Review: Bridge Constructor Portal

It is not easy to live in the light of fans of the universe Half-Life . About the third part of the famous franchise can only dream, and these dreams every year become more ghostly. Jokes from Valve nevertheless do not cease to hint at a possible continuation - then in the map for the beta version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive insert textures with references to Half-Life , then Gabe Newell himself will say a couple of words about the game with digit 3. 

The Portal series, the action of which, as is known, also occurs in the world of "Half-decay", similarly stopped before the magic trio - many would like to see the continuation of Chell's adventures in Aperture Science no less than to meet again with Gordon Freeman and Alix Vance. Not surprisingly, the public was very lively when rumors of a new "portal" announcement spread across the Web in early December. Alas, reality was much more prosaic - the third part did not become closer. The new project is just another puzzle from the Bridge Constructor series , for nothing in the Portal setting . Many even seriously took offense at Valve - you can not, they say, do this with a great game. Do these grievances have grounds - now we find out.


The original Bridge Constructor is a fairly straightforward bridge building simulator, released more than five years ago. The game received good reviews and some popularity, but something outstanding could not boast. The gameplay is nowhere simpler - it is necessary to build a bridge over the abyss or a river from the improvised materials, and then send the equipment along it, ensuring that it safely reaches the end point. We had to build jumps, use various building materials, take into account the strength of the arches and the inclination of the roadway. To achieve the result, monstrous structures were sometimes erected, and the cargo could reach the finish in a rather exotic way - for example, falling from a height of many meters. 

In Portalas we remember, at most levels the player has exactly the same task - to get from point A to point B. Therefore, adapting the gameplay of Bridge Constructor to the realities of the original is not such a difficult task. Our character is a job seeker for Aperture Science, who successfully passed the interview and started testing portal technologies. We do not have any guns (all portals on the levels are created in advance), but there are from one to fifteen loaders, an unlimited number of bridge arches and suspension cables. Loaders can only move one way, and our goal is to deliver at least one of them before moving to the next level.

The bridge can be built anywhere - there would be free space under the arches and canvas. But, of course, without support, this whole structure will fall under its own weight. To prevent this from happening, the cartridges are placed in strictly defined points of support - they can be fixed to beams and ropes. Often, the location of these points is such that the simplest in sight crossing from one ledge to another has to be built almost from the other end of the level, carefully selecting the right angles and articulations. In this respect, BCP is almost the same as the other Bridge Constructor , but Portal gave ClockStone Studio not only the entourage.

The most important and notable is, of course, the portals. At one level, they can be from one to a half dozen, and almost always through at least one such "door" will have to pass on the way to the finish. In addition, there are energy spheres, turrets, lasers, accelerating and repelling gels, as well as cubes that everyone loves.


The first levels are similar to the usual "Bridge Designer" - the difficulty lies mainly in building a stable structure without any frills. But the further, the harder it is - in the second to third decade (and only sixty levels in the game), one has to think first of all before and how to build, again and again experiencing the erected bridges and ramps. For example, if turrets shoot open space, then you need to get rid of them with the help of cubes or energy spheres. Often you have to invent plans for bridges to change the trajectories of these objects, and the cars themselves roll on the simplest bridges under triangular arches.

If our loader can be brought to the end point, then it becomes possible to check the constructed construction already for the whole column of similar machines. As a rule, such a task is not at all simple, and it is often necessary to carefully measure out all angles and take seconds to prevent the column from getting stuck somewhere, the machines do not collapse into the pit with acid or explode.

Previous Bridge Constructor looked like a typical mobile game, although it was published on PC. The situation is the same now. For some reason, the powerful potential of Steam Workshop is completely ignored. Why there - there is not even an elementary level designer! But it is such an editor that allows such projects to live for many years. Table of records? Forget it! Strange decision, given the fact that the cost of building bridges is still taken into account, which we will not forget to report after passing each level.

Yes, and these levels are not enough - you can go all through a couple of evenings. Strongly, it is necessary to rack your brains except in the last ten rooms, where it is often more important not even to build a strong bridge in the way of loaders, but to control the way of cubes and energy spheres in order to open the necessary doors with their help. Another sad fact - most levels have a single way of passing. 

It is noticeable that the developers tried to please all the fans of the series. Then you and the design is quite in the spirit of the original (some are just wonderful "cardboard" little men of what they stand for), and branded black humor. Finally, GLaDOS is voiced by the same Ellen McLain , whose voice is known to everyone who is somehow familiar with Portal . However, consider the Bridge Constructor Portala full-fledged game in this rich universe, of course, not. Remove all references to Aperture Science and the accompanying entourage - little will change. 

Discontent of those who were waiting for the announcement of the "real" Portal , and in return received a simple arcade based on the motives, it is understandable. Of course, it is strange to demand a special depth from such a genre, but Valve's solution looks as strange as the franchise.


Rate: 7/10