Worry No Longer, Kena: Bridge of Spirits Is a $40 Game

It is nice, but I hope that the game is not too short.

Very nice price. I hope its a solid 15 - 20 hour top tier gaming experience (very much like Control is) and its certainly shaping up to be just that.

This... and Xenomorph/Ripley skins in the Fortnite store... Today is a good day 😬

Having a fun game to play over summer is gonna be great

Extremely excited for this one!

This is exactly what I expected (knowing that it's a shorter indie game). It looks sooooo gooooood though.

@PaperAlien I expect it to be more in the 10-15 range but it's still a nice price.

That's awesome but I would've paid full price for this gem so absolute win and all that XD

Good to see a publisher that knows the difference between £/$/€ and price accordingly, unlike Sony.

This game is a dream come true.looks amazing. And a great price.i can dig it.word up son

Great feeling about this game. If they are exploring a physical release i will wait for that to drop * so long as its not a limited run games release etc *

Its a good price. £40 is the RRP so at launch I'd expect retailers to sell at around £35. Reasonable. I'll wait 2 weeks where it'll be £30 or a month by which time it'll be £25.

Edit: oh bollocks, it's digital only

Fine. Turkish PSN store has it for £27 😊

This makes Returnals price tag even harder to swallow

I don't know if it's this negative to raise the price of the game.

I’m looking forward to this but I probably hold out to see if the physical release actually happens.

@Hyperluminal - there's no physical release confirmed yet.

i generally don't buy digital games, and £33 is way over my threshold for such, so i'll probably wait til it's cheap or wait to see if it does get a physical release later on - i think sony's missed a trick here, by not using its experience to step in and help out emberlabs by publishing it for retail.

@leucocyte not got any PSN accounts set up in different regions? Like I said, its only £27 equivalent at the Turkish store.

I'm definitely pre ordering this in that case

I’ll definitely buy it! Let us hope for physical release

Nice, I'm likely to buy this day one with that price if the game is good

How have you guys been pronouncing the title? Ever since it was introduced I've thought it was 'Ken-a' like Ken. It was a bit jarring to realise it's pronounced 'Keen-a / Kina'. It's stupid, but it has put me off the game somewhat!

Well that's stupid ... no physical release? Dumb!

@PossibLeigh imo it's 'Ken-a'

@PossibLeigh sounds like Sony went rogue with that pronounciation last night - the creators say it the other way here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQkt_2HOclQ

@Voltan Oh! Good to know. Cheers, mate!

Great news on the price. Even if this turns out to be relatively short I can definetly see myself going back to this every now and again for another play through.

They pronounce it more like Ke-na instead of Ken-a, which I would find very weird too. I thought it was Kee-na (like on the State of Play) so good to hear how it should be pronounced.

A $40 price point for this kind of indie game is ridiculous.

It should be at least $60.

Kena get an Amen?!

That’s nice. Doesn’t really matter to me as I get them much later down the line, and typically don’t pay more than £10, whether that be digitally or physically including resale value (I’m aware that I’m somewhat lucky to have a big backlog of games I want to play so I don’t feel tempted to buy games at release).

Digital only just means it’ll take me much longer to get to it because the price will stay higher due to inability to trade/sell on.

One to watch for a sale for me. I'm knee deep in the Yakuza series among other games, so not sure I'd have time to play it come launch.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L there is a pre-order bonus - extra cosmetics (hats) for the rot creatures

As much as I want this game, £50 would have been way too high.

I'm so glad it's a much fairer price. Day 1 buy now.

Digital only? Are they insane? This feels like a modern Rare game and deserves a disc release.

I guess I'm not getting it until they release it properly.

Day one purchase

Day one for me, just think this game looks amazing for a smaller studio and i want to support them. Bit baffled by it being digital only though, this game seems to have more hype and attention than some of the bigger games and should have great sales. Would prefer a physical copy but will get it digitally if I have to.

To be honest I wouldn't mind paying 70 for this one. Looks quite interesting!

