Bridge the Gap - Dunkelschwamm

 

    In this mod conversion we hunt down a button that will raise a bridge so we can cross some sort of divide, a crevasse if you will. The download includes the original mod and a 2.0 rework with massive visual changes but very little difference in gameplay.

SCMapDB page

Original map author: UrbaNebula

Conversion author: Mikk

Date of original mod release: 2020

Date of final Sven Map release: 2021

Maps in package: 2

Map review of Bridge the Gap

(originally posted on SCMapDB) 

by dunkelschwamm | May 21, 2023 | 3085 characters

    Bridge the Gap and Bridge the Gap 2.0 are a couple of walkthrough maps which do the same thing in very different flavors. Bridge the Gap 2.0 is a fairly standard Black Mesa themed map, with many environments easily paralleled with chapters from Half-Life, giving it a homogenous and forgettable appearance though very nicely executed. The original, by comparison, looks like some really bizarre interesting N64 port with a style I feel like I haven't seen in Half-Life before, which was quite striking, though far more simplistic. If you're more interested in a map with striking lighting and an interesting new visual take, play the original. If you really like very well executed Black Mesa environments, just go ahead and play the second one.

    Bridge the Gap asks the players to do a thing: bridge the gap. There is a very memorable (even in the 2.0) bridge location where players must raise a bridge to cross a gap to an elevator and end the game. Both of these maps feel very much made for survival, offering light resistance and restrictive ammo clearly simply balanced to leave us constantly thirsty. To that end, I'd say the combat was mostly very good! There's a couple neat run-ins with HECU that I think utilize their control of battlefields very well, as well as plenty of run-ins with headcrabs, barnacles, and zombies made actually menacing by the lack of resources.

    Along the way there are also some puzzle elements, like a fan which must be deactivated or a ladder puzzle. The ladder puzzle is sort of an inconvenience in the original map, but is quite frustrating in the 2.0 remake. Really, all of the puzzles are extremely simple and instantly solved in the original version, and aside from the ladder puzzle are more competently presented in the 2.0.

    Unfortunately there seem to be some errored sprites on the lights in the original map. Maybe a later patch will fix this. It's not terribly distracting, but I bet those lights looked way better before.

    Overall, I think the original bridgethegap was a very interesting and stylish take on a very simplistic, low-equipment walkthrough. The 2.0 map is an overall technical improvement at the cost of its identity and the introduction of an annoying ladder puzzle. Take that as you will.

Pros:

  • There was HEV laying around which felt like mana from the gods
  • The 2.0 map had a lot of breakables with items inside, which were great
  • Overall good balancing of enemies to low equipment to keep us on our toes but not unfairly outmatched
  • I thought the fan tunnel and the moving platform puzzles were cute
  • The original map really has an intriguing art direction

Cons:

  • Bad ladder puzzle in the 2.0
  • The 2.0's aesthetics, while technically well executed, lack originality or identity, especially compared to the original
  • While I enjoyed the balancing, my teammate was running out of ammo a lot
Score: 8.1 / 10

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