The Surge Reviews
The Surge is an action based sci-fi that follows the story of Warren, a protagonist who dreams of being able to walk again by signing up to work for the suspiciously altruistic company CREO. After a rather upsetting process, Warren awakens being hauled to an uncertain fate by a robot that really thinks he is garbage. Fortunately, his newly acquired exoskeleton rig has given him the ability to walk again, and as he stumbles through his first steps, we too join him in stumbling through the game.
Ultimately, one’s enjoyment of The Surge can be largely predicted based upon enjoyment of similar titles. With a fresh take on some old formulas and an aesthetic that moves away from the grim fantasy players are used to, there is no doubt than fans of the genre should give it a shot. That said, it won’t be a revelation to any who have remained disinterested thus far.
Even with its issues, the game shines.
The Surge's engaging risk/reward combat system and obsession with gear will compel you to want to fight your way through a cataclysmic sci-fi hell. But the repetitive enemy types, uninspired visual design, and unfortunate lack of polish leaves the game feeling soulless.
The Surge is a good action-RPG and a real Dark Souls-like, so the game is clearly not open for everyone. It offers interesting systems, but we still regret a lack of diversity in everything (weapons, enemies, environments...).
Review in French | Read full review
A valiant attempt at the 'Dark Souls' formula, but ultimately fails to be anything but references to better games.
The Surge is shonky, inferior and more than a little derivative. But if you fancy a shortcut-filled robotic challenge, it's not all bad. Just be ready to get deprogrammed.
The Surge also has an admirable interest in real-life and a rare anger that manifests in excellent scenes of violence. But as well as being racked with contradictions (not to be mistaken with nuances) its length and the genre conventions into which it so heavily leans dramatically undermine what could have been a potent satire.
A Souls-like game with its own identity, The Surge deserves merit for its combat and sci-fi setting.
When I first caught wind of The Surge a year or so ago I was immediately intrigued; after all Deck13 are the minds behind the success Souls-like pseudo-clone, Lords of the Fallen. Returning to the difficult twisted-dungeon crawling action-RPG genre, Deck13 brings us The Surge, a title steeped in high science fiction and it works. While I am a huge sucker for GrimDark fantasy of the Dark Souls games, the High Fantasy of Lords of the Fallen , the Cthulhu-esque setting of Bloodborne, or the Edo Period-esque world of Nioh, taking that same type of gameplay and placing it in a hard science fiction setting had my eyes alight with a ravening desire to play. After what seems to be an eternity, The Surge has released and goes to show that From Software and Team Ninja are not the only two that can do a punishingly good action-RPG.
The Surge is a whirlwind of action-RPG fun with a fast and frantic melee-focused combat system, addictive loot systems and an immersive sci-fi horror atmosphere.
The Surge is a nice addition to the genre. The combat feels great even when the story and mechanics start to sputter out. The claustrophobic nature of the level design adds to the tension, and it feels good to have a game in this genre that isn't chock full of gothic horror themes. It brings new ideas to the familiar mechanics and executes on them well.
Deck 13 took what they learnt from working on Lords of the Fallen and added their own ideas to allow The Surge to be more than a pure Dark Souls clone.
I'm pretty mixed when it comes to The Surge. It does some things right while dropping the ball elsewhere. The high price point is also a downside. If you really need something to scratch that Dark Souls itch, The Surge should fill that need. Still, I'd recommend and sale or price drop.
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.
The Surge is a Dark Souls-style game with sci-fi trappings and a unique combat system that is held back by repetitive gameplay and frustrating controls.
The Surge is an excellent action RPG that will provide countless hours of entertainment for fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Deck 13’s latest creation deserves recognition, as the developers were able to learn from their past mistakes and use the experience gained with Lords of the Fallen to release a title that can stand proudly among the classics.
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.
If The Surge could have backed it's combat mechanics with good world building and story, it could have been one of the best games of this year.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The Surge is a game that appeared to borrow the difficult combat from such games while departing from that formula, hence my interest in it, and while it eventually falls into lockstep with other such titles by doing the same basic things Souls games end up doing, there are enough interesting wrinkles and gameplay improvements here to make it worth a playthrough or two.