The Bridge Curse is a superstition that is believed to bring bad luck and misfortune to anyone who crosses a certain bridge or continues to believe in the curse. The origins of this curse are often rooted in local folklore or legends, and can vary from culture to culture. One common belief surrounding the Bridge Curse is that it is associated with a tragic event or death that occurred on or near the bridge. This could be the result of a past accident, suicides, or even a violent incident that took place in the area. The curse is said to linger, causing anyone who crosses the bridge to experience unfortunate events or encounters. In some cases, the Bridge Curse is believed to be the result of supernatural or paranormal forces.

The brudge curse

Every once in a while a new horror game comes out that blows me away. It’s such a deeply varied genre, that so much can be done and explored. Games like Signalis, Amnesia the Bunker, and Visage have all done a great job invoking different senses of dread, from the existential to the psychological, as well as being hunted down by an unstoppable foe. Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is an indie horror game developed by Taiwanese developer SOFTSTAR. It’s the kind of game I tend to keep an eye out on, but the original PC release somehow slipped by me. Now that’s it’s been released on PlayStation 5, I finally get to try it out.

Just a prank bro.

Set on a university campus, a group of friends team up to do a livestream on the legendary Bridge Curse. However, what was supposed to be just a viral livestream full of effects, turns out to anger the spirit, and they are hunted down one by one. They must figure out the source of the curse, as well as how to stop it before it takes them for good.

Whilst being based on a movie, the premise of the curse is an urban legend in Taiwan. It says that at midnight a fourteenth step will appear on the stairway to the bridge, and if you happen to be there, a spirit girl will drag you away, never to be seen again. I couldn’t find too much on this legend, but it does lay an interesting foundation. It’s the strong central narrative that will keep you playing Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation to the very end, as you slowly uncover more and more about the angry spirit through the perspective of the group of friends. It features some pretty disturbing scenes and twists are cleverly hidden.

As for the horror itself, this is a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t be expecting much here. For the most part, Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is a narrative exploration game that has you exploring a university campus. Exploring the campus is a suitably tense and atmosphere that had me creeping around. However, that’s pretty much where it stops. Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation isn’t a scary game, and when it tries to do something different, it just trips up.

You will occasionally encounter hostile ghosts, and your only options are to run or hide. These encounters are kind of dull, and don’t have the same impact as games like Amnesia, Haunting Ground, or even Fatal Frame. The chases themselves are either running away in a straight line or scripted encounters where the ghost will block certain routes forcing you to go the other way. Very occasionally you will need to hide to avoid the ghost, but again it feels like a scripted encounter.

The biggest problem with Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is it does nothing interesting with the gameplay ideas it has. Some puzzle-like encounters where you have to interact with dolls before another ghost kills you are a frustrating trial and error. The other puzzles mostly consist of collecting a few items and putting them in a certain order.

If you do plan on playing the game, make sure to switch the vocals to the native language. The English voices just feel completely off here, with acting that will take you completely out of the experience. As for the native language, it’s much better and does a great job immersing you into the game world, but it’s not perfect either. Despite being the better option, some of the deliveries still come off rather flat.

As for the visuals this is where things get pretty messy. Whilst it’s quite clear this is a budget game it doesn’t look half bad sometimes with decently detailed environments that are solid enough to look at. Character models are decent at best, with some cool ghost designs that you won’t see very often. Where it does fall apart is in some of the darker sections, the darkness in this game is oppressive. Visibility can often be a problem, and darkness doesn’t always make a game scary. Instead, it can have the opposite effect and simply make it annoying, which is often the case here.

Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is a competent horror title that won’t be for everyone. It’s not traditionally scary, but the engaging premise and structure make it worth seeing. There are quite a few rough edges, but the strong central mystery to unravel makes it worthwhile.

Graphics: 7.0

There are some rough edges around the character models and certain darkness, but it has an immersive and oppressive atmosphere that is quite well executed.

Gameplay: 5.5

Lacklustre ghost encounters let down a solid horror experience.

Some flat voice delivery, but make sure to switch language from English to its original Taiwanese.

Fun Factor: 6.0

Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is a tense exploration game, but is lacking in anything else of substance.

Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation was provided by the publisher.

Video Game / The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation

Rumor has it that a couple once attempted to elope and was meant to meet on the scenic bridge.
However, the girl waited until midnight, and the boy was nowhere to be seen. Out of anger and despair, the girl committed suicide by jumping into the lake.
Since then, when people walk on the bridge while counting the staircases, the original 13-steps bridge will become a 14-steps bridge.
This is the horrifying haunted story of a female ghost haunting the cursed bridge.

The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation is the video game sequel to the 2020 Taiwanese horror film, The Bridge Curse developed by Softstar Entertainment.

Months after the film's events, six post-graduate college students from Tung Hu University decides to re-investigate the haunted bridge, which turns out to be one of six campus urban legends Tung Hu is known for. Led by Hsin-Chiao, the student council president and player-controlled protagonist, the students inevitably gets stranded within the haunted campus grounds, and finds out the urban legends are anything but a legend.

A sequel, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, was announced on October 9th, 2023, with a demo showing the prologue chapter. Taking place in Wen Hua University, a competing haunted university to Tung Hu that was mentioned in the first game, the game follows a reporter investigating supernatural going-ons and getting more than she bargained for.

