The Bridge Reviews
The Bridge is without doubt a brilliant idea that features clever puzzles and beautiful artwork. It is without doubt a great addition to the Wii U library, and a must have for puzzle lovers – though it may be quite frustrating for those not experienced in the genre.
The Bridge is a delightful mass of contradictions. It's simple yet complex, and new yet old. Solid mechanics and puzzles that are tweaked to a level of difficulty that is just right — along with an excellent accompanying soundtrack — fill this monotone world with colour. Its focus on gameplay over story suits it well, and though it may be a bit on the short side, it's thoroughly enjoyable.
The console (and Vita) release of The Bridge doesn't bring anything new to the table from the original 2013 PC release (considering it already had controller support). Those who skipped the PC release (like myself) will be treated to one of the most surreal puzzle games released in recent memory. Depending on your aptitude for logic-based puzzles, you may breeze through the game, or spend ample time rewinding and resetting puzzles. The simplistic control scheme and slow-pacing helps to make the game casual friendly.
While it lacks in certain places when it comes to presentation, the ambiance makes up for it. The Bridge is different than most puzzlers on the Wii U eShop, but that, along with its emphasis on gameplay, is what makes it stand out the most.
The Bridge feels right on the Switch hardware, specifically in handheld mode. The atmospheric music, mind-boggling physics mechanics and abstract visual style all amalgamate together to produce one of the best Puzzle games currently available on the platform. With the games' improbable extra challenges and post-game levels, It's sure to keep you going back for quite some time. Providing you don't go insane first.
Don't play this if you're not a puzzle-game enthusiast, but if you are you won't find many more engaging, rewarding titles.
A fascinating and absorbing headspace in which to spend a few hours.
Years after its initial release, The Bridge is still a great example of 2D puzzle gaming.
Overall, The Bridge gets by well on its unique influence, style and on its difficulty.
An endearing combination of influences from art and science makes The Bridge a valuable addition to the Nintendo Switch library, especially if you've never played it before. Sometimes bogged down by showing off its aesthetic strengths at the sacrifice of fully exploring the puzzle ideas and mechanics, The Bridge does suffer slightly due to slow controls and a story/ character that deserves a little more nuance to back up its ambitious and academic influences. What it does do, however, is reward players' patience, calculation and observation with moments that rival some of the best in the genre. A genuinely interesting and challenging experience that, despite a few small flaws, will stretch mental as well as physical muscles.
Translating M.C. Escher's mind-bending works into a game leads to The Bridge, a game whose puzzles, mechanics and visual presentation fit perfectly into the artist's legacy. It does exaggerate on its difficulty level, which can make progression too demanding for many players.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For a game that was created by just two students, it’s an accomplishment to be incredibly proud of and I know that I’ll be gifting a few of my friends this game throughout the year, even if it is only to drive them crazy with confusion too.
My brain got a workout plotting courses on 2-dimensional paths that don't exist in the 3-dimensional world but the reality warping experience was worth it.
It might take a bit to get started, and too many of the puzzles can be solved by accident, but there is enough here to make it worth a look even two years after its original release. It might have taken a while from the construction to finish up, but this is a bridge worth crossing.
Overall I appreciate the care and effort that has gone into making the game as visually stunning as it is while also providing an ample puzzle-solving challenge. While from puzzle to puzzle individual results will likely vary, with some solvable on the first try and others requiring you to take a break to return to it later with fresh thoughts, a lot comes down to how each person chooses to approach them. At the end of the day if you immerse yourself in the challenge, and leave your mind free to toy with different potential ways to solve the problems put before you, The Bridge will give you numerous hours of thought-provoking enjoyment.
The Bridge is a short but sweet experience. While it may have been the visuals that initially drew me in, the satisfying puzzles that literally revolve around… well revolving your world were what kept me playing. A little light on content, but a game that’s worth checking out especially for puzzle fans.
Gameplay rules this experience, and every puzzle serves to remind the player of that. That said, a greater variety of enemies would have been welcome, and maybe even crazier level layouts just to see what the design team could really do when they stretched their wings, but overall this is a fine game that every Wii U owner should consider downloading.