Karma & Upgrades
Karma is the primary form of currency and progression in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, serving as the spiritual energy you collect throughout your journey. This ethereal resource is not only used to purchase cosmetic items for your Rot from the Hat Cart but, more importantly, it's essential for unlocking and enhancing Kena's combat and traversal abilities. As you cleanse corrupted areas, defeat enemies, and discover hidden secrets, you'll accumulate Karma. This Karma can then be spent at any Shrine or Meditation Spot, allowing you to invest in Kena's growth and become a more formidable Spirit Guide. Prioritizing which upgrades to purchase is a key strategic decision that can significantly impact your combat effectiveness and exploration capabilities.
The upgrade system in Kena is divided into two main branches: Kena's abilities and the Rot's abilities. Kena's upgrades focus on improving her personal combat prowess, such as increasing the damage of her staff attacks, enhancing her parry capabilities, or unlocking new combat moves. The Rot's upgrades, on the other hand, focus on expanding their utility and combat effectiveness as a collective. This includes improving their ability to distract enemies, their effectiveness in combat when commanded, and their capacity to interact with the environment in new ways. Carefully considering which upgrades best suit your playstyle and the challenges you're facing will be crucial for overcoming the game's increasingly difficult encounters and puzzles.