Overview – developed by SOFTSTAR Entertainment and published by PQube games, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication delivers another horror experience inspired by Taiwanese ghost stories. Experience the haunted Wen Hua University, a site that has is known for being the site of a murder in the 60s, along with ghost sightings and disappearances. This version is available on all major consoles, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PQube for providing the copy of The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own. I will be comparing the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 versions of the game, discussing the differences between the two releases.
Mature Content Warning: please be aware, this title contains themes and depictions of self harm, suicide and mature, violent themes throughout. As this is a horror game, there will also be intense frightening content, so if any of the content listed here is offensive to you or you find it uncomfortable, please proceed at your own discretion.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be referring to this game by the shortened title, Bridge Curse 2 for the sake of brevity. I have also previously covered the first game, which you can find (HERE).
Story – set within Wen Hua University, known for its ghost stories and unexplained disappearances. Within the halls of this institution, the university film club arranges the Carnival of Horror, with the haunted Da Ren building as the focal point. There is also a planned meeting with a reporter, who is trying to get an exclusive report on the mysteries of the university. However, as the clock strikes midnight, the true horrors of Wen Hua become apparent.
Gameplay – Bridge Curse 2 is a first person survival horror with cinematic elements. The player experiences the horrors of the haunted university, through the eyes of the four characters that are now trapped in a nightmare. During each chapter, the player will need to explore their surroundings, investigating the different environments to uncover the mysteries they hold. But the halls of the building become twisted, distorted by the hellish energy within.
As the player moves through each of the areas, they will find items scattered throughout which can be picked up. Examining these objects will give the player some background on them, providing details and clues to what is happening. There will also be interactive objects, often requiring something else to be fully used and these can push the story along. However, those who are trapped within the haunted grounds are not alone.
As the player makes their way through the different locations, the player will encounter the spirits trapped within the cursed Da Ren building. These ghosts pose a fatal risk to the player, as they can kill upon contact with the player. To survive the otherworldly beings that roam this place, the player must use stealth to avoid being detected. Sound will be made when moving, with running being the loudest and sneaking the quietest.
When trying to sneak around the ghouls, great care must be taken by the player due to the way that they roam the places they haunt. If the player is spotted by a spirit, they will be hunted until the player is able to find a hiding place. During some chapters, the character will be able to use the “Anima Lantern” a special relic that can protect the player. However, they will only be able to use it once before needing to recharge, and the charge rate is fairly slow.
Alongside the ghouls that hunt the player are “challenge” encounters, where the rules will change. These sections are different from the hunt segments, as the player will need to follow the rules to succeed. There will also be puzzles within some of these segments, which can increase the challenge further and potentially lead to disaster. Like the hunt sections, if the player fails the challenge or breaks the rules, they will be killed immediately.
The challenges aren’t the only area in this title that contain puzzles, as there are several area that require the player to solve objectives to proceed. These include working out combinations to locks, sliding puzzles and environmental challenges. During these sections, the threat to the player is lessened, allowing them to take their time and work out the solutions. Most puzzles are linked to the story, making them fairly cohesive to the experience.
As the different characters make their way through the nightmare, the player will discover clues and encounter echoes of the past. The “Anima Lantern” can be used to reveal clues, while also having the ability to dispel the darkness that may block the path. These clues will guide the player, but also provide hints to the hidden truths at the heart of the mystery. All of the discoveries are added to a collection, which is filled out as the game progresses.
Last to discuss is the cinematic element of the game. As the story pushes on, the player will come across other characters, spirits and even receive phone calls. When these events occur, a cutscene will occur taking away control from the player for a short time. These scenes can show events from different perspectives, giving further depth to scenes. However, there are some minor faults with dialogue at times, leading to lines being cut short.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.
Controls – in general for the controls for both releases work well. The movement and exploration controls are comfortable, with the game feeling responsive when handheld and on the big screen. All of the action inputs are laid out well, but be careful you don’t accidentally press the quick turn button, or you may quickly die in a chase. The Dualshock 4 and Pro Controller are the best suited for this game, as the travel of the Joy-Cons is a little shorter and may feel slower.
Difficulty – from a challenge perspective, this may be a little tough for those who don’t enjoy puzzles with their horror. This is due to the cryptic nature of some puzzles, it may be a relative stumbling block and deter some players. The chase sections and challenge encounters are also fairly tricky, with some sections potentially taking multiple attempts, which can be frustrating. Sadly, this is made worse by the long loading time between attempts, killing momentum.
Presentation – from a visual perspective, both games look pretty nice. Due to the hardware limitations of the Nintendo Switch, the textures and effects look a little fuzzy, but don’t impact the overall experience of the game. The cinematic sections for both games look polished, with mostly smooth animation, but it can be a little jerky. With both versions of the game, there are no issues with the performance, with zero issues when it comes to lag or frame rate drops.
The PlayStation version is visually better, as the render distance and time is also better, with there being a minor delay in some textures loading in. The sound is a bit of a mixed bag. There is a soundtrack that is well composed, with some haunting melodies that play during the adventure. But sadly that is where the positivity ends. There is English and Chinese VO, but the performances, especially the English feel a little stilted and can abruptly cut out.
Final Thoughts – I previously played the first game and enjoyed it, so I went into this one with some expectations. When I went into this I was expecting much of the same, but the developer took the existing framework and expanded it well. There have been many improvements over the last game, especially the inclusion of survival challenges and the “Anima Lantern”, which elevate the experience. I also enjoyed the interwoven narrative threads.
After playing both versions of the game, I will say that my preference for the big screen is the PlayStation 4. However, the gameplay experience is still consistent and enjoyable on the weaker Nintendo Switch. The textures may not be as high a quality on the System, and a few environmental elements may be omitted, but it plays as well as the more powerful platforms. This makes the switch version perfect for those who enjoy handheld horror.
I do have a few gripes with this release, like the unfortunate issues with the voice acting, the long loading times and awkward puzzles/chase segments. These flaws can lead to some potential frustrations from players, although they don’t completely ruin the experience. That being said, I will be recommending this game to horror fans, as it has all of the classic survival elements, a solid story and many mysteries to uncover.
In the end, I give The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication a final score of 4/5. This game takes all of the positives from the previous title, expanding the horror with new entities, challenges and an engrossing story, but sadly there are moments where the cinematic sequences fall a little flat, due to the performances from the voice actors. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game is below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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