The Surge Reviews

The Surge is ranked in the 51st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90 / 100
May 16, 2017

Deck13 did their homework with The Surge. When compared to Lords of the Fallen, the developer's previous title, this new action-RPG has greater technical quality and is more polished. The game still has some inspiration on games from the SoulsBorne franchise, but it's good to see that the developer has found its own identity, bringing new mechanics that refresh the model created by FromSoftware. Combat is tactical, based not only on beating an enemy, but also on choosing which body part should be hit, being possible to remove pieces of armor that later can be added to your own arsenal. This is an action-RPG with a focus on the action part. The RPG aspects are a little bit simplified, but still detailed and deep enough to offer a personalized experience to the players and their character. Despite still having a generic protagonist and NPCs that you don't really care about, as well as places that can be a real maze to memorize, The Surge is a great game with high difficulty that should be on the radar for players who like real challenges and a sci-fi theme.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 19, 2017

The Surge is all about tough fights. Battles are the main reason why you should try it, and maybe beat it to the end. But sometimes game becomes ridiculously hard just for the sake of being ridiculously hard, which is more annoying than fun.

Review in Russian | Read full review

78 / 100
May 16, 2017

The Surge is a remarkably solid action-RPG that uses its premise to wedge a number of interesting design quirks into a familiar formula. Not terribly deep, but a wrench-swinging, robot-pulverizing good time nonetheless.

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May 16, 2017

For all its mechanical competency, The Surge feels as mechanical as its enemies through most of the experience. No where near enough was done with the science fiction theme, and after catching my attention with an intriguing set up, the game then lost me with a generally dull plot that it was never quite able to claw back.

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GameSkinny
Top Critic
May 15, 2017

Between severing body parts for upgrades and makeshift hydraulic weapons, The Surge offers a satisfying (if grindy) take on extremely difficult action RPGs.

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May 15, 2017

There will be some who enjoy The Surge. Sadly, I was not one of them.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
May 16, 2017

Unlike Deck13's predecessor, The Surge has personality of its own and introduces lots of new tricks, even if a couple of them are pointless. At its worst, the environments are samey, and the lack of variety of enemies are real noticeable flaws in what could have been a cult classic. The shockingly few boss fights are also a disappointment; since robots and cyborgs are so limitless in possibility for design, it is almost heart-breaking that The Surge is so restrained with what it does have. In spite of its shortcomings, this does come recommended from a user who has been intimate with these kinds of games since Demon's Souls. It gets a lot of things right, and does stand out, thanks to its atmosphere, lack of hand holding and, of course, the brutal action.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 15, 2017

The Surge may be inspired by games like Bloodborne or Dark Souls, but it doesn't rely too much on their mechanics and it is truly greater for it. It shows that the title can stand on its own two feet, and I can see it becoming a truly successful franchise that could potentially fill the ever-devouring hole that Dark Souls has left in most of us. Or for those of you who haven't played any games like this and are looking to pick this up, this game is for you too. The combat feels and plays great, and the change in setting is what the genre really needed.

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6.8 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge is one of those games that shows a lot of promise but the experience itself just doesn't live up to its potential.

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85 / 100
May 17, 2017

The Surge is an excellent and challenging action-adventure RPG that will test even the most hardened gamer. The insanely fun combat system and deep customization system kept me dismembering enemies and collecting loot for hours.

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7 / 10.0
May 15, 2017
THE SURGE  | REVIEW video thumbnail
7 / 10.0
Jul 22, 2017

An action-RPG with a good combat system, but it can frustrating at times.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 21, 2017

The Surge is an impressive title from Deck 13 and Focus Home Interactive. The context provided by the story, solid visuals, and gameplay advancements are exciting for how this new kind of ARPG will progress into the future. However, slight mishaps in the graphical department with a lack of separation and an occasional lack of mystery hold The Surge back from being truly excellent.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 29, 2017

The Surge takes a little bit to sink the hooks in you, but once it does, you'll have a very hard time putting it down.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 15, 2017

Whilst it is clear that The Surge is not a perfect Soulsborne adaptation, it introduces enough new features to be a stand out addition to the hardcore action RPG genre that made me feel accomplished at times and utter despair at others.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 1, 2017

If you’re jonesing for something to take the edge of your Souls additiction then The Surge will definitely do the job

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May 22, 2017

Deck13 really stepped up their development game since Lords of the Fallen. They have managed to address most of the complaints consumers had about that game, namely the slow combat mechanics, and delivered an enjoyable experience through and through.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 19, 2017

Overall though, The Surge is a worthy addition to the genre, and definitely showcases how Deck13 listened to the criticism on Lords of the Fallen.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2017

The Surge is a fun and engaging action-RPG for those wanting punishment in a brightly colored futuristic environment. It changes up the formula used by other titles in its genre and for the better. Variety is the spice of life, and that spice is peppered throughout The Surge, from its varied weapons or the many severed limbs and heads of your enemies. Deck 13 has crafted a memorable and engaging title that makes me wish that they never stop doing what they are good at, hardcore, controller smashing games that allows the player to feel accomplished at every enemy that falls to their feet.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 15, 2017

The Surge, although an enjoyable experience, really fails to capitalise on the world it is set in. It's a step in the right direction for Deck13, but it's a baby step.

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