The Surge

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 285 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 146 out of 285
  2. Mixed: 74 out of 285
  3. Negative: 65 out of 285

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  1. nik_balani
    Aug 31, 2019
    3
    This game had a lot of potential. The intro scenes were excellent and the player control and graphics are good + gameplay entertaining. However after about 20 mins it becomes far too challenging to continue. Need to spend a significant amount of time leveling up before you can make it further which is annoying so I simply gave up.
  2. Mandulum
    Jun 2, 2017
    10
    Five Word Review: Great Souls-like, love this game.
    Favorite Thing: The combat, it feels great. Body part targeting and being armored or unarmored adds a nice dimension.
    Least Favorite Thing: I wish the world felt more like a single entity. Instead it's a bunch of disjointed zones. Date Completed: 2017-06-02 Playtime: ~ 40h (100% completion, 2 playthroughs) Enjoyment: 10/10    Five Word Review: Great Souls-like, love this game.
    Favorite Thing: The combat, it feels great. Body part targeting and being armored or unarmored adds a nice dimension.
    Least Favorite Thing: I wish the world felt more like a single entity. Instead it's a bunch of disjointed zones.

    Date Completed: 2017-06-02
    Playtime: ~ 40h (100% completion, 2 playthroughs)
    Enjoyment: 10/10
    Recommendation: Yes, I wish I were playing it right now.    … Expand
  3. abowman
    May 18, 2017
    8
    Really enjoying the hell out of this game. I wish there was a bit more diversity in the level design and enemy types, but in general its very enjoyable to play. The combat feels fluid and fair, the weapon types are great, and the theme is refreshing. If you're a Darksouls / Bloodborne fan, you'll probably really enjoy this game.
  4. GamesXtreme
    May 18, 2017
    9
    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.
  5. SwissCheeese
    May 24, 2017
    9
    Updated. For me it's a VERY good surprise. Graphics are above average (quite goods). Runs really well average 89 Fps. It could be more polished, sure (Deck 13 must not have the workforce of From, nor the ressources) and it lacks multiplayer support. Controls are good (playing with Xbox one elite controller). It's a bit weird to respawn (in Dark Souls it made sens) but the added counter toUpdated. For me it's a VERY good surprise. Graphics are above average (quite goods). Runs really well average 89 Fps. It could be more polished, sure (Deck 13 must not have the workforce of From, nor the ressources) and it lacks multiplayer support. Controls are good (playing with Xbox one elite controller). It's a bit weird to respawn (in Dark Souls it made sens) but the added counter to retrieve your scraps add a good pressure. It could be a major game and a step to a new fun and excitng IP. It's better than many recent released games (DOW 3 still a big disappointment to me, uninstalled it and gone back to COH2). Hope that it does well and that we can have a second iteration and what the hell, some DLC for this one. I'm not done with it yet, and at 40 hours, i still have to finish the main story (i've took my time to experiment different weapons, armor, upgrades, implants .... This is a must buy for people who love scifi, DS, rewards after difficulty ... The only downside, it could have used a bit mope diversity (some area are real mazes and it's hard to go back since it kind of all looks the same, but also making a real coherent universe). Well done Deck 13 !… Expand
  6. colers25
    May 19, 2017
    10
    Should you buy this game?

    Yeah, if you are a souls fan, buy it. If only to experience the beauty that is the level design of this game. I am not talking about beautiful visual setpieces, or breathtaking panoramas. No, I am literally talking about the design, and how much thought went into it. You think DS1 had beautifully interconnected level design? You consider that the peak of    Should you buy this game?

    Yeah, if you are a souls fan, buy it. If only to experience the beauty that is the level design of this game. I am not talking about beautiful visual setpieces, or breathtaking panoramas. No, I am literally talking about the design, and how much thought went into it.

    You think DS1 had beautifully interconnected level design? You consider that the peak of clever map design?

    Think again, because this game makes DS1 level design look like its **** amateur hour. There are, as far as I can tell, only 6-7 respawn points IN THE ENTIRE GAME. And its a big **** game, trust me. And it will never, ever bother you, because the entire map is interconnected. It feels like an actual superfactory made by an actual master architect designed for fast navigation. The second map literally has something north of 15 shortcuts, and ever last one of them meaningful and effective.

