Developer: ClockStone
Publisher: Headup Games
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Android/ iPhone/iPad
Tested on: Switch
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead – Review
Released November 19th, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead brings together two well-known franchises for a thematic puzzle adventure you didn’t know you were waiting for. Developed by ClockStone, the minds behind the Bridge Constructor series, and Published by Headup Games, a German based developer that has supported them and many other Indie developers, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead combines the physics-based puzzles of the Bridge constructor series and the dark post-apocalyptic world of AMC’s The Walking Dead. Can you build your way out of undead danger?
Story
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead follows the tale of a group of survivors, new to the world of The Walking Dead (TWD), ready to meet well-known characters on the road to survival and prosperity. This while utilizing physics and materials they find to escape, hide from, and kill the endless undead hordes.
As our new heroes fight against hordes of undead walkers and a hostile human community, they build bridges and other constructions through bleak landscapes and ruined structures. Accessing control panels to affect the environment, creating traps as they lead walkers over pits, working together to find safety and refuge in this dark future. Over the course of this adventure they run into fellow survivors; including famous characters such as Daryl, Michonne and Eugene, as well as often creating safe passage for vehicles from the series.
Graphics
The art style of Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead stays true to the series and maintains a cartoonish and minimalistic low poly theme, and comical ragdoll physics to match. This is very much a case of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. The 2.5D simple art style compliments the gameplay and results in very amusing results, as well as providing detail to the environments without taking the focus away from the puzzles and effects of each construction. The coloring has been done in a somewhat bleak fashion, heightening the feeling of the zombie apocalypse you find yourself in.
Sound
The effort that has gone into the sound is clear from the start. Iconic tracks and songs from the series feature prominently, while the effects of crashing beams, recorded distractions and the ever-present undead are immersive, clear, and often entertaining. The eerie moaning of the undead and resounding crashes of falling beams and containers is, while a little more basic, very reminiscent of TellTale Games’ tribute to The Walking Dead genre. Things feel authentic for the franchise that is embedded in this iteration of the Bridge Constructor series.
Gameplay
This game is the next installment of a nine-year running series of physics-based construction simulator puzzles. Continuing their crossover theme from the Portal version released in 2017, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead follows the idea of implementing their tried and tested physics puzzles with innovative new twists to keep the game fresh and enjoyable, this time with a TWD theme. With the idea of managing multiple routes, purposely destroying segments of the area, timing the movement and actions of your survivors, utilizing their abilities and the environment to reach the goal, there are huge possibilities for creative ideas. That being said, it often goes to show that simple ideas work best. For example, in one scenario that looked quite complex, the survivors could just run off a ledge, and basically walk to the end of the level, hardly using any materials. It goes to show there are always other routes, sometimes ones you wouldn’t even think of until you experiment or accidentally collapse a bridge at just the right moment. The gameplay is equal parts challenging and frustrating, especially when you strive to both complete the task and achieve medals. Completing with the allotted resources is something that drove us to play again and again, replacing struts and often starting from scratch.
That’s not to say that the game is perfect, we often found the controls untidy and clunky, and that it works best with touch. It may be that controllers aren’t suited to this type of gameplay, or that they need some refinement, though it may purely be a matter of preference. Whilst playing on the Switch we did have several loading issues, and the first half hour of play crashed frequently requiring multiple restarts just to get the game to run. However, after that first half hour there were no further issues.
Conclusion
While there were some complaints over controls, once we found a rhythm with the touchscreen and got into the game properly, hours just started to pass. Food went cold, text messages were missed and limbs went to sleep. It was a genuinely engaging and enjoyable experience, with moments of frustration from the performance quickly becoming purely about the challenge and that ONE STRUT NOT HOLDING!!!!!!
Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead - Review,
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