Reviewed on: PS4

Using the Bridge Constructor formula for something familiar yet completely different from the Portal series

Valve has some serious issues with the number 3: not only Half-Life 3, but Portal 3 is yet another game that might never see the light of day… So the world was caught by surprise with the announcement of Bridge Constructor Portal, a game licensed by Valve and developed entirely by an external studio, ClockStone. Despite having completely different mechanics and gameplay, the final result feels like it belongs with the Portal titles, keeping the same sense of humor and the same intelligent puzzles based on its crazy physics.

Fun: 10

Just as you would expect, Bridge Constructor Portal delivers a puzzle experience that can bust your noggin, entertain and make you crack some good laughs! The comments posed by GLaDOS (dubbed by Ellen McLain, the same voice actress that gave her voice to the A.I. in past games) and the various references to Aperture Science‘s corporate culture make even the smallest narrative moment a delightful one.

There’s a great sense of pride, pleasure and satisfaction in seeing your constructions working properly, especially when you take into consideration how fast difficulty starts to grow after the first introductory levels. But you don’t have to worry, as all mechanics are gradually introduced in order to ensure that every puzzle can be solved with your current skill level, even if it doesn’t look that way at first glance… And this contributes a lot to keep the feeling very close to that of the original Portal games.

Mechanics: 10

Your objective in B.C.Portal is to build a path that allows Aperture Science‘s forklift karts to reach the exit. In order to do so, you may place supporting beams, tie steel cables and construct pavements for the karts to drive over. By the way, the vehicles only move forward – blindly and completely automatically.

Beyond testing your balance and material resistance notions, the game also throws in the mix all of the elements introduced in Portal and Portal 2, including the acceleration gel, repulsion gel, sentry turrets, disintegrating lasers and, of course, the portals that connect separate points in space and can maintain the momentum of anything that passes through them. With all these elements, we end up with a vast and interesting selection of puzzles, which ensure entertainment and do not get repetitive even after the game’s 60 (very challenging) levels.

Audio and visuals: 8.5

Unlike prior titles in the series, Bridge Constructor Portal has a 2D platformer aesthetic, even though it’s actually made in 3D. Both background and game elements are very simple and minimalist, following the visual identity set for the franchise and also facilitating a quick understanding of everything happening onscreen.

The music closely follows the style of the original games. The tracks are electronic and light, and help create the setting of a lab full of mad scientists making crazy experiments. No part of the audio stands out, but that indicates how harmoniously the entire presentation works.

Final thoughts

Despite being a complete departure from the original games, Bridge Constructor Portal manages to deliver an experience worth its title, with the same level of entertainment, identity and quality in its puzzles. Fans of the series can’t miss this title, but even first-timers would have a nice dose of fun!

Score

Fun = 10

Mechanics = 10

Audio and visuals = 8.5

Is it worth the 15 dollars? Of course! Very few games have this level of identity, a charming and funny character or truly interesting puzzles!

Overall: 9.5

Played on the PlayStation 4 version