    On to the gameplay: The gamedesign is tight. Narrative and gameplay are perfectly intertwined. Everything in the game makes sense within the gameworld, especially the way progression works. Combat feels good. Its sharp, impactful and fair. Stamina system could be better; it functionality seems out of place; and with that I mean how the more stamina you use, the bigger the delay will be before it recharges. Very. ****. Annoying.

    Now, the enemy design; there are 2 types of enemies; the humans, and the robots. Both of these require a radically different approach and you will find yourself being smashed on by the robots often early game due to how different they fight from the humans. The humans fight like you; they will try to work on reactions if they are still thinking and just try to thrash you if they are brain fried. You just try to chain combos and use your reflexes to dodge their strikes. They are very souls-ish, and if you played souls, they will feel familiar.

    The robot enemies, and by extension 80% of the bosses, are a completely different case: Their attacks are brutally abrupt, and it is impossible to trade with them. If you try to fight the bots like you fight humans; with the git-gud philosophy of dark souls, well, prepared to get smashed several hundred times. I see many **** about the boss design, but there is nothing wrong with them;

    To win over robots, you must exploit their AI; it is designed to be extremely predictable. You can basically make the enemy do whatever move you like if you get to grasp the AI, and then abuse the end-lag of their attacks to sneak a hit in before setting up the next bait. Bosses are the same. The second boss for example; it has this fast leg smash attack with one of his 6 legs that can very quickly chip you down if you keep getting hit. The trick? The AI trigger happens the moment you step in range, but it doesn't track nor adapt, so if you dodge immediately to the leg next to it, the bot will just smash where you were half a second ago and you get to punish the hell into it. Its great design, not bad design, and is designed specifically to require even the most ruthless of soul vets to do it over multiple times.

    The main downside of the game is that weapon progression basically stops being a thing a quarter into the game. Now, all weapon catagories feel amazing, have great animations, and it really just allows you to play your style. But, there is always a clearly better weapon in each catagory; internal variety is non-existant. They all have the same movesets, all do comparable damage, and the real difference between them is their impact, their skill income and their energy gain, and between these there always tends to be one that wins at all of them anyway. Then you also have the drone system which feels completely useless to me because in a game like this, energy is much better spent on executions and energy heals.

    Compare this with no multiplayer, completely fluid character progression that can be completely redone at will, and the ability to grind every upgrade currency basically at will, and you do end up with a regretable lack of replayability.

    nevertheless, its an amazing experience, and I am giving it a 10 just because, must like the souls games "It is a diamond despite its flaws".    … Expand
  7. CaueV
    Nov 8, 2019
    4
    I tried to like this game. I really did. I had a somewhat good time in the beginning hours, but soon enough you'll see that deck 13 just can't make good games.
    Even though this is not nearly as bad as lords of the fallen, it has so many flaws that it is still not worth your time.
    The bad decisions in game design make me wonder if the devs ever played a video game before. Better yet, if    I tried to like this game. I really did. I had a somewhat good time in the beginning hours, but soon enough you'll see that deck 13 just can't make good games.
    Even though this is not nearly as bad as lords of the fallen, it has so many flaws that it is still not worth your time.
    The bad decisions in game design make me wonder if the devs ever played a video game before. Better yet, if they ever played a souls game, the series that they so clearly are trying to mimic here.
    Let me run you through of some the frustrations you'll encounter:
    Stats are unclear. You don't know what exactly what is the damage of you weapon or the protection your armor has. They mix a numeric scale with a scale from very low to very high to describe stats. who was the genius behind this? how do I know the damage I do? 30dmg times "high" equals what?
    Maps are very dull and it look all the same.
    The amount of branching paths in the last hours of the game is laughable.
    Your health bar means nothing. half of the bosses attacks will one shot you. The other half will two-shot you, but the first attack staggers you so the second will always hit.
    Don't even get me started on the hit boxes. On every boss fight you'll get hit by invisible hitboxes, so your only option is to memorize them by trial and error.
    Lots of cheap deaths. enemies can easily two shot you, especially if you try to run pas them.

