Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead Review

• Platforms: Xbox Series X (Reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile
• Developer:  ClockStone Software
• Publisher: Headup Games
• Release Date: November 19th, 2020

Bridge Constructor has returned with yet another crossover, this time colliding with AMC’s The Walking Dead television series. While the series is no where near its peak in popularity, Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead makes for a fairly decent mashup, combining some tough bridge building with plenty of walker killing, however lacking polish and suffering from some clunky technical issues and game mechanics.

If you’re unfamiliar with a Bridge Constructor game, the games are a series of challenges where the player is tasked with transporting vehicles or people from point A to point B. The player must put on their structural engineering hat and use a variety of materials and techniques to construct a bridge sturdy enough to handle the load of whatever is attempting to cross it, all while staying below a certain weight setpoint. This concept is magnified when it’s not only vehicles passing through, but also hordes of hungry Walkers chasing down the Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead protagonists.

Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead follows survivors Kyra and Miles, who run into TWD television show regular Eugene. They must work together to navigate a series of challenges such as finding fuel, outrunning Walkers, escaping other hostile survivors, and more. As you progress through these challenges more fan favourite characters join the fold such as Daryl and Michonne, each with their own unique skillset that will assist in clearing out the horde.

Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead throws a lot of variety in each of its chapters, mixing up the bridge building sections with unique ways to kill walkers or gather supplies. For example, you may be tasked with simply getting a group of characters across a collapsed highway, but in the process, you’ll need to take out a certain number of walkers to pass the requirements of the mission. This often leads to flexing your creative muscle and concocting structures that can be used as a counterweight to drop a shipping container on an unsuspecting hoard, or creating a ramp to launch an explosive barrel at a group of walkers standing near abandoned cars. The walker-killing objectives really give you the freedom to experiment and see how much of a violent Rube Goldberg Machine you can create, and it’s easily the most rewarding part of the game.

The most frustrating challenges Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead has to offer are the chapters in which you must navigate several characters throughout a series of commands, usually to complete straightforward tasks. For example, a character might need to cross a building to hit a lever, but in order to do that they will stop at a series of checkpoints on their journey and will need to be given a command at every single one of them. Assigning the commands can get really convoluted and clumsy, especially when you’re micromanaging multiple characters through tasks that are very timing sensitive. It makes for a lot of extra trial and error, and really sucks the fun out of the experience overall.

Graphically the game isn’t going to blow you away, as the visuals look to be tailored for Mobile platforms. Bridge Constructor games have never been graphical showcases, but with an intellectual property like The Walking Dead, it would have been nice to see the art direction take some inspiration from the original Robert Kirkman source material and give the game a little more style.

Overall Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead is a good crossover that’s marred by a few technical shortcomings. While the visuals leave much to be desired and some of the busier levels with plenty of character micromanaging can lead to plenty of frustration, there’s still plenty of fun puzzle challenges to tackle. We’d recommend checking out the previous Bridge Constructor title, Bridge Constructor Portal first, but if you’re a massive fan of The Walking Dead television show this one is worth checking out, especially at the budget price point.

An Xbox Series X Review Code for Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead was provided by Headup Games.