Bridge Constructor is one of those titles that I am not exactly sure how many times I have played it, nor how many versions there have been. I had to look it up and saw that Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is the sixth entry over an 8-year span.
As a series it has been on phones, consoles, PC, Mac, handhelds and I am sure will see a next-gen port at some point too. It is probably the most well ported but least known series out there. The fact that many still haven’t experienced it is a shame.
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is the latest spin on the game. The core concepts are still in place, with you needing to construct a bridge that allows subjects to cross. In the past that has been vehicles, people, etc. This time out it is the survivors of the post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak.
Here is the twist though. Yes, you need to escort the survivors across safely, but you also need to stop the horde getting through. It is here the game deviates enough from the original ideas to make The Walking Dead a worthy purchase that is more than a themed re-skin.
Much like Bridge Constructor: Portal before it, the theme adds some neat new mechanics to the game that make it feel like a generally fresh entry and seems to use the theme as just a starting point and a reason to do that different thing.
The licences acquired by Clockstone feel odd ones to get. As Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead could have simply been a generic zombie theme, much as Portal could have just been a sci-fi theme. Yet adding these licences adds something to them that will draw you in.
What is impressive though, is this doesn’t feel like a cheap cash-in using brand recognition for quick and easy sales and marketing. There is a lot of thought behind the game and a solid many hours to wade through. It does feel stale towards the latter stages, but I think the developers realised this. At the point I was starting to think I was done I found the game was starting to wrap up.
There is a good balance overall and I really enjoyed taking my time to logically think about the solutions to the problems laid out in front of me. Again going beyond just finding a way across was a lovely addition to the gameplay and added an extra layer to proceedings.
I enjoyed the original Bridge Constructor but found Stunts and Medievil to be completely average, which came very close to me avoiding Portal altogether, but that along with this release of The Walking Dead has been a return to form and a great way to use popular licences.
I don’t think I have played two versions for Bridge Constructor on the same system yet, which is a bit infuriating and whilst I can’t blame the devs for that, part of me would rather see them use Bridge Constructor as a platform and bring new themes to it on a regular basis, much in the way Zen Studios do with Pinball FX.
That is just a minor personal thing though and I can highly recommend jumping in with Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead as a new player, but also say there is plenty there for fans of the series too.
