The Surge Reviews
The Surge successfully builds on its inspirations and finds its own voice
The Surge offers an interesting world to explore, and a few new tricks that set it apart from the competition, but often falls short of its inspiration due to wonky combat and uninspired enemy designs.
It may seem reductive calling The Surge a sci-fi Dark Souls clone, but the truth is, it doesn't really try to be much more than that.
Every bit as infuriating, enjoyable and insanely gratifying as an action RPG of this type should be, The Surge is great fun, thanks in no small part to its unique limb-cutting loot system and some tight combat mechanics.
The Surge gives a lousy first impression with it bland sci-fi setting and grab bag of obvious influences. Given time, though, there's an unrefined gem in here for those willing to put up with its quirks. If this is Deck 13's next step to building something truly great, it's solid, if flawed one.
Between Lords of the Fallen and now The Surge, it has become increasingly clear that Deck 13 has both the talent and know-how to make a fantastic RPG, but for some reason keeps falling just short of a homerun. While The Surge is a good game, and definitely one of the best currently available in it's genre, things like lack of character creation, no multiplayer or any multiplayer interaction of any kind, and very little in terms of unique elements that only their game possesses are holding them back from being at the top of their class. The gaming industry has raised the standard of Action RPGs since Lords of the Fallen, and although Deck 13 has raised theirs as well, The Surge is likely to struggle in a market with games like: Nioh, Nier: Automata, Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn and Witcher 3. If you don't already own those games, it will be harder to justify the 59.99 price tag for this game, especially when you can get any of those above for much less. If, however, you have already played those games, then The Surge is the next step in your RPG journey.
The Surge is a game you'll play for its innovative targeting system and fun combat. If you're still mourning the end of the Dark Souls series and are yearning for more punishing, action-heavy games, this should help to alleviate some of that pain.
A promising entry into the budding “Souls” genre that delivers excellent combat and far too much repetition in the enemies and environments
After putting in over 40+ hours into The Surge, I'm happy to admit that this game was a pleasant surprise. I fully expected this to be a failed attempt to capitalize on the Soulsborne series, like some many others. Instead, I played a game with an interesting story, tons of hidden content, a cast crafting system and more than enough combat to keep me swinging away. Deck 13 Interactive should be applauded for what they've managed to pull off and more importantly, it will help to remove the blemish that is Lords of the Fallen.
Deck13 has built on the successes and mistakes of Lords of the Fallen and has created something that is able to not only stand toe-to-toe with the Souls franchise but is also capable of standing on its own with its unique identity. The new and different systems The Surge has introduced makes it an enjoyable and different experience for both newcomers to the genre and those who have already played Souls-like games previously. Deck13 has done a great job at combining the familiar and the new to create a unique vision that's both fun and challenging.
As you break into the second act of The Surge, the difficulty spikes but that’s expected. The first boss and the run up to it is just a taste of what’s to come. You have to learn new patterns, how to defeat new enemies, and that means you’re going to die some more. But the beauty of The Surge is that when you die you don’t ever feel like it’s the game being cheap on you. You know it’s something you did or didn’t do, and you’re eager to get back and try again. That’s what Lords of the Fallen was missing, and what The Surge gets just right. When combined with the crafting, gear, and intrigue of the story, The Surge comes into its own as not “just another Souls-like”. This is a great Action RPG and one of the best of the year so far in an already crowded 2017. If you like difficult Action RPGs, The Surge is your next addiction.
The Surge is a mix of interesting ideas and hiccups in execution. While there's no doubt that it will resonate with a specific, hardcore audience, it's missing just enough to alienate a generalized audience. Its combat is challenging, but not perfect; its story starts with a compelling hook but falls flat shortly after. There are echoes of something special running throughout The Surge, but it never escapes its own shadow.
There will be some who enjoy The Surge. Sadly, I was not one of them.
Between severing body parts for upgrades and makeshift hydraulic weapons, The Surge offers a satisfying (if grindy) take on extremely difficult action RPGs.
If you’re looking for the brutality of a Dark Souls in a sci-fi setting, then The Surge is probably up your alley.
Despite a stylish dystopian setting, the narrative within it flounders a bit, but the brilliantly brutal melee combat and interesting mechanics shine through in this excellent hardcore hack and slash RPG
All in all, The Surge is still a good game with great level and enemy designs. Sure, it tends to be repetitive and unspectacular for its setting but it doesn´t change, how well it´s executed. I´m still amazed by the different areas I encountered during my playtime and how amazing they were designed. The Surge might have problems when it comes to combat and gameplay, especially if you like to play your Souls-likes fast and aggressive but I enjoyed other features, like the limb cutting, way too much to hate The Surge for that.
Engaging upgrade system and a few interesting twists in its combat, such as limb targeting, makes The Surge more than a “Souls”-like carbon copy. Deck13 deserve all the praise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Surge is a refreshing take on the *Souls formula, it joins Nioh in that regard and forges its own path towards something quite unique and extremely interesting -- it's a definite must-own game for *Souls fans and could entice new players with its gritty sci-fi setting.
The Surge is not Dark Souls little brother, nor it wants to be. It's definitely a souls-like, but with its own personality, some nice level design ideas, and a storyline that won't disappoint you.
Review in Italian | Read full review