The Surge

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 357 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 176 out of 357
  2. Mixed: 100 out of 357
  3. Negative: 81 out of 357
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  1. Poonishar
    May 16, 2017
    9
    After 10 hours into The Surge I am truly loving this game. I am a big fan of decent sci-fi, and also anything SoulsBorne, and this is a great entry to the 'souls' ? genre. There will probably be a lot of mixed views about the location because it is fairly similar throughout so far, but that does not matter once you get going and exploring because you'll discover the levels are meticulouslyAfter 10 hours into The Surge I am truly loving this game. I am a big fan of decent sci-fi, and also anything SoulsBorne, and this is a great entry to the 'souls' ? genre. There will probably be a lot of mixed views about the location because it is fairly similar throughout so far, but that does not matter once you get going and exploring because you'll discover the levels are meticulously designed flawlessly to ensure that there's something cool around every corner wherever you go, whether that's loot, a new bad guy to fight (and also loot their weaponry if you target the right limbs to hack away at), or a really helpful shortcut leading you back to base. Graphics are great, it's all very district 9 / Neil Blomkamp in design and the lighting is really cool, especially electricity and laser animations. The combat is absolutely superb, really really responsive and tight, and every fight, despite being hard, feels fair due to the enemies adopting move sets that you can learn and then take them down accordingly. Music and sound is good too, pretty subtle most of the time but when the heat is on- the good electronic music gets going too. The noises the enemies make are pretty unnerving I must say, they sound utterly demented and hellish which cranks up the tension before a fight.

    All in all a very good game, fans of SoulsBorne will find the combat pure gold. It's not going to be for everyone, because as I said, the location is pretty similar throughout, and that might annoy some people, but not me, and that's down to the clever level design (and just because I straight up think the game design is cool as f*ck).    … Expand
  2. Souls-Lurk
    Dec 27, 2018
    9
    First point to all non-believers in the Souls-Like sub-genre, yes it is now a genre... the constituent parts of which are 1) 'If' you die, you lose your accumulated xp-proxy 2) You have one chance to re-obtain lost xp-proxy but if you die before you do its gone for good 3) 'Deliberate' (& predominantly) melee combat 4) level design that incorporates multiple short-cuts that the player isFirst point to all non-believers in the Souls-Like sub-genre, yes it is now a genre... the constituent parts of which are 1) 'If' you die, you lose your accumulated xp-proxy 2) You have one chance to re-obtain lost xp-proxy but if you die before you do its gone for good 3) 'Deliberate' (& predominantly) melee combat 4) level design that incorporates multiple short-cuts that the player is able to unlock during play (& remain unlocked thereafter). The reason I start with the above (& I may well have missed certain aspects of the genre but those 4 basically cover it) is that I keep seeing comments both on here and other gaming sites, where clearly triggered people state (when referencing Nioh, The Surge or any of the other games that make up this burgeoning sub-genre) 'Its nothing like Dark Souls!'.

    Well if, like me... you are a fan of the 'Souls-like' (I think this name has now officially overtaken 'Soulsborne' as the go to term to describe it) The Surge is a great little variant on the classic that is Dark Souls (well Demon's Souls if we are being totally accurate). Having been a huge fan of this type of game since Demon's Souls, I was always a bit hesitant to try any of the Souls-likes not made by From Software... so I just played through Demon's, the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne over and over again in a continuous cycle. I guess that I just assumed no one other than Miyazaki and his crew could produce a 'fix' that would satisfy my craving. I had read the reviews of D13's previous effort LotF and the negativity just reinforced my assumption.

    It took Nioh to convince me that my preconceived notion that ONLY From could hit my sweet-spot with this game type was incorrect... and since then both LotF and now The Surge have further enforced my initial error in judgement.

    To give you some context as things currently stand I would personally give Bloodborne a 10, Dark Souls 3 a 9.5, Demon's Souls & Dark Souls a 9.25, Dark Souls 2 SotfS & Nioh a 9 and Lords of the Fallen an 8. For me the Surge is definitely better than LotF but I can Metacritic only allows us to score whole numbers and I therefore score it an 9 (I would actually give it an 8.75).

    The graphics and aesthetic are more than decent, very Blomkamp as other's have pointed out.

