Game studio Ember Lab today showed off Kena: Bridge of Spirits, a new game about growth and redemption coming for the PlayStation 5.
The game features a young girl in a lush Japanese setting full of forests and mountains. The graphics are lovely, and it reminded me a bit of the art of Studio Ghibli. The cute part is the little ball-like fuzzy characters with big eyes. Yep, it looks very Japanese, but its designer is an American studio.
Sony made the announcement during its PlayStation 5 reveal event. The game is coming in the 2020 holiday season on the PS5, PS4, and Epic Games Store on the PC.
In a release, Los Angeles-based Ember said the game is a story-driven action-adventure, blending narrative with exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced combat for a beautiful, immersive journey. Kena is a young girl known as a Spirit Guide. She is on a journey of self-discovery, and she is trying to figure out the mystery of the demise of an ancient village that was once part of a thriving environment. Using her staff and the help of her collection of tiny companions known as the Rot (the cute fuzzy critters), the player will disarm adversaries, unlock new skills, uncover secrets, and restore the beauty of the land.
Ember Lab is a small indie studio working on character-driven animated commercials and branded game apps for clients such as Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, and Hisense. The studio was formed in 2009 by brothers Josh and Mike Grier with the mission to tell great stories with universal appeal. Ember Lab has a team of 14 employees.
The team previously made Majora’s Mask — Terrible Fate, a short fan film released in 2016 that explored the dark origin story of the Skull Kid. The short combines real-world locations and CG characters. It has been viewed more than 20 million times on YouTube and Facebook and has been praised as one of the best game-inspired fan films.
Ember Lab also released an original sci-fi/fantasy short film titled Dust. The film was named 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.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits has been designed to take advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware and DualSense controller. The game features immersive haptic feedback including simulated string resistance for Kena’s Spirit Bow.