    This game had a lot of potential, but by the end of it all you'll think of is "please just end already".
    Don't play this game. You won't have fun with it. At least no enough to justify all the frustration.    … Expand
  8. Joe_Friday
    Apr 17, 2018
    0
    A boring, grinding chore of a game. Gameplay mechanics are slow and clunky. Dead enemies respawn in areas you've already cleared, so be prepared to kill the exact same enemies over and over and over again. It was so awful that I refunded it.
  9. MisterClemens
    Aug 11, 2017
    9
    Incredible game, and strangely underrated. I almost didn't buy it because of the reviews, but I'm glad I listened to my instincts (sci-fi Dark Souls? yes please!). I just finished it after 31 hours of play (I play slow and methodically). Combat is insanely fun and rich - I spent hours grinding for tech scrap to level up and had a blast the whole time.

    The game is good in ways it doesn't    Incredible game, and strangely underrated. I almost didn't buy it because of the reviews, but I'm glad I listened to my instincts (sci-fi Dark Souls? yes please!). I just finished it after 31 hours of play (I play slow and methodically). Combat is insanely fun and rich - I spent hours grinding for tech scrap to level up and had a blast the whole time.

    The game is good in ways it doesn't even need to be - audiologs, NPCs, all with really good voice acting - and the story is appropriately interesting and grim. It also has fantastic level design. There's only one checkpoint per area and as you progress you open up new shortcuts to get back to it.

    I really hope this sells enough to warrant a sequel, because this is one of the best games I've played in years. Can't wait to dive into NG+.    … Expand
  10. dypsomaniart
    Jun 30, 2017
    10
    Just finished first playthrough, just over 50 hours. I love this game.
    I have been a gamer for 30 years and this game ranks right up there for a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying experience. I almost didnt buy it due to the comparisons with dark souls (which I didnt enjoy) but I was pleasantly surprised and have been solidly addicted since.
    I loved the level design and the enemy    Just finished first playthrough, just over 50 hours. I love this game.
    I have been a gamer for 30 years and this game ranks right up there for a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying experience. I almost didnt buy it due to the comparisons with dark souls (which I didnt enjoy) but I was pleasantly surprised and have been solidly addicted since.
    I loved the level design and the enemy attacks, learning the layout of each level and every enemy's attack patterns and weaknesses was very satisfying. The first time you encounter a new enemy they seemed impossible, but as you learned their moves they all got easier, to the point where I was clearing out whole levels without returning to medbay by the end.
    Tag a limb, block, parry first attack, jump back to dodge next attack, then dash forward into high low high combo, to finisher. Next victim.
    Then, just when you get comfortable and cocky destroying those enemies, you move on to the next level and have to learn a whole new set of moves and remember a new map layout.
    I loved nearly every minute of it (I nearly rage quit on the fourth boss fight, had to use google's help to get me through that one}.
    Seriously, I see all these bad reviews and it just obviously didn't click with some people.
    If you are good at memorizing complex patterns- like learning a new song on a musical instrument- and you are a focused and detail oriented sort of person like me, this game is a gem. If you need the GPS in your car to get to the milkbar and back, and you think the only way to beat an enemy is go back with a bigger gun, maybe look elsewhere.
    I'm off to start new game plus!    … Expand
  11. Engobbaz
    May 18, 2017
    10
    Cutting to the chase this game stands out on it's own, even compared to the obvious Dark Souls. The combat is unforgiving but extremely rewarding to master, fast paced but methodical and fluidity is all there providing a truly visceral experience. the setting is part Dead Space and part Deus Ex. A must have for any Sci-Fi fan and especially fans of games that do not hold your hand.Cutting to the chase this game stands out on it's own, even compared to the obvious Dark Souls. The combat is unforgiving but extremely rewarding to master, fast paced but methodical and fluidity is all there providing a truly visceral experience. the setting is part Dead Space and part Deus Ex. A must have for any Sci-Fi fan and especially fans of games that do not hold your hand.