    The sound effects are great, adding real impact to the melee action, while that b****y song they insist on playing in the med-bay is infuriating.

    The combat is great! FAR better than the combat in LotF. It is also far more Dark Souls in its combat than Nioh, but with its own intricacies. So far in the genre I would be unable to split Bloodborne and Nioh as having the best combat gameplay (for differing reasons but they are both just so satisfying). The Surge's combat is also very good though, with the addition of choosing a specific body part to target and then the additional choices of 'what' to do with the accumulated 'power'. You can either remove the targeted body-part (& receive schematics for crafting to boot) or depending on the implants your build is using, you can use the 'power' accumulated to heal (rather than using one of your actual heals), to boost stamina or to charge one of your drone's abilities. All of which can be swapped between within the heat of the action, it definitely adds to the thought processes.

    Difficulty is a decent balance. The average enemy you face will seem a tougher prospect than the average enemy opposing you in the other games of the genre but the game is shorter, so shouldn't take any player as long to complete. There is also only 5 bosses which is probably the games biggest negative, though there are some mini-bosses dotted around the environments.

    Level design is great too. The Surge's level's are the closest in quality to From Software's ingenious designs. It is this one aspect that I found Nioh struggled with. The Surge has one Med-bay (bonfire-proxy) pre area, with a multitude of unlock-able shortcuts around the level that help your later area runs as you unlock them.

    Yes the game is shorter than any of From Software's games, and shorter than Nioh too but it will challenge you due to the difficulty in each enemy encounter. There is also enough there in the trophy list to keep you playing into the NG+ and maybe further.

    All in all, really happy with the purchase, far better than I thought it was going to be having read a lot of the opinions out there. A little-known gem of a game, looking forward to playing the DLC next and then taking on The Surge 2 in 2019.    … Expand
  3. n808
    Mar 3, 2018
    10
    Fantastic, under-appreciated game - sci-fi Dark Souls inspired! Great new game mechanisms for upgrading and loot. I originally had to take a break near the end of the game due to travel, and it was too hard to get back in when I returned. However, I finally did (Feb 2018), and I ended up enjoying the game even more. I went on to NG+ and my third Platinum (the others being Bloodborne andFantastic, under-appreciated game - sci-fi Dark Souls inspired! Great new game mechanisms for upgrading and loot. I originally had to take a break near the end of the game due to travel, and it was too hard to get back in when I returned. However, I finally did (Feb 2018), and I ended up enjoying the game even more. I went on to NG+ and my third Platinum (the others being Bloodborne and Nier) . Next up is the DLC and really looking forward to 'the Surge 2'.… Expand
  4. scox
    Jul 8, 2017
    10
    I've put about 50 or so hours into this game so far and have loved it. The combat is nice and the atmosphere is very cool. This is like a soul's game but it is not a soul's game, so don't expect dark soul's in space. At the same time, they do what they do very well. The combat is much tighter then was in Lords of the Fallen, I highly recommend this title.
  5. Allthat
    May 16, 2017
    9
    The Surge is a very fun and enjoyable action RPG. The only problem is that since so many people have played Dark Souls which is better than this game, they hate it simply because it isn't Dark Souls. The combat is enjoyable and unique and the sci-fi setting is a welcome breath of fresh air. There are no technical problems with this game whatsoever, it runs smoothly and never crashes.The Surge is a very fun and enjoyable action RPG. The only problem is that since so many people have played Dark Souls which is better than this game, they hate it simply because it isn't Dark Souls. The combat is enjoyable and unique and the sci-fi setting is a welcome breath of fresh air. There are no technical problems with this game whatsoever, it runs smoothly and never crashes. That's a rarity these days and has to be applauded. Don't listen to all those people who hate this game simply because it isn't dark souls, play it, it's worth your time and money.… Expand
  6. John798
    May 17, 2017
    8
    Applause for deck 13, they learned to fix their mistakes from lords of the fallen.The combat is fluid and past paced and the limb targeting system especially is great, story is a little lacking but the graphics and sound quality is amazing, the boss/mini boss system is pretty decent and the crafting system is great too, I don't like having a built in character though, I'd prefer having aApplause for deck 13, they learned to fix their mistakes from lords of the fallen.The combat is fluid and past paced and the limb targeting system especially is great, story is a little lacking but the graphics and sound quality is amazing, the boss/mini boss system is pretty decent and the crafting system is great too, I don't like having a built in character though, I'd prefer having a character creation. Many negative reviews here are mainly complaining that this is isn't dark souls, that's because it isn't...… Expand
  7. XxX-jesus-XxX
    Sep 15, 2017
    9
    I like this game it has a ok story but I bought the game for the interesting combat it allowed you to aim in different body parts like legs, arms, torso, and head. Ps if you see blue highlights it there open weak spot.
  8. iamDecaydence
    May 17, 2017
    9
    I like the hardcore a-rpg trope.
    But i hated the SoulsBourne Games for their artificial story hiding.
    In comparison to those games The Surge is far more welcoming. While it might be true that the story in this game isn't the most grandiose there is nothing wrong about the dystopian future where men and machine meld. Quite intriguing indeed. The Animations are top-notch but there    I like the hardcore a-rpg trope.
    But i hated the SoulsBourne Games for their artificial story hiding.

