Poly Bridge 2
- May 28, 2020
- Dry Cactus
- 5h median play time
Poly Bridge 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where you build and design bridges to withstand various challenges. With new mechanics like hydraulics and swing bridges, this sequel offers more complex levels and creative solutions. Online features allow players to share and explore each other's bridge designs in the Workshop.
Reviews
- Poly Bridge 2 improves upon its predecessor with better graphics, new mechanics like springs, and a more consistent physics engine.
- The game offers a wide variety of challenging levels that encourage creativity and problem-solving, making it highly engaging.
- The relaxing soundtrack and the ability to see other players' solutions add to the enjoyment and replayability of the game.
- Some players find the difficulty spike in later levels to be frustrating, with a steep learning curve that can be discouraging.
- The game lacks clear tutorials for some mechanics, particularly hydraulics and springs, which can lead to confusion.
- Leaderboards are often filled with exploits and glitches, detracting from the competitive aspect of the game.
- music138 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and calming qualities, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a soothing atmosphere, making it enjoyable to tackle challenging puzzles. While some reviews express mixed feelings about specific tracks, the general consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and replayability.
“Adrian Talens did an amazing job at making the music feel relaxing, and something about listening to it makes me feel like I'm putting on a warm blanket.”
“The music is calming; in all probability, this is intentional.”
“This game has a very calming soundtrack, and at the same time is a slow-paced problem-solving/engineering game.”
“Same awful, awful music.”
“The music deserves another mention, because it's honestly the most inane, soulless turd of a soundtrack I've ever come across.”
“Elevators would refuse to play this music in disgust.”
- gameplay121 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Poly Bridge 2 is generally praised for its fun and addictive nature, featuring intuitive mechanics that are easy to learn but challenging to master. While the game offers a variety of puzzles and a smooth difficulty curve, some players find it repetitive and feel that the introduction of new mechanics could be more gradual. Overall, the game combines engaging physics-based challenges with appealing visuals and a satisfying soundtrack, making it a solid choice for puzzle enthusiasts.
“The original game mechanics allow for less 'cheese' and more genuine puzzle-solving.”
“The gameplay is great and varied, with plenty of challenges presented in the regular levels as well as the 'challenge levels' section where previous levels need to be re-completed with new, harsher requirements.”
“The added mechanics of reinforced road, better hydraulics, and springs to the main game are very refreshing, although the springs can take a while to feel out.”
“The devs really needed to have a more gradual difficulty escalation (similar to Angry Birds) and more slowly introduce gameplay mechanics rather than everything given to you in the first world and then the only thing to look forward to is frustratingly hard levels.”
“Something about it just makes it boring and uneventful, leading to a rather boring gameplay experience for me.”
“Sure, I could go online and watch videos, but it's up to the game to teach me about how to use the mechanics, and they utterly failed in that regard.”
- graphics69 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of Poly Bridge 2 have received widespread praise for their clear, charming art style and improved visuals compared to the first game. Players appreciate the game's smooth performance, intuitive UI, and the relaxing aesthetic that enhances the overall gameplay experience. The addition of new mechanics, such as springs, alongside the polished graphics, contributes to a visually appealing and engaging puzzle-solving environment.
“Poly Bridge 2 is a puzzle game that has beautiful visuals and amazing mechanics.”
“The graphics are excellent, and I like the look of the game; the physics are very realistic.”
“Graphics are brilliant; the transition from the drawing board to 3D is beautiful and seamless.”
“I've had to significantly reduce the graphical settings, and not like it visually made much of a difference, which I find a bit funny.”
“Essentially it's just the inclusion of springs, a bit of graphical polish, and (most importantly) a new set of campaign levels.”
“Graphics are pumped up a ton, performance is super good, and the addition of springs brings Poly Bridge 2 a whole new face.”
- story26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 35 % negative mentions
The reviews overwhelmingly indicate that the game lacks a narrative, with multiple users stating there is "no story" present. While some players appreciate the gameplay mechanics and challenge, they express disappointment in the absence of a compelling storyline to engage with. Overall, the consensus is that the game focuses more on puzzle-solving than storytelling.
“Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“There might be other bridge constructors out there, but none have interested me, even oddly the first Poly Bridge, but I’m glad I waited. This game seems to be the truest form of bridge physics simulator in terms of polish, mission variety, and simplicity while offering the standard leaderboard in these types of puzzle games to see how you stack up and find out you suck.”
“At this point, they completely lost the plot and made these new levels require not only expert knowledge of advanced mechanical movement concepts but also the physics engine of the game.”
“Story 0/10, there isn't one.”
“This game has no story.”