    10/10 for me.    … Expand
  12. elric19
    Jul 3, 2017
    6
    First of all, the game was far too easy to be mentioned in the souls-like game area. The first playthrough took me roughly 6 hours and the boss fights weren´t even the hardest fights. I got this game for about 40€, but within this 6 hours, i havent felt i spent my money well on this game. The weapon system featured a lvl system, which enhances your dmg the higher your lvl with said weaponFirst of all, the game was far too easy to be mentioned in the souls-like game area. The first playthrough took me roughly 6 hours and the boss fights weren´t even the hardest fights. I got this game for about 40€, but within this 6 hours, i havent felt i spent my money well on this game. The weapon system featured a lvl system, which enhances your dmg the higher your lvl with said weapon class is (5 classes overall: one-handed, two-handed, stab, one-side attached and two-side attached). So after spending the major part of the game (the first 70%) with one-side attached, because i havent found one single weapon which might surpass my current dmg, i havent felt the urge to lvl another weapon class for another 4 hours, just to find out that it actually sucks and i waisted time. The story was ok at best, but the lack of enemy variety and difficulty havent got me play the ng+, and the fact that almost nothing would´ve changed in the next playthrough, according to the most walkthroughs i found.
    Even though the combat system was new to me, i still dont think it is worth mentioning,    … Expand
  13. Babutto
    Dec 9, 2019
    6
    Pros.:
    - story (reminds of Half-Life, Prey, System Shock 2 and so on);
    - game design is nice; - sound effects and secrets. Cons.: - the same enemies over and over again; - the game pushes you to craft that I hate. If you don't craft or kill enemies thousand times to have more scrap, you'll lose on the second location already; - versatility is not high enough; - cheaty enemies.    Pros.:
    - story (reminds of Half-Life, Prey, System Shock 2 and so on);
    - game design is nice;
    - sound effects and secrets.

    Cons.:
    - the same enemies over and over again;
    - the game pushes you to craft that I hate. If you don't craft or kill enemies thousand times to have more scrap, you'll lose on the second location already;
    - versatility is not high enough;
    - cheaty enemies.

    I finished half of the game and then deleted it. "Played" on youtube after. I rarely do this.    … Expand
  14. Wweald
    Jun 25, 2019
    6
    Overall this game is just really mediocre, gameplays smooth but kinda boring, I like the idea of chopping off the body parts. The areas are all really samey and confusing to go through and pretty lame aesthetically. Side quests are meh, There are so few bosses and the only truly good one is the final one. Wouldn't recommend but it's alright.
  15. Palimash
    Oct 4, 2019
    6
    Многие механики этой игры нагло взяты из Dark Souls (Demon souls), но над ними провели действительно отличную работу. Поэтому играть в неё приятно. Так же здесь отлично сделаны анимации, приятный хоть и совсем небольшой саундтрек, и особенно я хочу отметить лор игры. Из неприятного можно припомнить баги и некоторые несущественные мелочи.Многие механики этой игры нагло взяты из Dark Souls (Demon souls), но над ними провели действительно отличную работу. Поэтому играть в неё приятно. Так же здесь отлично сделаны анимации, приятный хоть и совсем небольшой саундтрек, и особенно я хочу отметить лор игры. Из неприятного можно припомнить баги и некоторые несущественные мелочи.
  16. RedCrow
    May 16, 2017
    8
    This game is decent

    Pros: Decent Graphics a 4k Runs great Smooth it a good mix of Darks Souls and Lords of the Fallen with a touch of The Technomancer. It has a slight learning curve but not nearly as hard as Dark Souls. You will get used to it fast. Using Xbox Controller and very comfortable with it. Combat is great if you like Dark Souls kind of feel but a little easier. Menu    This game is decent

    Pros: Decent Graphics a 4k
    Runs great
    Smooth
    it a good mix of Darks Souls and Lords of the Fallen with a touch of The Technomancer.
    It has a slight learning curve but not nearly as hard as Dark Souls. You will get used to it fast.
    Using Xbox Controller and very comfortable with it.
    Combat is great if you like Dark Souls kind of feel but a little easier.
    Menu is simple

    Cons:
    Audio Voices seems a little low
    Story could be more developing but still good.
    There could be some more graphics menu options
    FOV especially and Controller isn't slow but could use a sensitivity adjuster, but there is a Camera Adjuster to clarify.

    Worth $60 for sure.    … Expand
  17. Chadpowers
    May 16, 2017
    6
    Combat is ok by itself. Though in comparison with similar games it has some major flaws and is below average. Regrettably, the combat is already the best thing about this game.

    The rest of the content, activities and other game elements are best described in as few words as possible as 'thin' and 'just barely enough to not be bad'. After the novelty of the combat wears off, the game    Combat is ok by itself. Though in comparison with similar games it has some major flaws and is below average. Regrettably, the combat is already the best thing about this game.

