Reminds me of a mix of Zelda + Tomb Raider – two of my all time favourite games.
I’m known for hording stuff in games – and you need to like collecting stuff and puzzles to really enjoy this game.
Kena has a very nice storyline that drives you through the game – and while you solve the main storyline you collect Rots, Hats & Spirit Mail. Some of it (hats and outfits) are only for fun as far as I know.
Guide Contents
Your First Time Playing Kena
Note: Credit goes to ISaD
Story Mode
I strongly reccomend playing your first time with Kena: Bridge of Spirits in Story Mode!
The game has a rich story line and I feel it’s important to enjoy it to the fullest. In Story Mode you get max benefits and your enemies are as bas as they come. Still a challenge and I died several times in boss fights even on this level (as I said, I’m no Kena ninja warrior). I like that the game is challenging even at the lovest level.
While you enjoy the storyline you also get to search high and low for the collectibles: Rots, Hats & Spirit mail (more about this later)
New Game+
Do not worry if you miss collectibles!
When you complete the game, you open up “New Game+”. This allows you to play the game again, but you keep your Rot’s, Hats, Charms and anything else you have collected. I suggest using the next level of difficulty “Apprentice Spirit Guide” for the extra challenge – and to open up for more Hats, Outfits & Charms (that do not exist in Story Mode!)
Gameplay
The actual main story questline is pretty easy to follow. Just remember to search everywhere in new zones for the collectibles. There are only two things that are realy important:
- Rot
- Meditation spots
Collecting Rot’s help you level up to max lvl 5 (100 rots) and this gives you benefits in that your Rot is thougher and better in fights.
The Meditation sports permanently increase your health bar the first time you use one. Some are hidden and there is always one at completion of each of the three main storylines (masks). So try to find these as more health is always good!
Rot’s and Hats are found by doing main questline, opening chests (cursed and golden) or by completing Trails.
Trails
After your first questline story is complete you open up the Trails section in the Village. Her you can challenge yourself in different trails. Rewards are Hats, Outfits and Charms (you can only get them here). All trails have several levels and all have 3 criteria for success – where one usually is a time limit.
This is very difficult!
Think I tried 30 times on the first arrow trail to get all 3 criteria at the same time.. (ok – I suck – but I still have fun). Thing is you do NOT need to get all criteria in the same run to get the award. Focus on one critera on each run and when you have this you can ignore it and focus on another criteria. When you have all 3 in a section you get a reward.
Trails are a great place to train your different skills – arrows, bombs, combat, etc. that will help you in your normal game!
Spirit Points
Spirit points are important as they give your new skills and open up new Charms to use in your staff!
You gain Spirit Points in many ways: Boss fights, opening chests (both gold and cursed), freeing Flower Shrines from evil etc. This point you use for new skills and new charms (when you find them).
Kena’s sklltree has two rows with staff skills and shield, one for bow and last for bombs. You can also upgrade your rots in the same categories.
The first skill on bow (time dealy) is really nice – and I found better shield to be important for me. But this is a section where you have to select the items that best suit your own playstyle!
I will say that the two first bomb skills are super strong when you use them in fights!
Charmstones empower your staff with extra benefits depending on the stone you equip.
First you have to find the Charmstones and the unlock it using Spirit points – then equip it on your staff. You now gain the benefit of the equipped Charmstone!
You find charmstones through the storyline, in rare golden chests and by completing trails. Some of the Charms are not available in Story Mode (the one I use “Bravery” is not, but I got it in the next difficulty level “Apprentice Spirit Guide” after an epiq battle where I died several times… 😛
The courage benefit is really nice and love the glow in the dark rots!
Note that I have only used (unlocked) 4 of the charms I have found so far… Use what fits your playstyle…
Spirit Mail
Spirit Mail is important for opening up the locked areas in the village!
There are only 10 of these and they are found in all zones as you progress the game. They look like small golden poutches and are usually well hidden off the main questline path…
When you find one you will see a mailbox icon in the village indicating what house you can open up. When you get there you will see it be the big yellow circle on the barrier next to the mailbox.
It’s important to open all of these as they hide rot and rot hat collectibles. And some are needed to clear flower shrines…
Collectibles
For me part of the fun is the collectibles:
- 100 x Rots
- 51 x Rot Hats
- 10 x Spirit Mails
- 24 x Flower Shrines
- 13 x Cursed Chests
- 12 x Meditation spots
Use the Map Ledger for each zone to see what if left to collect…
You can find all 100 rots in Story mode, but not all hats!
Your choice if you want to find all on first run, but if you are like me you will enhoy finding the missing stuff in your second go araound with New Game+
Spirit Gems are found everywhere.
Use your Pulse (E on pc) all the time. It will auto-collect from hanging gem infused stuff, and show chests that you can open. All chests has gems, freeing flower shrines gives gems, blowing up certain rocks etc.
And what use is gems? Well not much really – you get to buy unlocked hats for Rots and Outfits for Kena… that’s it…
Have fun! Hope this guide helped you…
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