
Valve’s Portal series is one that most Nintendo gamers likely never expected to see on their console, yet here we are with an oddly inventive spinoff that makes a surprising amount of sense. Bridge Constructor Portal is a puzzle game at heart, though here it trades first-person shooting for a more methodical approach that employs many similar mechanics. The end product is something that doesn’t quite hit the same highs as the series it was inspired by, but still does a great job in its own right.
Gameplay in Bridge Constructor Portal is simple, though not easy to master. You’re given an infinite amount of girders and cables, and must build bridges that are stable enough to guide a forklift (or many) through all manner of hazards. Each stage gives you a limited number of anchor points to work with, and as you work your way through the 60 stages, you must become increasingly more creative in your approach. If you fail - and you will fail a lot - it’s a simple matter of making adjustments to the construct and hitting the drive button again to see if you can scrape by this time.

Bridge Constructor Portal excels in teaching you the relatively complex mechanics of this through a well-paced tutorial that ensures you’ve properly learned the concept. Though objects will remain static when you’re in build mode, physics are applied as soon as you test it with a forklift, and any flaws in your design will likely result in watching the forklift careen into an acid pit. Regardless of how many girders or cables you throw at it, a poor design will always result in this outcome, which means you must apply basic architectural techniques and think about things from a problem-solving perspective. If this engineering mindset doesn’t come naturally to you, a handy guide is always available to explain some broad techniques that will likely help. This helps to make the game much more accessible to players of all skill levels, and we appreciated that the game doesn’t rush the player, but also doesn’t coddle them.
Though the levels are straightforward at first, it doesn’t take too long for all sorts of obstacles from the Portal games to be introduced. Things such as propulsion gel, sentry drones, weighted companion cubes, and the titular portals are all present and accounted for, and the game makes sure to take time to introduce each new concept in a measured and manageable way. Even so, later stages are a little busier than we’d like, and they can tend to cross the line into tediousness. In a game as finicky as Bridge Constructor Portal, too many disparate obstacles can prove to make stages drag on; while earlier stages only take about ten(ish) minutes to clear, later ones can take upwards of an hour.

This tediousness extends to the building of the bridges as well, and though it isn’t game breaking, it can be frustrating in longer play sessions. You can switch between button and touch controls at any time, and both are completely adequate, but the issue lies in how many separate actions you have to make in building a bridge. Zooming the camera in and out to select nodes, swapping between materials, connecting girders to supports, etc. all require precision that’s not quite as intuitive on a console as it would be with a keyboard and mouse, and the sheer volume of ‘clicks’ required can be tiresome. Though it’s serviceable, and you quickly build up a sort of muscle memory that helps speed things along, there’s a lingering sense that things are taking longer than they should because the control inputs aren’t suited to the game.
Another, less important, aspect of the game that we found disappointing is the rather halfhearted usage of the Portal license. Granted, one can only expect so much out of a simple puzzle game centered around a basic premise, but it still feels as though the Portal aspect of the game is a bit of an afterthought. The half-hearted jokes don’t land quite like they did in the original and though Ellen McLain does a great job reprising her role as the cold and snarky GLaDOS, the overall experience feels like it wouldn’t be very different if the Portal wrapping was taken away. Once more, this doesn’t necessarily detract from the game, but it feels like there was a missed opportunity here.
Conclusion
Bridge Constructor Portal is a fun and engaging puzzle game that does a great job of appealing to players of all skill levels while offering a relatively hefty amount of content. Though it sometimes feels like an awkward port and it doesn’t always make the most of the crossover potential, it gets the core mechanics of puzzle solving right, and there’s more than enough quality here to satisfy those looking to scratch that itch on the Switch. We’d give Bridge Constructor Portal a strong suggestion to anybody looking for a fun puzzle game on the eShop; this is a game that constantly makes you think outside the box, and there’s nothing else like it available at the moment.
Comments 29
This looks good. Gotta try it out.
That stickman, tho....
Like a bridge over Portaled water
I will lay me down
Portal was the game that made me install Steam, but I don't think this game will make anyone buy a Switch
@Captain_Gonru The game you're referring to is Bridge Constructor.
@Nintendoforlife I think @Captain_Gonru means polybridge, I happened to come across it today on the switch eshop.
I want to get this...but Neo Geo games. What to do, what to do...
@darkswabber Ahh you're probably right on this one.
I think i'll wait for a sale on this one and then maybe pick it up, 15 bucks might be a bit more than I'm wanting on it right now.
I bought this and am very much enjoying it. Feels like a spiritual successor to Armadillo Run, if anyone remembers that.
I guess it appeals to a certain type of person, though. If you don't enjoy spending a long time tinkering with something to get it just right, it's probably not for you.
I think energy pellets, turrets, propulsive & repulsive gels, companion cubes, etc is less an afterthought and more making Portal elements just meet halfway with Bridge Constructor, because they're in there.
Seems a little expensive when it is just £5 on android
I was a little frustrated to find after purchasing it at 18 bucks that it's just a port of some mobile game sold for 5, that might be worth addressing. I didn't assume that would be the case, I just snatched it up when it came out because I really like the franchise and wanted to see what it would be like.
@Alex18 I don't believe valve actually had any involvement in this one, they just loaned the licence out.
@SanderEvers Do you really want worldwide riots that badly?
I feel like this sort of game is best played on a iOS device.
Valve...please. We need Portal on the Switch! (and everything else of course)
I'd also be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who has played both this and Poly Bridge. Poly Bridge really grabbed by attention in the Nindies Direct, but I haven't got around to buying it. Not sure which of these two games would best scratch that bridge building itch. Poly Bridge reviewed slightly butter, but this has portals! Aah!
I was really looking forward to this... but €15. Bit steep, considering its price on other platforms. I'll hold off for a sale.
I really like this game. I do.
Seems from people's comments the game is a lot cheaper on android so will get it elsewhere.
"Valve’s Portal series is one that most Nintendo gamers likely never expected to see on their console, yet here we are with an oddly inventive spinoff that makes a surprising amount of sense."
.... This is the second time Portal has appeared on a Nintendo console.
This seems neat. Might pick it up on sale sometime.
Looks cool. Love portal, would be awesome on the switch lol. May give this game a try.
I must say, I'd like reviews to at least mention if a Switch game is based on a mobile version, and if so, tell us at what price point - it is important information.
I have it on iOS as it's cheaper and I'm glad I didn't wait for the Switch version. It's a shame this is what Portal has become now.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE With that joke said, I'm gonna ask for your badge and gun back, please. Haha.
@GrailUK omg they listened
@GannonBanned Hahaha.
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