Can you survive after midnight?
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication takes place at Wen Hua University, one of the ten universities in Taiwan known for its unsettling ghost stories. To attract new members to the film club, a group of students has decided to hold the Carnival of Horror in the Da Ren building, which abounds with rumours of ghost sightings. They plan on re-enacting a bizarre case that happened on campus decades ago and turning it into a horror movie, but as they rush to film in the depths of night, strange things start to happen… At the same time, a reporter arrives on campus after receiving an eerie letter in hopes of resolving a mysterious missing persons case from the past. After piecing together a series of clues, the mystery unravels and a massive conspiracy covered in darkness is on the verge of emerging. As they frantically try to escape, the terrifying being behind the spectre-infested building gradually reveals itself… With demons closing in and impending doom at hand, will anyone survive the horrors of the night?
I hadn’t heard of the first Bridge Curse game, but I’m definitely going to check it out after my time with its sequel. I didn’t really know what to expect other than a spooky first-person horror set in a university at night. So, what terrors await?
After an opening that shows you the mechanics such as stealth and using a lantern to show hidden messages as well as fending off a creepy entity, you’re on your own. You will come across the campus’ security guard during this intro who tells you to make sure you leave before midnight, a warning that your protagonist chooses to ignore. You get a good sense of the direction the game goes for with this intro as the guard has typical b-movie dialogue and even though the game is scary, it is also full of cheesy lines.
There’s a nice blend of stealth and puzzles to be found. The puzzles are well designed and got my brain working overtime in some cases, which I wasn’t expecting. There’s a good variety of monsters and plenty of decent jump scares along the way, so it ticks a lot of boxes for those who love a good horror game. If I had one complaint, it’s that the game tells its story through first-person dialogue that maybe takes a bit too long and makes it feel more like a film than a game, but only during these segments.
The visuals are impressive with an impressive campus to explore. I also laughed at the blatant rip-offs of KFC and Starbucks in the university cafeteria in the opening section. The monsters are well designed and there’s a genuine spine-tingling atmosphere throughout that’s well done. The framerate is solid and I didn’t come across any glitches through my playthrough. The voice-acting is cheesy as I explained, but not dreadful and the soundtrack keeps up the horror pretence well.
The Verdict
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is an impressive horror game, despite it’s corny dialogue. You will have a sense of dread as you explore the university campus, but in a good way. With plenty of scares and puzzles to keep you on your toes, it’s well worth a trip to Wen Hau.