The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication review

Although I don’t believe in ghosts, horror films that feature any kind of apparition or spirit terrifies me more than anything else. Show me Terrifier or Nightmare on Elm Street and I’m fine, but Paranormal Activity or Hell House LLC leave me feeling so uncomfortable. With The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, Softstar has improved on the original in every way, and while there are still things that I didn’t particularly like, I’m never going to forget some of the creepy things I saw while roaming the halls of Wen Hua University.

Throughout The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, you’ll play as four characters who find themselves at the famed university around midnight. Probably not the best idea, but going in at lunchtime wouldn’t have the same impact, and thanks to some truly terrifying ghosts, you’ll be left tip-toeing around every corner praying you don’t bump into anything weird. There are some excellent designs for these beings, such as the broken-necked lady you encounter early on, and trying to avoid or run away from them always makes you uneasy.

Whether you’re playing as the reporter or filmmaking students, you can never relax. The tension is palpable, and even when you think you’ve got a moment of respite, a banging on the walls or a distant shatter of glass makes your heart sink. The atmosphere has been created so well, with lighting that makes you question every shadow and visuals that elevate the anxiety thanks to a brilliantly designed labyrinth of corridors and rooms. As you wander across different floors within the university, you’re never able to relax.

While you use various tools such as the lantern to banish ghostly smoke or stifle spectres, you’ll have to solve a variety of puzzles, and most of them have been designed well. They don’t trouble you to a point where they become frustrating, but they’re not easy either. It’s always good to see a game that gets the balance of challenge, frustration, and hand-holding right, and The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication gets it right. There are often multiple layers to each puzzle, and you’ll often feel pleased with yourself when you get it right.

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication is filled with a surprising amount of lore, with documents scattered around Wen Hua University, and various items all providing some background. I was invested in every piece of information that detailed some of the legends that exist within the university, and the story as a whole kept me invested. While I enjoyed the story and managed to connect with most of the characters, I struggled with some of the voice acting as it was too over the top.

Maybe it’s a personal preference that stopped me from connecting with some of the characters, but I always play games based in other countries with subtitles, listening to the dialogue in its native tongue. Unfortunately, there’s only English actors playing the roles and they don’t always work, especially with the eccentric filmmakers. It’s not that the acting is bad, I just found some of the scenes were performed with too much exaggeration. Saying that, when the terror starts to shine through, I didn’t care about all that, I just wanted to survive.

I enjoyed The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication. The sense of dread flows through every minute, and you can never relax as there’s always something to keep you on edge, whether that’s an actual sighting or the way the university’s setting plays tricks on you through great lighting. The puzzles are smart, and while there are opportunities to explore, I would have liked a bit more freedom to see more of the university. The voice acting is sometimes a touch extravagant, but for the most part it features strong characters wrapped up in an exciting story.