Hmm now I'm worried bout the game with it being so cheap.

@Snick27 expect it to be on the short side

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. People complain about $70 games, and now there’s concern over the length because it’s less than a $70 game.

Want it... Buy I will wait for PushSquare review before preorder it...

This is the game that got me the most excited during the State of Play. I really like the art style, music and the gameplay looks fun. I'm a bit bummed that there is no physical release planned for Day one though.

Looks way better than the $70 games Sony is juicing, IMO.

This and Horizon are both looking good so far. Although I only have a PS4, so let's hope they work well on last gen consoles.

I like a good short and sweet game. I'll be getting it on sale at some point.

Glad on the price - Day 1 for me, Looks fantastic.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L maybe it shows the developer and their investors customer interest which helps them invest in dlc and more games. I don’t know. Seems to be a symbolic way to support a game and company you like. I’m sure they use pre-order numbers for bragging rights.

I would have gladly payed full price for Kena: Bridge of Spirits, from what we've seen, a lot of love and care has gone into, thus Ember Lab has earned my money, I'll probably end up buying two copies as I tend to do with smaller titles like Little Nightmares, Concrete Genie and Gravity Rush 1 & 2, gotta support the Developers, as we can't always depend on the same lot that continuously bellyache about '$70 Games' yet will drop '$70' on the same FIFA, NBA, Call of Duty and every Ubisoft game every year.

@Weebleman Not if it’s 20+ hr game. This will obviously not be close to that range. Probably less than 10.

You buy a disc PS5 and this is what they do with their best looking game of 2021!!

I just hope it’s not too short. But at that price I’ll take it for sure.

This is and Stray are the only exclusive that really interests me in the post-Japan Studio world, other than R&C right now. Loving the price! I generally don't even like indies, but right now, the indies feel like Playstation and the 1st party games feel like generic Western megapublisher games. For obscene money.

I wouldn't say I'm "disappointed" in the price, of course I am not but now I'm a bit worried that it will be on the shorter side. As long as it is as good as it looks I'm down with it.

I would have bought it at $60 but am fine with paying $40.

@Culjoseth true but when that 20+ hours is rinse and repeat procedurally generated levels it feels like a bit of a cheek at 70 quid

Who cares how long it is as long as it's good and my eyes tell me that it will be. More likely to replay a shorter experience over and over rather than a 100+ hour game !

@Weebleman If that’s the case, then I agree but ur assuming it’s rinse and repeat which u don’t know yet. Plus, every great game has rinse and repeat. Hard to get away from that formula if it’s over a certain length. Rinse and repeat with gradual progression is what a game does. I’m not saying Returnal will be great but at least wait for reviews before trouncing it. It might surprise u.

@Culjoseth i agree it is an assumption, im just not the biggest fan of roguelikes.

Just to clarify though i didnt mean it to sound like i was trouncing the game, im absolutely not. Im a big fan of housmarque and ive played pretty much all their ps releases over the years.the amount of hours i sunk into super stardust was ridiculous. Which could be part of the problem for me. Im used to them doing the more arcadey gameplay and they seem to be sticking with some of their usual styles (different colour bullets for different enemy types, etc...). Not sure how it will carry a £70 game. Ive no doubt it will be a good game, im just dubious that it will hold its own at that price point

@Hyperluminal if you have a turkish credit card, sure. They don't sell gift cards there.

@leucocyte since Sony is closing Japan Studio because they're not that lucrative, it wouldn't make sense to publish such a game.

@Weebleman Not sure how old u r or how long u’ve been playing games but this transition is like when games went from $49.99 to $59.99. It’s going to happen whether we like it or not. I’m happy for the games that don’t hit that higher price point like Kena but I also don’t expect as much out of them. If we get 5-8 hrs then I’m happy! More than that and I’m ecstatic!

@vhsodre just need a virtual visa or barclays pingit card. Or get it from India/Brazil, similar price

If this game is 8 hours I'll be perfectly happy!