“At this point, they completely lost the plot and made these new levels require not only expert knowledge of advanced mechanical movement concepts, but also the physics engine of the game.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in both their successes and failures, often resulting in hilariously chaotic moments, particularly involving bridges and creative engineering challenges. The quirky characters and amusing physics add to the lighthearted experience, making it a fun and entertaining choice for players looking for a good laugh. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal, with many users highlighting its ability to provide both humor and relaxation.
“When I fail, the results are gloriously hilarious, and when I succeed, I'm happy because it took creativity and often multiple attempts to get there.”
“Well, it's really fun but sometimes confusing with why did it work here but not there and why does this work even if it shouldn't, and yeah, but other than that, it's really funny.”
“I like the creativeness of the workshop; it's hard building successfully, but when you fail, it is funny watching the bridges just fall apart.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious, requiring excessive time investment and often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Players frequently express that completing levels feels like a chore, with some suggesting that it demands a "second life" to manage the grinding effectively. While there are moments of satisfaction in overcoming challenges, the overall sentiment leans towards the experience being more annoying than rewarding.
“Instead, I got a game that attempts to be an 'accurate and predictable simulation' but falls short somewhere in the middle between fun and tedious and is instead just annoying.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“On the opposite end, the difficulty of the end-game levels is tediously hard to complete, with only a few thousand people completing some levels.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its level creation tools and community-generated content, allowing players to continually engage with new challenges. Users appreciate the ability to optimize their performance on existing levels and compete on leaderboards, enhancing the game's addictive nature. Overall, the combination of custom levels and a focus on efficiency makes it nearly infinitely replayable.
“Where this game really excels is in its replayability as you can optimize the levels you enjoy, and I find this satisfying as the relatively small size of the leaderboards means you can see real progress and compete at the top level with reasonable time commitment.”
“With custom levels and challenge levels, there is almost infinite replayability.”
“Where this game really excels is in its replayability as you can optimize the levels you enjoy, and I find this satisfying as the relatively small size of the leaderboards means you can see real progress and compete at the top level with a reasonable time commitment.”
“The community content available in the workshops adds even more replayability and complexity.”
“The graphics look nice, the music is very relaxing, the levels are tricky, and the ability to make your own levels and play other people's makes this game infinitely replayable.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is well-optimized, running smoothly on both low-end and high-end systems, with many users praising its performance. However, some players have reported occasional frame stuttering and questioned the visual settings' impact on performance. Despite these minor issues, the game is considered a must-play for simulator enthusiasts, offering a balance of graphics and optimization.
“The game runs smoothly on low specs, and beautifully on higher-end rigs.”
“Clean, well optimized, relaxing.”
“Runs on any system really well optimized for older systems.”
“Great game, but I've recently been experiencing some frame stuttering.”
“I'm not sure what the developers were thinking with the settings, as there's so little visual difference for such a huge performance hit.”
“Unlike before, where players could complete $10,000 bridges with just $200 due to an exploit, now everyone has amazing bridges because they legitimately earned them with hyper-optimized designs.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fun glitches while others report significant issues, such as buggy controls and game-breaking glitches that affect gameplay and leaderboard scores. While some users find the glitches entertaining, others express frustration over their impact on the overall experience.
“The only downside I have is that there's quite some 'cheese' in it, where you can abuse glitches to finish levels.”
“Controls are a bit buggy right now.”
“I have a brand new 16" MacBook Pro which can easily run a game like this, but unfortunately it is so buggy that I can't place any objects on the board.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke strong feelings, with players expressing moments of joy and sadness, such as crying during gameplay. The overall atmosphere is described as wholesome and relaxing, though some players note that it can become repetitive over time.
“Not for me, I cried playing this.”
“This game made me feel like my hero, the bridge man.”
“Great game with very relaxing music and a wholesome atmosphere.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing music and wholesome vibe, creating an engaging experience. However, some players note that it can become monotonous over time, while others appreciate the contrast between the charming low-poly visuals and the challenging gameplay.
“The atmosphere is amazing.”
“The challenges are devilish and out of my league, but the low-poly atmosphere and ever more frustrating levels make for a great game.”
“The challenges are devilish and out of my league, but the low-poly atmosphere and increasingly frustrating levels detract from the overall experience.”
“Great game with very relaxing music and a wholesome atmosphere, but it gets boring after a while.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, leveraging the success of Poly Bridge 1, with many levels reportedly recycled from the original game.
“This is a blatant cash grab fueled by the popularity of Poly Bridge 1. I would also like to mention that more than half the levels are basically just ripped from Poly Bridge 1.”