    The rest of the content, activities and other game elements are best described in as few words as possible as 'thin' and 'just barely enough to not be bad'.

    After the novelty of the combat wears off, the game offers very little in terms of motivation to finish it or even to play it again.
    Worse, the flaws in the combat and the supporting systems become glaringly obvious after a couple of hours, destroying even the last bit of incentive to play.

    Ultimately, this game is ok to buy right now if your really enjoy 3rd person action combat but don't care about anything else (i.e. story, plot, characters, level design, balancing, other activities than combat...)
    If you have standards, but still want something new to play with, buy this once it's on sale.
    For anyone new to the genre, this is definitely not worth full price, probably not even worth getting on a sale.

    .    … Expand
  18. IcarusV
    May 16, 2017
    10
    -awesome graphics
    -Sci-Fi industrial setting
    -intriguing story
    -epic crafting system and upgrades to the exoskeletons
    -keyboard controls are fantastic
    -I love the combat.
    Also, I love the epic soundtrack!
  19. EROCKQ
    Oct 16, 2019
    10
    Criminally underrated game. It's really too bad how cancerous the community on this site has become. This game is perfect for fans of the genre. Hardcore action RPG game with lots of spectacular hidden mechanics, lore, real estate and gear to uncover. Not a game for everyone but those who appreciate the genre will love it. Helps if you have experience with dark souls. If not check out aCriminally underrated game. It's really too bad how cancerous the community on this site has become. This game is perfect for fans of the genre. Hardcore action RPG game with lots of spectacular hidden mechanics, lore, real estate and gear to uncover. Not a game for everyone but those who appreciate the genre will love it. Helps if you have experience with dark souls. If not check out a primer on the combat mechanucs.… Expand
  20. valkas
    May 16, 2017
    3
    the game start pretty well but become super borring after 5/6 hours playing, every area looks the same, no real diversity, even with the trash mobs, all the same except the stuff they have, the story is just meh, at the end the only thing fun in the game is grinding for new stuff, not worth buying imo, 4/10 but with the opmisation being so bad, it's a 3.
  21. ChikatiloZ
    May 16, 2017
    10
    First off, the intro is worth at least $10. Without spoiling it, you start the game confused because you're a handicapped dude, not some superhero. Then you're treated to a scene that can only be described as the wolverine creation scene on steroids. The intro was very immersive.

    Runs wel on max settings (3570K RX480 average system) the mechanics are cool, the fighting is cool, unlike    First off, the intro is worth at least $10. Without spoiling it, you start the game confused because you're a handicapped dude, not some superhero. Then you're treated to a scene that can only be described as the wolverine creation scene on steroids. The intro was very immersive.

    Runs wel on max settings (3570K RX480 average system) the mechanics are cool, the fighting is cool, unlike just about every console port action rpg released in the last 10 years it doesn't hold your hand.

    The game isn't perfect, but it's a load of fun and i'm giving it 10/10 simply because it's so refreshing to have a dev respect their audience, it's not dumbed down to thesame level as witcher 3, batman games or just about every other action rpg console port, in this the AI actually puts up a fight, unlike the witcher 3 or batman you CAN and WILL die if you screw up.

    just about every other action RPG you can chew on your mouse, roll your face over your keyboard and your guy will beat the enemy with all kinds of crazy moves, you don't make those moves, you aren't playing, games play themselves these days.

    This one, you play, just for that it's brilliant, devs don't do that anymore, they think we want cutscenes and games that play themselves.

    So thank you guys for making a game and not a movie with some minor interactions.

    Screw you batman, witcher 3, mass effect andromeda, if i want to watch a movie, i'll take my wife to the movies. The surge beats all 3 of you because it lets ME play.    … Expand
  22. TheTG
    May 17, 2017
    0
    Terrible game, does nothing new, full of bugs and glitches, only 5 boring and easy bosses, the environment is always the same, no creativity, 90% of the game mechanics are copied from Souls, shameless thieves. Don't waste your time on this garbage game.
  23. Shroud
    May 16, 2017
    6
    Don't really know what to say. The combat was okay felt a bit arcadey, the level designs are trash and the enemy/boss variety is pretty bad. Its just a very generic mediocre game.
  24. Brickthegrim
    May 16, 2017
    10
    Honestly this company has finally hit its stride. I knew they were capable of something great and this game is it. I am not even half way through and I sincerely hope there are sequels and dlcs to come.

