Hey gang, Valkor here. Welcome back to another session of GameView, where we tackle the latest in gaming goodness (and bad). The next title on the TOV chopping block is The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation. It's a quirky first-person horror that's out just in time for Halloween. So, turn down those lights and turn the volume up if you have a nice set of gaming headphones because this one is awesome in terms of creepiness and fun. Albeit it's a short run. Check it out.
In The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation, six students depict a young girl who killed herself on a scenic bridge in a live stream reenactment. As it turns out, she was waiting for her boyfriend around midnight. But he never showed. Right at the start of the game, you're tossed into a chase with the female ghost/demon hot on your trail. You'll duck low or hide in a bathroom or closet, doing whatever it takes to stay out of the ghost's line of sight until you make it to the next scene. Once you've succeeded, the story continues in a cheesy cinematic fashion. Other puzzles must be completed along the way, some of which are easier than others. The craziest puzzle is the one where you must find the screaming dolls. This puzzle will have you racing from room to room trying to find three crying dolls before one jumps out and kills you. It's definitely not the easiest of tasks but certainly not the hardest. But there's enough going on to give you a mental workout.
The Bridge Curse is an adaptation of the 2020 Taiwanese film of the same name. But, from what I understand, the game is tied closely to the film. I haven't seen it, but it is on my “to-watch” list. So, you might see a TOV review before the spooky season ends. And after my run with The Bridge Curse, I think it's worth checking out. Until that time, let us dive in with the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
Though The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is a short romp, I feel it's still worth the trek. I had a lot of fun with it, and it scared me quite a bit at different times. The puzzles weren't too challenging. And there's enough going on that'll hold your interest until the end. I did have one problem with the controls (more on that in the next section), but it was easy to run, duck, and gather objects. Too bad there wasn't a side-step or jump option. It's not a negative, but it would have been useful. The game has stunning graphics, especially with the backdrops. However, the characters are decent-looking, and the game suits them nicely in terms of style. But the disturbing beauty of this game is the ghost characters that will freak you out! The best (worst) part is getting caught and seeing that full-screen, direct-to-your-face visual. Sheeeeeeeit! The audio of the game is also fitting, with eerie background music and disturbing sounds all throughout. Finally, the game is based on a Taiwanese film, but the characters speak English with no option to switch to the original voices. Fortunately, this gives the game a bit of '80s flair, where the voices don't always sync up with the mouth movements. I'm sure plenty of you won't get the reference, but those who do will understand why this is cheesily awesome! The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is ultimately a frightfully entertaining Halloween movie with just the proper amount of scares.
The Bad:
I only have a minor problem with one of the game's button placements. Instead of using the L3 button, the run button should have been R2. I feel the game would have played better if I could use the R2 because using the L3 feels off to me.
The Ugly:
Creepy ghost lady when she catches you. YIKES!
The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is available now on the PlayStation 5, STEAM, XBOX, and the Nintendo Switch. It's released at just the right time to add some scares to your Halloween night. Despite its brief length, the game provides enough thrills and enjoyment to make it worth picking up. I recommend it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation a 4.
