The Surge 2 Reviews
Like its protagonist, The Surge 2 is built from disparate parts from other things, but unlike its protagonist, the game ends up being a boorish abomination that can’t properly combine the various elements that it has directly lifted from other sources. It’s not only one of the worst Souls-likes; it’s also an awful game above all else that should be sent straight to the scrap heap.
The Surge 2 looks gorgeous. As soon as the start menu screen loads and you choose New Game, you’re treated to a stunning cinematic cutscene that succeeds in its goal of amping you up for some immersive future fightin’ action/RPG.
The Surge 2 boasts a much better combat system than its predecessor. Unfortunately, everything else is mediocre to poor. The game shows improvement, but Deck13 still isn't there by a long way.
Surges of brilliance, but still rough around the edges
The Surge 2 is more of a side step, than a step up. The game's strong combat remains, with an improved variety of weapons and locations to explore, alongside some smart mechanical changes such as the drone. Unfortunately the game's frustrating difficulty spikes, infuriatingly punishing new block mechanic and extensive range of niggles and issues lead to an inconsistent experience overall. Big fans of the original will likely still enjoy The Surge 2, but others may want to look elsewhere.
The Surge 2 has great combat, but no areas stand out visually, a forgettable story, and the feeling that you've done all of this before makes Jericho City a place you'd want to visit, not live.
I could probably explain The Surge 2's shortcomings for another 10 paragraphs, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a fun game that makes a lot of mistakes. Considering there are over 80 weapons, though I only felt the need to use one, is disappointing, just like armor sets skills that are inferior to what you'd gain from using different pieces. Toss in a fairly random story about a cult, lackluster graphics, probably one of the hardest games to navigate I've ever played and it's easy to say The Surge 2 manages to build on the original but it isn't to the point where you should be rushing out to play it.
The Surge 2 isn't a bad game, but it gets some pretty big things wrong. In the end, I had some fun with it, but the broken parrying, awful enemy placement, and bland level layouts made it more of a slog.
It can't hold a candle to a From Software joint, but The Surge 2 will satisfy those chomping at the bit for the next take on the genre.
A disappointing sequel that offers few new ideas as either a Dark Souls clone or a follow-up to the original, with a less interesting setting and story.
Overall The Surge 2 is a good Souls-like, nothing groundbreaking or genre breaking; just a solid challenging romp. I would definitely recommend this for people who enjoyed the original and even new people looking for a challenging single player experience.
The Surge 2 improves upon the first game in almost every way which is a huge testament to how far Deck 13 have come as a developer. If you disliked the first game and found no enjoyment anywhere, you’ll most likely find nothing for you here but if there were parts you enjoyed about the original, the Surge 2 improves upon it and makes the sci-fi Soulslike genre it’s own.
Perhaps some of the issues I have with the game will be patched or fixed some time down the road, but from where I stand now, there are simply better games in this genre to play.
Overall, The Surge 2 is a really improved sequel in almost all areas of the game. The combat is even more exciting, and the gameplay has received all the necessary improvements and although it is not at the level it could be it is surely on the right track.
Review in Greek | Read full review
The Surge franchise has a bright future ahead of itself, and while it may have hit a small bump in the road with it’s sequel, it’s learning curbs will only help better their development heading into the next generation of gaming. The Surge 2 is well worth your time, if your a fan of any action RPG or Souls-like title.
If you want a challenging action-adventure action gameplay and don't mind a weird story, The Surge 2 is the fun option you can count on.
Review in Persian | Read full review
From its title screens to its combat mechanics, The Surge 2 copy/pastes a great deal from the two-year-old original and while it moves the franchise into a more open and populated world, I was hoping for a more dramatic evolutionary leap. Like its Soulsborne models and its predecessor, The Surge 2 is a challenging game, made more so by an inconsistent frame rate and sometimes imprecise combat controls.
Despite it’s difficulty and what seems to be a never ending grind The Surge 2 is a good game. Some of its shortcomings can be overlooked such as access to a map which is in the wild and keeping track of your quests can be confusing at times. It’s challenges and intense action will keep you coming back for more. The need to adapt keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.
Altogether The Surge 2 is a successful sequel, which not only reinterprets the usual Souls mechanics, but has completely developed its own gameplay mechanics and puts them in the foreground. It plays faster and more fluently than its predecessor. The combat system is simply successful and is enormously fun with the wonderfully animated finish moves. Only the less impressive design of the bosses and thus also the boss fights lag behind those of the predecessor. The basic story of the game is very interesting and even has some social criticism traits. However, the plot quickly degenerates into a boring scavenger hunt. However, this doesn't harm the motivation to explore the interesting world, to find and level up Loot.
Review in German | Read full review
Surge's main focus has always been on its combat aspect, and Surge 2 delivers on this promise too. However, other important elements have experienced a setback which means Surge 2, as an overall package, is not much of an evolution in comparison to the prior title. Graphics design is especially disappointing. If you enjoyed the original, it is more than likely that you will enjoy this one too, but keep your expectations on the same level too.
Review in Persian | Read full review