If its a short game like 10-12 hrs ok, but if so wish games like this had paid DLC. Watch it be a great game and wham its over.

@PaperAlien You're not going to get 15 to 20 hours out of a $40 game with production value this high, You're just not. 6 to 8 hours is far more realistic

Sensible price point..but now people are concerned it wont be a big game..i think some of you guys need to decide exactly what you expect from sony as its starting to look like you are a tad ungrateful..i cant wait for this and at that price its a day 1 purchase..

@Culjoseth im old enough to remember when games came on cassette tapes unfortunately haha.

I dont have much issue with games going up, like say, it was inevitable. Just feels like if say GTA 6 or something of similair AAA stature was being shipped at £70 it would make more sense than something that has more of a AA look (in my opinion). 59.99 would be a steady price for returnal based on what ive seen. If im wrong and its worth every penny i will happily hold my hands up, just cant shake the feeling though.

Well, it's not a PS5 only game. Sackboy, for both versions, also had the PS4 price range.
But I do hope Sony adopts the price points individually as they once stated.

@Weebleman By Sony having their “big budget” games come in at $70 it shows they are committed to quality. Miles Morales came in at $50 and was a great game but also a smaller game. With this coming in at $70, it shows they believe in the game. I’m with u, I hope it’s great. BTW, my first console was Intellivision 1979!😂😂

@Culjoseth I do have my fingers crossed for them. I get a hunch that the quality of the game will be compared to the cost in a lot of reviews as its pretty much the first to launch at the 70 mark.

You have me beat there, atari 2600 with the wooden trim was mine. Simpler times eh. 😂

Game looks incredible, unfortunately I only buy Physical so looks like I'm waiting a while!

@PossibLeigh Hi there... Ember Lab's PR here. It's pronounced "cAy-nuh" (the narrator got it wrong). 🤷‍♀️

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L 1)Games have a budget/timeline & when they slip, you still have to pay the team who is giving you their best (& this game is largely self-funded. 2)preorder performance helps justify things like physical editions & additional translations) you get an exclusive collection of Rot hat...and they really are darling in the hats. 😉

@Weebleman How do you figure? Returnal is a true Ps5 exclusive built from the groundup to take advantage of all the it's features. It has stunning graphics, great gameplay, 3D sound and is a AAA title with a ton of replay value and a great narrative. Please tell me how it is difficult to swallow? So sick of hearing this. Housemarque makes great games and deserves to be supported. People are cheap as hell.

I was shocked when I heard that this game is only $40. I know that could mean this game is probably only around 8 to 15 hours, but who cares? I think we have a real masterpiece on our hands.

Fantastic price for what looks like being a wonderful game.

There's really no excuse for anyone NOT to buy this game now.

😉

@NEStalgia Jesus. You're at it again.

🤦

You're such a gaming snob!

That's more then I assumed it would be, definitely seemed like a cheaper indie from day one, not that it doesn't look good

That price is very concerning, indie game or not it must be a very short game. And if it is only a 10 hour game, then they missed a great opportunity with a great looking new IP. It seems like it won't be worth purchasing, and that it will end up a PS Plus title sooner then later.

@Hyperluminal - Its digital only at first as they a small studio. They already said a disc version will follow

@Serialsid - Its digital only at first as they a small studio. They already said a disc version will follow

@rumple1980 - Its digital only at first as they a small studio. They already said a disc version will follow

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L - If you pre-order digita, ther are setting on PS5 to auto download and install game on launch day. And sometimes earlier. They do it earlier to spread the load, they don't want the servers crashing

@Exlee300p well arent we a stroppy little man. If youd bother to read all my other posts youd see that i said Housmarque are a great developer, that ive bought all the other games theyve released and that it may just be the fact that its a procedurally generated roguelike thats creating the wrong impression. I also said its not the game thats the issue, its just always going to carry the weight of being the first £70 release so will be reviewed and measured against that rather then the quality of the game alone.