    Combat takes a well known and tested formula of Dark Souls and makes it, its own. It flows clean and feels so right. Graphics and visuals are two things. Unique and beautiful to say the    Honestly this company has finally hit its stride. I knew they were capable of something great and this game is it. I am not even half way through and I sincerely hope there are sequels and dlcs to come.

    Combat takes a well known and tested formula of Dark Souls and makes it, its own. It flows clean and feels so right.
    Graphics and visuals are two things. Unique and beautiful to say the world they created is something truly special is an understatement.
    Story honestly like I said I am not far enough in to truly say much but so far I've found it extremely captivating and the intro sucks you in so hard and never lets go.

    I truly hope this company is just hitting its first home run and I hope they turn into the next big name in gaming. (Although let's hope they go the CD project red route and stay true to themselves in the process)    … Expand
  25. elitepredetor99
    May 17, 2017
    0
    cant lie this is one of the most boring games i have ever played, it is so repetitive with barely any armor sets and weapons. i had to delete this game half way through due to how boring it was lmao, definitely one of the worst games i have ever played, cant remember the last time i deleted a game due to how boring it was.
  26. Vilquar
    May 29, 2017
    4
    Couldn't decide between 4 and 5 but went with 4. If you buy this game expecting a sci-fi Dark Souls as I have, you might be severely disappointed. While it is an "okay" game in it's own right it just feels lacking to me. Enemies don't click with me at all, the way combat works does not make sense to me, I feel like they tried to go for a fast paced combat like Bloodborne? But it's such aCouldn't decide between 4 and 5 but went with 4. If you buy this game expecting a sci-fi Dark Souls as I have, you might be severely disappointed. While it is an "okay" game in it's own right it just feels lacking to me. Enemies don't click with me at all, the way combat works does not make sense to me, I feel like they tried to go for a fast paced combat like Bloodborne? But it's such a lower quality combat that I just wish I was playing Bloodborne instead. Bosses feel gimmicky so they kept that going from Lords of the Fallen (which I consider a superior game to The Surge). Characters or places have no feel to them, like I finished the game last week and I can't recall what the places or characters were called while I can recite every single zone and character from DS1 that I haven't played in over 8 months.

    Overall, if soulsborne never happened it would be a great game, but that series just reigns supreme and nobody comes even close when it comes to this type of games and their depth.    … Expand
  27. Nataraja
    May 31, 2017
    6
    Firstly it's inevitable to compare The Surge to the Souls and Bloodborne because it borrows so heavily. While the combat is well done, the graphics are very well done and it boasts a smooth frame rate it is missing certain things and there are certain design decisions that make this game more of an exercise in frustration and a feeling of cheap deaths that make it one that should only beFirstly it's inevitable to compare The Surge to the Souls and Bloodborne because it borrows so heavily. While the combat is well done, the graphics are very well done and it boasts a smooth frame rate it is missing certain things and there are certain design decisions that make this game more of an exercise in frustration and a feeling of cheap deaths that make it one that should only be purchased on a deep sale.

    it's a shame that the story is buried under such frustrating design decisions. There is no attempt to explain your respawning after death; no "homeward bone" to use to return to save point, requiring the installation of an implant to be able to see enemy health, extremely poor environmental cues for finding your way in a level. And then there are the deaths that simply feel cheap. As a Souls Like if you will, this game is far inferior to Nioh, another game that borrows heavily from the Souls series.    … Expand
  28. hornless
    May 30, 2017
    5
    The combat is engaging and interesting, enemies do way too much damage so you are always under the constant threat of being killed instantly due to one wrong move. Theres a lot of weight to every action you decide to take and the game gives you a lot of leeway into letting you play however you want. If I was to rank the combat system alone, it's definitely more engaging then darksoulsThe combat is engaging and interesting, enemies do way too much damage so you are always under the constant threat of being killed instantly due to one wrong move. Theres a lot of weight to every action you decide to take and the game gives you a lot of leeway into letting you play however you want. If I was to rank the combat system alone, it's definitely more engaging then darksouls combat, but definitely not as smooth or interesting as nioh's combat.

