The Surge Reviews

The Surge is ranked in the 51st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Atomix
Top Critic
78 / 100
May 16, 2017

The Surge is a very good surprise because it is more than just a futuristic Dark Souls clon, it's a challenging and fun action RPG with interesting variations on its combat system and a satisfying campaign.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

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

60 / 100
May 16, 2017

The Surge isn't the same as Dark Souls but comparison's inevitable. Like that cyborg whose torso I severed, it struggles to stand on its own.

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8 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge isn't interested in creating variation in its gameplay mechanics, or exploring more diverse settings or ideas, or creating compelling characters. It washes over you, but it's a refined wash, and the foundation for a great game to come. The Surge is a good thing, and I'm glad it exists as another answer to the Souls-esque games coming out – its dull, but refined sci-fi action makes the game feel like a first step, if only a step, in the right direction.

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No Recommendation / Blank
May 16, 2017

A solid Soulslike that stops a few steps short of greatness.

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7 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge is great, and I say that with only a single qualifier - It's standing in a genre built by games that did more than great. Which isn't exactly fair to hold against this game, but if you've ended the age of fire, woke from the nightmare and torn through Japan, The Surge is going to scratch, if not satisfy that itch.

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75 / 100
May 16, 2017

The Surge is brutal, but in a good way, if you're a fan of the Souls formula for kicking your ass but making you enjoy it, then you will more than likely enjoy Deck13's sci-fi spin on it.

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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

The Surge is a game that is worth your time and there's a lot to love. The setting is perfect and matches the tone of the game and its story very well. That story is hidden behind optional content but it's worthwhile if you give it the attention it deserves. Combat feels awesome with five different weapon types that all play differently and enemy designs that make each opponent fair but very dangerous.

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6.5 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge excels in combat but lacks in story

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8.5 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

I would also say that mecha or sci-fi fans will love this game as much as I do for even at the first couple of hours of game time — I had already immersed with the game. It was hard for me to let go of my controller, the action was getting to me and it set my carnage on rampage.

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6.8 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The idea of soulslike ready to approach dystopian science fiction was not only intriguing, but potentially winning. The incipit of The Surge clearly shows a great potential: despite some flows in the combat and growth systems, the game still manages to capture the player, awaken his curiosity. Unfortunately, too much of this potential is lost, due to a bad level design, poorly inspired environments, and a distressing lack of contents.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge is technically strong, has good ideas and fascinating environments, but also a lot of flaws, especially when it comes to important elements for the soulslike genre, like level design and character's customization/improvement.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge has been able to exploit the essentials of this genre: A highly additive combat system, great setting and an outstanding level design. It may not be a huge innovation, but Deck13 has created a great game within the action RPG genre.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

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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7.5 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

A good Souls-like with an entertaining battle system, interesting crafting elements, but no original soul.

Review in Italian | Read full review

75 / 100
May 16, 2017

There is no digging through your inventory for that extra elixir or bomb; if you can't figure out an enemy's pattern or weakness, you are dead.

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7 / 10
May 16, 2017

The Surge is a rather unfair experience. It tries to be a difficult product but ends up lying in flagrant errors.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

GameMAG
xtr
Top Critic
6 / 10
May 16, 2017

The Surge is a good attempt to shift Souls mechanics into a world of a technological future, but a general secondariness, samely levels, problems with combat and boring enemies leave a touch of disappointment. In addition, the developers have not added multiplayer modes, which can be considered to be an obvious omission. However, to the credit of Deck 13, the game does not cause irritation, allowing you to spend time waiting for new additions to Nioh or a next project from Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Review in Russian | Read full review

6 / 10.0
May 16, 2017

The Surge started off great. The combat was fun, the story seemed interesting, and the crafting was enjoyable that is until I got a dozen or so hours into it where everything went from being doable to insanely hard, grindy, and uninspiring.

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