    In comparison to those games The Surge is far more welcoming.
    While it might be true that the story in this game isn't the most grandiose there is nothing wrong about the dystopian future where men and machine meld. Quite intriguing indeed.

    The Animations are top-notch but there are minor bug outs from time to time - nothing game breaking or enjoyment hindering though.

    The Environment isn't the most diverse and astonishing in the genre that's true but it's not the point of the game to inspire awe with some grand views. From maze like factory halls to claustrophobic dark corridors where each corner might be hiding an enemy - it fit's the concept and "lore".
    All the while the Audio effects of the enemies and the sound track will haunt you.

    You will get tense action and will become invested in the Chip & Crafting systems.

    What The Surge does it does so very well but it doesn't invent the wheel anew.    … Expand
  9. Direjor
    May 25, 2017
    10
    Без преувеличения отличная игра. Играется бодро, респект авторам, жду продолжения)))
  10. thejamesshow00
    May 17, 2017
    8
    I have been playing The Surge for about 8 hours and so far it is faily fun. To be sure it is not as polished as the Dark Souls line of games, and the lack of character customization is a shame, but the combat is quick and brutal, the enemies are dangerous, and for the most part, the limb target mechanics are fun. I like the cramped tight quarters and dark sections, it helps bring a realI have been playing The Surge for about 8 hours and so far it is faily fun. To be sure it is not as polished as the Dark Souls line of games, and the lack of character customization is a shame, but the combat is quick and brutal, the enemies are dangerous, and for the most part, the limb target mechanics are fun. I like the cramped tight quarters and dark sections, it helps bring a real dangerous atmosphere to the game. I could see this having been made an Aliens game as far as the setting and lighting.
    The graphics are very passable, nothing super over awe-inspiring, but they do well and nothing looks muddy or washed out.

    While not a perfect game, the souls lover and sci-fi lover in me collide to make this game quite enjoyable.

