The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is a sequel to the Taiwanese horror adventure inspired by Taiwanese folklore and university urban legends, set at the fictional Wen Hua University. The game unfolds from the perspective of four main characters, each with their own motives and mysteries, exploring dark secrets and haunting apparitions on campus. The story is revealed in layers, allowing players to delve into the backstories of each character, adding emotional depth and deepening the sense of danger.
The PC version originally released on May 9, 2024, and now, thanks to the publisher PQube, versions for all current consoles (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch) have finally been released.
The visual presentation of the game excellently captures the anxious atmosphere of the university. Nighttime settings, dimly lit hallways, and eerie classrooms create ideal conditions for a chilling horror atmosphere. Due to the dark visual elements and threatening sound design, the game sets high expectations in creating an uncomfortable ambiance. During our playthrough, we noticed that the game often falls into the trap of predictability, where the haunting scenes lose intensity due to relatively slow and repetitive escape sequences from enemies, and the English voice acting sometimes sounds a bit unconvincing.
Despite this, The Bridge Curse 2 features innovative puzzle elements, such as the use of mystical items and lanterns that reveal hidden details from the past. The puzzles in the game are not overly challenging, but sometimes require attention and careful exploration, further contributing to the horror atmosphere. While some players may expect more adrenaline-pumping escape scenes, others will enjoy the eerie exploration and the pervasive sense of unease.
The Bridge Curse 2 draws on Taiwanese cultural heritage, integrating elements such as lanterns and ritual items into gameplay, which gives the game authenticity and connects it to local myths. Thus, Wen Hua University fits perfectly into the world of The Bridge Curse, almost as a separate character with a rich history that gradually reveals tragic events and mysteries from the past.
Boss fights and locations in the game significantly contribute to the tension and atmosphere, as each encounter and space has a unique role in developing horror. One of the most memorable encounters is with the "Furious Ballerina," a character that requires a specific strategy – playing the game of "red light, green light" – where the ballerina tries to catch the player through puppets. This fight is designed as a circular game, making it very tense and challenging, as every movement of the player can be crucial for escape.
The game also utilizes special locations for boss encounters, such as narrow hallways and dark classrooms at Wen Hua University, ensuring that each encounter has an extra dose of claustrophobia and uncertainty. In these spaces, players are often forced to use items like a flashlight that can temporarily repel enemies, but it takes time to recharge, making planning and escape more difficult. The arrangement and design of the spaces further complicate the situation as enemies often appear around every corner, requiring quick thinking and strategy formulation on the go.
After several hours of gameplay, our impressions are more than positive. The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is recommended for players who prefer horror games lasting between 5 - 10 hours with careful, thoughtful plot development and an anxious atmosphere, and less for those looking for pure adrenaline and tense action sequences. The price of the game is 24.99 euros (digital edition), and a physical edition is also available.
A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the publisher PQube
