!NOTE! This is an older article published pre-revamp which does not follow the new format.

Bridge Constructor Stunts

[ video + review + giveaway ]

| PC (Steam) Review March 2nd 2016 |

Meet Bridge Constructor Stunts, the high-octane version of it's predecessor Bridge Constructor, which many of you have played on iOS or Steam. Expanding upon the simple bridge-building formula of the original, Stunts swaps most of the horizontal bridge building for vertical ramp construction. The second major difference is the addition of a driving phase, where the player attempts to control the vehicles across their architecturally-perfect handiwork or chance them across the rickety deathtrap they created, whichever the case may be.

Bridge Constructor Stunts screenshot tutorial bridge constuction
This bridge isn't even flat!
Bridge Constructor Stunts screenshot explosive fail

The hands-on tutorial will help you get to grip with the basics. Construction is inherited from it's predecessor: place beams by clicking on a starting point then choose where they should end with another click. Stack them up and convert beams to flat surfaces with another click and hey presto, you've built a... thing. But is it structurally sound enough to take the weight of your truck and power it across the chasm?

To find out, you can either turn on simulation mode to see if it holds up by itself, or start your engine and do a test run. Driving controls are limited to forward, brake (no reversing) and the ability to front flip or back flip by holding one of those keys down in mid-air. Construction, simulation and driving modes can be toggled and restarted quickly. Until you build the perfect platform, enjoy the spectacle of your crash and burn failures (thanks, conveniently placed explosive-to-the-touch barrel) or miscalculated dips into the water. Some of these were laugh-out-loud funny moments for me, especially when the plan goes pear-shaped to an extent you never thought possible, such as witnessing your exploding truck front flipping like crazy while it engages a flight path to the moon.

By the time you reach the third of six campaigns, the game stops holding your hand and begins to present trickier challenges such as launching yourself through one floor of a multi-story building, collecting a star on the way, performing a flip and controlling your descent so as not to land past the finish line. It's at this point where the precision control requirement kicks in and the "finickiness" of the game comes to light. A tiny change of just a few degrees in your ramp can turn what first seemed to be an altogether incorrect approach into a successful execution. Your acceleration as you approach a ramp makes a difference. Your speed as you climb the ramp makes a difference. The smoothness/roundness of your ramp affects your jump. Front flipping yields different results to back flipping. Tip: use back flips in the dump truck for a more controlled flip that prevents the trailer from tipping upwards, increasing drag and getting caught on obstacles. The precision required to complete a level increases as no-go construction areas and extra requirements are added such as collecting so many stars and/or performing a minimum number of flips. Ramps may only be built upon specified starting points, so this does limit the number of flawed plans you would otherwise waste your time pursuing.

Bridge Constructor Stunts screenshot dump truck goes flying
Not even close...
Bridge Constructor Stunts screenshot so close yet so far

I'm no structural engineer, but the physics seem pretty realistic to me. Simulation mode allows you to test-run the viability of your ramps and watch individual beams turn yellow, orange and red before collapsing under pressure. These markers can also be seen while driving your truck, which obviously adds more pressure. Watching your ramp fall apart just as your vehicle clears it and makes it across a gap is a nice type of satisfaction!

The ability to save replays and export them as videos or GIF is nice, but you'll probably have to save a small GIF if you want to upload it to Twitter due to their current 5MB GIF limit. Windows users may need to download the Windows Media Video 9 VCM for this, which can be downloaded from the offical Microsoft website here.

So, will someone who enjoyed Bridge Constructor find Stunts equally entertaining? That depends. While still a casual experience, the driving segments introduce a different type of challenge that requires either ultra-perfect ramp construction or precision acceleration and mid-air manipulation. If that sounds fun to you, you'll probably enjoy this entry in the series even more. Once again, it's a novel idea limited in scope but executed well. contains a healthy 35 levels in total, the last unlocking if you somehow manage to collect those defiantly-positioned golden bolts. The only potential for replay value here is for those chasing higher scores, but it's the type of game that would be fun to show to a friend when they pop over to your home and lovingly mock them as their attempts to conquer the chasms go up in smoke (and fire).

Bridge Constructor Stunts screenshot dangerous ramp construction
What are the chances?

Bridge Constructor Stunts is avilable to buy now.

GIVEAWAY [ x2 copies ]:

Bobmanbob Special Giveaway #28: Bridge Constructor Stunts (Steam Game)

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTOR STUNTS

Developed By: Clockstone

Published By: Headup Games

Purchase on Steam