    However, the combat has one giant flaw. The way the lock on system works in this game makes fighting more than one enemy at a time an absolute nightmare, it's a seriously annoying process to lock on to one enemy, completely drop the lock on, then hope it locks onto the right enemy, then focus on his weakspot, the entire action of doing that can take several seconds. The way the game deals with this is rarely ever forcing you to fight more than one enemy at a time, and making all the enemies very similar. It's no lie to say that 80% of the enemies you fight are functionally identical with different armor. Theres some robot enemies, but they are never frequent or interesting enough to break up the monotony of the actual 50th human enemy in a row.

    Grinding is literally required. Gears come in levels, and in order to complete an area you basically need the gear level of that area. If you were already doing no-weapon fatroll only challenge runs in darksouls, maybe this won't bother you, but if you want to enjoy the game, you are expected to do a fair bit of grinding for grinding sake.

    Everything is unpolished, it feels like nobody playtested the game, or they tested everything in isolation and then were like "it works." and never tested how it works in each situation. Enemies frequently get stuck on objects, unable to move or attack. Enemies frequently hit weird bumps in the map and start uncontrollably vibrating. Whenever you enter an elevator if you walk in too fast the elevator wont register that you are in it, so you need to leave the elevator and walk back into it. Whenever you approach a terminal to use it, there is for some reason a small area in which it'll tell you that the button is a button instead of using the button. (seriously) So you'll have to walk a bit closer and try again. The Drone companion misses far too often for a mechanic you have absolutely no control over. (When you take out your drone it'll wait a bit then do it's attack which you can't aim or effect after you take it out, if the enemy is at a brisk walking pace it'll often miss.)

    This list goes on and on. Nothing works just as it should, everything is just a little bit buggy for the entire duration of the game.

    The areas are all on giant factory, and look nearly identical to eachother, no one area stands out as a particularly well designed or different experience. Often the direction the game wants you to go is completely hidden in a web of identical hallways. You'll go far far too long without reaching a shortcut, and the shortcut is always free of enemies for the most part. Often a single short cut will force you to wait through three to four psudo loading screens. (wait for the elevator, wait for the exolift)

    The game is 6 areas long, theres 6 bosses, the game did literally laughably so theres almost no chance of it getting DLC/Expansion/sequel. Which is too bad because theres just not enough content in t his game. The souls-like difficulty, the loss of tech scraps don't feel like a fun or planned mechanic (Even thoughthey were) they feel like padding to keep you playing a hilariously short game for longer so they could say it's 20 hours long instead of admitting it's got 8 hours of content.

    The bosses are the best the game has to offer, enemies that are completely unique and different, and... they kinda suck. It's really too bad. There's absolutely no indication of how exactly you are supposed to deal with any boss when you first meet it. In most games, even the hardest of games, your healthbar is forgiving enough or the bosses give you enough room that you can scout out the situation, get a feeling for what the boss is going to do, or what moves it has, where it's weakpoints are, and when it'll let you hit them. IF they have a pattern, or whatever.

    In the surge every boss has a fairly in depth process of picking at it till it dies, some bosess even have multiple phases with it's own specific process, and good luck figuring out what they are, you are trapped in a very small room and they will kill you in one or two hits. You can die several times upon meeting a boss without learning a single thing about the boss or what it does.