    If you do NOT like souls style games, you will find this game even more unforgiving and full of death than dark souls in many places, so you probably want to stay away.
    As for me, this game is right up my alley    … Expand
  11. DarthFajera
    May 18, 2017
    8
    New game from Deck13. Great gameplay. Great graphic. Crafting crafting crafting - i love it. Game looks like movie Elisium with Matt Damon. Finish moves are very smooth and bloody. Don't compare to the Dark Souls or Bloodborne - two diferent games. This is sci-fi tactical slasher :) with crafting mode. Go and spend your money - this is good game with lot of fun :)
  12. allwititnow
    May 19, 2017
    10
    I'm just going to make this quick this game is awesome looks great graphically the Kombat is awesome and the upgrading to all your gear Awesome if you like these type of games you should get it I've actually been looking out for this game for a while and I'm glad I did
  13. shiftyman
    Feb 15, 2018
    9
    Bought this cheap over the holidays and didn’t expect much, but it’s better then average. With good solid combat mechanics. Graphics, lighting and sound are all good, sure it lacks some polish in some areas but with a little more work and bigger budget there’s a really good opurtunity for a sequel. The walk in a park dlc is very clever and well made and certainly adds to the overall gameBought this cheap over the holidays and didn’t expect much, but it’s better then average. With good solid combat mechanics. Graphics, lighting and sound are all good, sure it lacks some polish in some areas but with a little more work and bigger budget there’s a really good opurtunity for a sequel. The walk in a park dlc is very clever and well made and certainly adds to the overall game with story and content. Hopefully we will see more from The Surge team in the future.… Expand
  14. brigitte1357
    May 28, 2018
    10
    cant understand why most people name it a SOULS LIKE game. its in genre of HARDCORE game and DECK13 did a great job. thanks . i played your Lords of Fallen 5 times and still enjoy it. and Surge too is great. a real hardcore game which is completely different from Dark souls.
  15. Przemun1304
    Jul 14, 2019
    8
    It wasn't that bad as I expected and revievs say. Good atmosphere and gameplay. I was really enjoying with The Surge. Definitely better than Lords of the fallen.
    If you like souls game, you should play it
  16. Paulo-Lameiras
    Apr 12, 2019
    8
    I'm surprised with how good The surge actually is! Well, i shouldn't be surprised though. I always forget that modern community is all about hate, so when i see a game getting user scores of 1/10 left and right, i always forget that's probably a good game that didn't meet the exact standards kids were waiting for.

    Anyway, while there are a ton of better games on current gen platforms,    I'm surprised with how good The surge actually is! Well, i shouldn't be surprised though. I always forget that modern community is all about hate, so when i see a game getting user scores of 1/10 left and right, i always forget that's probably a good game that didn't meet the exact standards kids were waiting for.

    Anyway, while there are a ton of better games on current gen platforms, The Surge is actually good. The story is intriguing, the gameplay is hard but not frustrating, the maps are well designed with tons of secret paths, etc. Of course it's not a fame for anyone who doesn't like the 'souls' formula, but those who do will most likely have a great experience.    … Expand
  17. Leer468
    May 12, 2020
    10
    I'm a fan of dark souls and this game is very underrated. I never liked the futuristic theme but since I tried it I never fell in love.
  18. OKE27
    Jun 16, 2019
    8
    I only play soundbourne style games including Nioh. The game was free on PS4 plus. I started this game right after I finished Sekiro. The game is fairly challenging, they did well for NG+. Last time I see the complete version for $AUD 20. I think this is a totally worth it. The complaints I have for this game were lack of enemy variety and single rigged weapon is basically too OP. Most ofI only play soundbourne style games including Nioh. The game was free on PS4 plus. I started this game right after I finished Sekiro. The game is fairly challenging, they did well for NG+. Last time I see the complete version for $AUD 20. I think this is a totally worth it. The complaints I have for this game were lack of enemy variety and single rigged weapon is basically too OP. Most of time you do is to sprint attack enemy or count attack with blocking. I will be looking forward to the surge 2 when the price dropped to around $35… Expand
  19. Hithimot
    Dec 23, 2020
    8
    Great game and very challenging. Farming the pieces of the sets and weapons as it focuses on the armor parts that the enemies wear was very interesting and fun.

    Challenging maps and beautiful bosses. Sinned in history weak, but worthy of a note 8.
  20. metabuzz
    Jul 17, 2019
    9
    I was very surprised to get such a polished, AAA game free with PS+. It's excellent. If you like Dark Souls, you'll probably like this. The story is much smarter and more coherent than the DS games. It's true that many of the environments are claustrophobic, and navigation did get very confusing, but these could also be considered part of the difficulty. It's unfair to say the environmentsI was very surprised to get such a polished, AAA game free with PS+. It's excellent. If you like Dark Souls, you'll probably like this. The story is much smarter and more coherent than the DS games. It's true that many of the environments are claustrophobic, and navigation did get very confusing, but these could also be considered part of the difficulty. It's unfair to say the environments are repetitive, they're not, although you do spend a lot of time in "jefferies tubes." I would recommend this even if you had to pay $30 for it.… Expand
  21. Timenick
    Feb 7, 2023
    8
    While being almost unplayable on PS4 due to its horrible tech (ironic for a sci-fi game, it crashed every ten minutes or so) I would recommend this game on PS5. The improved graphics and frame rate make the better parts of this game shine very bright.