Also, im lucky enough to not be bothered by paying 70 quid for a game if i choose. Others are not, especially at a point when theres massive joblosses and familys are struggling. You should probably consider these things when trying to paint everyone with the 'people are cheap' brush.

If you're jobless you probably shouldn't be buying a 500 dollar Ps5, right? It's an expensive hobby. The vast majority of people who buy a Ps5 can afford the games. And when you consider the price of video games has stayed the same for over 3 generations or about 23 years, people should understand that when it costs more to make a game, the price has to go up. If a few games get priced 10 bucks higher it shouldn't cause so much pushback. Especially when you consider inflation has been significant over those 23 years and that we are now in a new console generation. It's like buying a Ferrari and complaining it's more expensive to maintain than your previous Honda Civic. And again like I said you have got support quality companies like Housemarque, otherwise they go away or have to follow trends. It's just frustrating because it seems like people want their cake and eat it too. This bigger and better march towards ever improved graphics, sound, and control that is demanded each generation, doesn't cheap. That's all my point is.

How can we say the price is appropriate when we haven't played the game or know next to nothing about it?

I see Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is £69.99 on Amazon. I just can't justify paying that for a game. Will have to wait on that one. Higher prices mean less sales. How much will VR games be for the new PSVR?

@EbethO Well it doesn't get much more official than that! Many thanks for clearing that up. I look forward to your game.

@Col_McCafferty Maybe so, but if I am, I've bought a lot of PlayStation products over the years because they went out of their way to appeal to such snobs before suddenly deciding to embrace the Xbox 360 customer base only... Which is ironically encouraging me to focus more on Xbox who's now trying to appeal more to the former Sony snobs.

Nintendo...idk what they're going after these days other than chasing mobile gamers.

New management, new focus, on a new market that isn't me apparently, after 4 generations and 2 handheld generations.

Kena and Stray are still the only exclusives that actually feel like PlayStation games, no matter how you slice it.

@NEStalgia You say that and yet PlayStation embraced adult games at it's very beginning, series like Metal Gear and Resident Evil. At one point Grand Theft Auto was a PlayStation exclusive. It has always tried to be more than just a mere copy of Nintendo and that's been to the benefit of gamers everywhere.

I'm looking forward to both Kena and Stray but I'm also looking forward to playing new entries in both the Horizon and God of War series. All these games embody PlayStation at its best, even if you choose to deny it this is the truth so stop with the sweeping statements about what does or doesn't constitute a real PlayStation game.

😝

@Col_McCafferty I was referring to SCE/SIE/SWWS produced games, not third party games with paid exclusivity. And I know this and Stray aren't 1st party either. That's what's sad about it. The indies are producing games that feel like Sony games while Sony refuses to add shuts down the studios that did.

I don't dislike gow and hzd fwiw. They just don't particularly excite me in the hype meter the way last guardian or gravity rush does/did.

I'm not sure I'd classify the juvenile paradise of gta as "adult" in any generation tough....

@NEStalgia 🤦🤦🤦

Maybe neither this site nor PlayStation are for you then, indeed I remember reading some of your posts on the Xbox sister site where you were slagging off PS, PS games and PushSquare members.

You're a bite of a snide and a pretentious one at that.

@Col_McCafferty I have complaints about each company at different times. If you were genuinely following my opinions you'd have seen similar complaints about the direction Nintendo is taking under it's own new management. And you'd recall a number of years ago before what was effectively a brand relaunch during x1s/x1x I'd written ms off as unlikely to make another console and there was no point in owning one. But they worked hard to earn back that trust and won me back. Just as Sony did after an unpleasant ps3 launch.

My recent time in this site has pleasantly shown there are genuinely fun people in the ps community these days. Not all ps fans are toxic. Just the ones who go around insulting people who have a different opinion.

FWIW, my concern over Sony's managerial direction is hardly unique to me on this site, even the editorial staff has repeatedly touched upon it, including their increasingly narrow portfolio.