    5/10, it barely justifies continuing to play it to the end.    … Expand
  29. Kaioh
    May 17, 2017
    6
    - clunky combat
    - fked up and even worse than in DS2 hitboxes
    - everyone 2 shots you in _any_ armor, sometimes even 1 shot, lol
    - unpredictable robot bosses due to a bad design, clunkyness just making these fights harder than they should be
    - bad enemy placement
    - looooong levels, longer then they should be
    - boring and repetitive "music"
    Overall: ugly DS copy from EU
  30. SuperkenGaming
    May 16, 2017
    7
    The Surge
    Robot Souls
    The Surge is a souls like rpg all about the grind Here you play as either a technician who’s agile and quick or a brute who does more damage but is slower, Each have their own advantages and disadvantages of course, I chose to play as a brute. I was surprised how much I initially enjoyed this game… This game is definitely challenging but not quite at the level    The Surge
    Robot Souls
    The Surge is a souls like rpg all about the grind
    Here you play as either a technician who’s agile and quick or a brute who does more damage but is slower,
    Each have their own advantages and disadvantages of course, I chose to play as a brute.
    I was surprised how much I initially enjoyed this game…
    This game is definitely challenging but not quite at the level of the souls game or nioh…
    The maps are fairly self-contained and compact here…
    This makes it very easy to memorize enemy locations when it comes to the grinding and crafting portion of the game
    the combat with regular enemies is pretty decent and feels fair.. at least when its one on one…
    you can lock onto them and target specific body parts to attempt to saw off certain gear…
    Sometimes you’ll get new gear like weapons…
    but mostly you’ll just get parts along with other scraps to craft armor from schematics you find in the world…
    there’s really no true loot system here…
    The scraps are essentially your souls..
    And like in the soul’s game if you die you have to go recollect them...
    But you are able to bank them in your medbay which is where you go to heal, level up, install new implants for added perks like consumable health, craft new weapons and armor, upgrade them, and refill your consumables…
    Leveling up just requires scraps while crafting and upgrading requires scraps as well as random items you have to pick off of enemies based on luck of course…
    and also like the souls games, going to this room respawns every enemy you’ve killed which is a gift and a curse..
    A gift because you can grind...
    worlds are small and bosses are brutal…
    youre definitely going to grind for levels and upgrades...
    a curse because once you do finally make it to a boss theyre all in your way trying do some damage to you before you even get there…
    But before we get to the bosses..
    There is definitely some cheapness going on outside of them…
    Things don’t really start getting cheap until the 2nd section of the game… here you get a drone friend which is nice… though to use them you have to fill up your energy bar a bit, but by time that happens you’ve usually already killed the enemy.. So it’s pretty useless…
    but this is where enemies start using ranged gun type weapons that you can’t do anything about but take the damage and push forward...
    And there are no health pickups here... youre relient on your implants to replenish your health except for the extremely rare refill stations... and by rare I mean like 1 in a map…
    But still it was fun to push forward, grind, find alternate paths, unlock shortcuts like demons souls so when you do die you can skip giant sections of the map to get right back to where you died
    These cheap moments were annoying and unfair... but I still didn’t mind them.. At least not as much as the boss battles…
    The bosses here aren’t hard by themselves...
    Theyre pretty simple and easy to figure out...
    the difficulty comes in the games design both level and combat…
    For starters.. Enemy attacks go right through solid objects... there is no hiding behind beams…
    That aside, This combat system was not designed for the boss battles... at least not with both classes in mind…
    the 2nd boss in the game is where I stopped…
    And I did so not because it was a tough boss…
    I knew its patterns, I knew how to defeat it...
    the problem was, as a brute... maybe this is just a brute problem…
    But as a brute the problem was the timing of this bosses attacks…
    Enemeis will telegraph their attacks..
    Give you some time to get out of the way
    But you’re locked into animations here...
    You’re able to dodge in combat, but only when you’re not attacking…
    And this boss demands quick hits and dodging...
    And this just isn’t possible to do efficiently as a brute…
    don’t get me wrong, I’d definitely get lucky and have a flawless first stage of this battle… but the 2nd stage when you have to attack it from underneath is when things really start to get unfair because your character doesn’t get out of animation fast enough for you to have time to dodge the near insta kill slam this enemies does when you’re underneath..
    Cause theres bad hit detection
    Both from enemies as id randomly lose damage during fights without being touched, and from you as your attacks will do nothing at times especially to bosses…
    Based off of what I saw though, The Surge is still a good game…
    its addictive in the way the souls games are… But at moments it falls into the category of unfair more than it does challenging and that sours the addictive and great moments that are here too I give The Surge a 7/10    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
59
#59 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. IGN Japan
    Dec 14, 2017
    78
    Bringing a Dead Space-style SF horror atmosphere to a Dark Souls-inspired action game makes things interesting, and the speedy battle system, which includes cutting off body parts and crafting elements, is a success. However, the somewhat dull pace of the game results in the player dying a bit too often, leaving plenty of room for improvement when it comes to the game’s overall balance.
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Jul 23, 2017
    55
    I wanted to say something about the story, but it is nothingburger… just like everything else in The Surge.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 30, 2017
    80
    Despite some pacing and story flaws, the thoughtful, tactical combat is always engrossing. [Issue#263, p.58]
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