Sony had a lot to show when it came to their Future of Gaming stream on June 11th, 2020. While they didn’t offer a price or firm date for release, they did reveal a wide range of content. Indie games stood alongside their larger brethren, and while I can’t say all of them looked good, some certainly did. When it came to games that weren’t part of an established franchise, Ember Lab‘s debut game stood out.
Debut Game
This is the first game from Ember Lab, an indie studio that honed its skill in commercials and branded game apps. With a team of 14, it’s pretty tight-knit; they may be known to some as the studio behind “Majora’s Mask–Terrible Fate”, a short fan-film about the Skull Kid.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits, similarly to the Ratchet & Clank games, looks like a playable Pixar movie. It’s a story-driven action-adventure title that “seamlessly blends narrative with exploration, puzzle-solving, and fast-paced combat”. Players control Kena, a Spirit Guide, and attempt to untie the mystery around her village’s demise. Using the help of tiny companions dubbed the Rot, players will “disarm adversaries, unlock new skills, uncover secrets, and restore the beauty of the land.”
One of the aspects that sets the game apart is the relationship between Kena and the Rot. “Building a bond with the Rot leads to a deeper, more organic combat and a nuanced skill evolution,” which probably means less time wasted spending ability points in a menu. It will also take advantage of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense 5, using the haptic feedback for string resistance in Kena’s bow. Mike Grier, Chief Creative Officer of Ember Lab, says “[w]e want Kena: Bridge of Spirits to immerse the player in a detailed, fantastical world that feels real.”
The release date for Ember Lab’s first-ever game is set for Holiday 2020, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store. For more reviews and gaming news you can keep up to date at Informed Pixel. Want to speak to the team and interact with other gamers? You can do so over on the Informed Pixel Facebook page or on the Informed Pixel Twitter account.
