Do you have an inner engineer bursting to get out? Do you wish more bridges had ramps, so you could pull off sick stunts? Headup Games and ClockStone Software has heard you and created two games to let you tap into that need: Bridge Constructor and Bridge Constructor Stunts. Let’s take a closer look.
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| Bridge Constructor |
"Praise the bridge that carried you over." - George Colman
Bridge Constructor and Bridge Constructor Stunts have a lot in common. Besides both being developed by ClockStone Software, they are physics-based puzzle games that started life on mobile platforms before making the jump to consoles. The publisher, Headup Games, provided me with Bridge Constructor on the PlayStation 4 and Bridge Constructor Stunts on the Xbox One.
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| Bridge Constructor |
Both games give you one simple task; get the vehicles from point “A” to point “B.” What you do in between is up to you. Bridge Constructor focuses more on actual bridge building to get your vehicle to its destination. While Bridge Constructor Stunts, from the start, has you building “bridge ramps” to clear the gaps. It seems easy enough at first, as both provide you with a large enough budget and the materials to “bridge the gap,” pun intended. In the beginning your main building material is wood. As the game progresses you’re introduced to steel, cabling, etc. as stronger options for construction. The challenges ramp up as budgets get tighter and terrain between point “A” and “B” gets more extreme. Bridge Constructor even starts taking pages from the Bridge Constructor Stunts playbook by having you make ramps to clear the gap.
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| Bridge Constructor Stunts |
"Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom." - Phyllis Theroux
The gameplay and art style for both games is a simple digital animation full of sharp, crisp colors and a touch of whimsy. The music, while upbeat and friendly, will start to grate on your nerves after a while. Most gamers who sit down to play on consoles will tend to play for longer periods of time and both games were built for mobile gaming; as the intention was for small bites of gameplay. Which means that the same music is played on a loop. To its credit, there is different music in the menu so it isn’t all one tune, but still, it gets old. The music can be turned off if it does start to be too much for you.
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| Bridge Constructor Stunts |
Bridge Constructor Stunts has another a minor annoyance, besides the music. On occasion I've had the vehicle land hard enough for the game engine to make the wheels phase through the ground. Now if the wheels phase on the bridge, it still moves, abet slow, but still moves. The problem comes when you land on the transition from bridge to land. There it stops dead. It's not a game-breaking glitch, I can retry and hope it doesn't land that hard again or tweak my design. It's just annoying to see the vehicle actually complete the stunt, but not be able to cross the finish line.
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| Bridge Constructor |
Overall
I have to say, for mobile games ported to consoles, both Bridge Constructor and Bridge Constructor Stunts are fun little brainteasers that prove to be great “in between” games. Those games you play to take a break between your big epic sprawling story action games. They also scratch that puzzle-solving itch many people crave. I give Bridge Constructor a 4.5 out of 5 and Bridge Constructor Stunts a 4 out of 5.
For more information see
Headup Games' Official website.
Bridge Constructor Stunts
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