media outlets do, they misinform. Can't wait to see Housemarques next game. Got Returnal day 1. Gonna play it again now lol.

ravens5276d ago

Kena was a good fun game. Also is Demon Souls really underrated? Stuck on the King🙄. Idk how this remake was received but I would think great. Anyway Demon Souls is a masterpiece as well.

thorstein76d ago

@Raven Yeah. Demon's Souls was great on PS3 and PS5. Wonderful both times. I have no problem with a remaster that comes 2 (or more) generations later.

victorMaje76d ago

To this day one of the best games on PS5. One of the best uses of dualsense too (after Astro).

ModsDoBetter76d ago (Edited 76d ago )

Returnal: Yes.
Destruction AllStars: Hell no.

List lost all credibility right there.
Massive flop.

Skuletor76d ago

Why is every game on this Top 7 list number 1?

Dirty_Lemons76d ago

Returnal is still my favourite PS5 game. A really interesting concept and a fun as hell roguelike.

Storm2376d ago

Same. Best PS5 experience for me so far. Love that game.

MrBaskerville76d ago

Was Returnal underrated though? Did so well that Sony bought Housemarque.

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110°

From commercial animation to indie game debut success: The story of Ember Lab

Gamesindustry writes: "Ember Lab has been around since 2009, starting out as a company specialising in commercial animation and digital content. But a decade later it would make its mark in video games with the release of Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

So how did its co-founders, COO Josh Grier and chief creative Michael Grier, go from wanting to become filmmakers to making a game that would catch the attention of Sony just as it was preparing to unveil PlayStation 5?

Speaking to the two softly spoken brothers at Develop, the difference between media matters less than being able to tell a story with original content."

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
Andy_Dee288d ago

Loved the game!

Wish there was a sequel or something new coming from them!

Been really quiet for a long time now!

PunksOnN4G288d ago (Edited 288d ago )

there already working on its next Ps5/PC title.. just saying Sony should give them Jak and Dex.... IDK i feel they would do a really good job with it or sly cooper i started streaming sly cooper to my Ps5 and man.... i miss those kinds of games tbh u dont see many like it anymore!

toxic-inferno288d ago

As long as they keep the gameplay simple without sacrificing the challenge, it would be a good match.

Though if they did end up making a Jak and Daxter game, I would hope Naughty Dog would at least act as consultants. Even the thought of a new Jak and Daxter without ND's input makes me anxious.

Sly would be good too. Neither franchise gets the love it deserves these days.

PunksOnN4G288d ago

@Toxic Yeah I miss Sly cooper im glad the PS PLUS streaming is much much better for simple titles like this i still have problems with game like Fear and Heavenly sword i hope Sony fixes this more one day

Storm23287d ago

I loved it too! Just finished it and almost done with the platinum. Fun world to explore. Can't wait to see what they do next

Andy_Dee287d ago

Got the platinum a while back!

Intense and also a challenge but so satisfying when you grab it! Just push through! :D