In some cases, the Bridge Curse is believed to be the result of supernatural or paranormal forces. It is said that spirits or ghosts may haunt the bridge, causing misfortune to anyone who disturbs them. This belief is often fueled by stories and accounts of individuals who claim to have experienced strange occurrences or sightings after crossing the bridge.

Fear, anxiety, and laughter are the symbol of youth.

• 100% Completion: There are a number of collectibles and documents scattered around the campus you can examine, which are stored permanently in your archive. Getting all of them nets you an achievement, and you can replay chapters to search for them after finishing the game.
• And Now for Someone Completely Different: While Hsin-Chiao is the main character, you play as the various different members of the Bridge Curse club as they encounter the supernatural on the university grounds.
• And You Thought It Was a Game: The students spend almost half the game under the assumption the ghosts attacking them are just other students playing a prank on them as part of the Bridge Curse livestream challenge. As a result, they frequently engage in Let's Split Up, Gang! and other unwise decisions.
• Broad Strokes: It becomes clear in the latter half of the game that it's actually a loose re-telling of the events of the film, specifically the flashback events in 2016, though the fact the protagonist has the same name as the lead 2016 girl in the film should have been a clue.
• Camera Abuse: More than one death screen sees your blood covering the screen from a first-person perspective.
• Content Warnings: The game opens with one such warning, right before the title screen, warning players with a weak heart, aversion to gory scenes, scary moments, or otherwise easily-offended by religious beliefs to play something else. Followed by the usual "Events Depicted Are Fictional" disclaimers.
• Creepy Doll: One of the many ghosts haunting Tung Hu inexplicably comes in the form of a sentient, living, crying baby doll. Investigating the sound of baby crying in the dark corridors, trying to follow the source of crying will lead you into a playroom filled with blood and destroyed dolls. moments before the doll pounces onscreen and stabs you.
• Dead All Along: It's heavily implied that all of the students except for DeCyuan are already dead and in purgatory, reliving their last night alive, due to having been killed by Hsin-Chiao in 2016. DeCyuan has returned to Tung Hu in hopes of putting an end to the curse and helping his friends move on to the afterlife.
• Fan Disservice: Some of the female ghouls attacks you naked. Being undead, their skins are graying with visible scabs and flakes peeling off, looking a lot like severe psoriasis victims.
• Jump Scare: Every single player death will have the background music suddenly turning shrill, loud, and the monster / ghost that killed you filling the screen with their face while cackling away. Followed by a blood-red "YOU ARE DEAD".
• Murderous Mannequin: Tung Hu's drama club has a number of mannequins in the changing room, originally meant for fashion design students, some which will come to life at night with blood leaking from their eyes and mouth. Like every other supernatural creature within Tung Hu, it will chase you down and kill you with a single touch.
• Newspaper Backstory: One of the clues regarding the titular curse comes from an old, archived newspaper clipping from 1989, which sheds some light on the urban legend's backstory:

THE BRIDGE CURSE: TRAGEDY BEHIND THE WELL-KNOWN CAMPUS LEGEND
Dated: Xinhe News, June 10, 1989
The Bridge Curse of Tunghu University has been well known for a long time and it also includes one of the taboos local students love to challenge. Rumor has it that when you walk on the cursed bridge at midnight, a female ghost might appear and kill you if you count the staircases while walking.

The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation

The fear and belief in the Bridge Curse can sometimes lead to certain bridges being abandoned or avoided completely. Communities may even go so far as to enact rituals or perform ceremonies to try and lift the curse. These rituals often include offerings or prayers to appease any spirits or entities that may be responsible for the curse. While the Bridge Curse may be dismissed by some as mere superstition, it holds a significant place in many cultures and communities. It serves as a cautionary tale and reminder to be aware of the potential dangers or ill fortunes that can befall individuals who disrespect or disregard the beliefs or history of a certain place. Whether the Bridge Curse is based on actual supernatural forces or is simply a creation of folklore and legend, it continues to captivate the imaginations of many, and serves as a reminder to approach certain places or situations with respect and caution..

Reviews for "The Bridge Curse and its Effect on Local Communities"

1. Jessica - 1/5 - I was really disappointed with "The Bridge Curse". The plot was incredibly predictable and every twist and turn was telegraphed from a mile away. The characters were one-dimensional and I found it impossible to invest in their stories. The scares were cheap and relied heavily on jump scares, rather than building real tension. I would not recommend this movie to anyone looking for a truly terrifying horror experience.

2. Michael - 2/5 - "The Bridge Curse" had potential, but ultimately fell flat for me. The concept was interesting, but the execution was lacking. The pacing was uneven and it dragged on at times. The scares were few and far between, and when they did happen, they were not particularly effective. The acting was also mediocre, which made it hard to connect with the characters. Overall, this film lacked the spooky atmosphere and thrilling moments that I look for in a horror movie.

3. Emily - 2/5 - I found "The Bridge Curse" to be underwhelming. The plot felt disjointed and the storyline was hard to follow. The supernatural elements were not explained well and left me with more questions than answers. The acting was subpar and the characters were forgettable. The scares were also quite tame, and I was expecting a lot more from a horror movie. Overall, I was not impressed with this film and would not recommend it to anyone seeking a truly chilling experience.

Can Science Explain the Bridge Curse?