    The best aspect of this game is the level design, with lots of interconnected paths, verticality, hidden areas, optional mini bosses,    While being almost unplayable on PS4 due to its horrible tech (ironic for a sci-fi game, it crashed every ten minutes or so) I would recommend this game on PS5. The improved graphics and frame rate make the better parts of this game shine very bright.

    The best aspect of this game is the level design, with lots of interconnected paths, verticality, hidden areas, optional mini bosses, paths you unlock later in the game, its all you want from a Soulslike. It even changes some enemies later in the game to keep things fresh and to progress the story, yeah they did a pretty good job at Fromsoftwares environmental narrative. The only negative is there are too many tight corridors where you cant fight.

    Speaking of fighting, combat is mostly solid although its off to a slow start. At the beginning you do too little damage and take too much, you have to farm for your armor and weapons, and you have WAY too little stamina which makes the combat seem far more clunky at first than it actually is. But from the middle of the game onwards I was speeding around like in Bloodborne which is great. There is still some jank and bad hitboxes but nothing too infuriating. Most bosses are good and the final boss is the best one.

    Enemy variety isnt great and some enemies (fkn grasshopper bots) are way too overpowered when you first meet them but its never boring due to the innovative lock-on system which lets you choose between doing more damage or going for better loot and finishing moves. Crafting and upgrading is great as well. There are no builds but you can level your weapon category scaling and leveling up remains interesting throughout the game due to the expanding plugin system ala NieR: Automata which makes you experiment a lot.

    The world is great, its a gigantic dystopian industry complex in the desert with many terrifying secrets to find. Somewhat similar to DS1 with its huge backdrops. Graphics arent too bad either which is largely due to a whole lot of visuals looking straight out of CoD Advanced Warfare. I dont know if thats a good or bad thing :D

    It took me nearly 18 hours to finish this game on a completely blind run, which is a good lenght for a Soulslike. Had lots of fun but Im not too bad at these games so other people may take longer. In summary this game a solid attempt at Souls. Its still somewhat AA Eurojank with a terrible PS4 port but you can clearly see the dedication and understanding of the developers. 8/10    … Expand
  22. szastamasta
    Feb 19, 2022
    9
    I’m approaching the last boss in the game, so I think it’s a good moment to rate it. In general I think it’s a really good game. It’s one of the few that you play until 3am and can’t stop. It’s challenging and requires a lot of grinding when you get stuck, but it’s also very rewarding and you always feel that you suck and that’s why you died, not that the game is cheating.

    The good    I’m approaching the last boss in the game, so I think it’s a good moment to rate it. In general I think it’s a really good game. It’s one of the few that you play until 3am and can’t stop. It’s challenging and requires a lot of grinding when you get stuck, but it’s also very rewarding and you always feel that you suck and that’s why you died, not that the game is cheating.

    The good parts:
    - fighting is really good, tight, responsive and satisfying
    - world and climate is awesome, I really love this sf horror setting
    - story is great, I really like it’s subtle way of delivering story. You need to look for it in the game world. It makes it slowly unwind before you, not pushed by forced cutscenes.
    - graphics are really good, levels are pretty and differ
    - maps are awesome, very often you think that you are totally lost and far away from the base, yet just around the corner there’s a secret passage with the elevator that get’s you directly to it.
    - difficulty - it’s hard and challenging but not unfair. At the same time you’re a wimp towards stronger enemies and a total boss when you backtrack to find secrets or if you already have good strategy against enemy type.
    - there are few totally distinct play styles (slow tank with parry, fast and dodgy or anything in between) and they all are viable. It’s actually best to mix them to match the enemy you're. approaching
    - First 2 boss fights are really good.
    - music and sound is well done, adds to the climate of the game and you have no issues locating where is enemy coming from when you’re using headphones.

    The bad parts: - Boss fights except the first 2 are meh or bad due to camera doing weird stuff or due that they are simply badly designed.
    - game crashed quite a few times on my ps5, but I never lost more than few seconds of gameplay
    - In the beginning game can be pretty hard and may require a lot of grind to update your gear. This can make you feel that you suck at it and stop playing. For me it was the 2nd level. But if you’ll be persistent and progress through it, you’ll be glad you’ve done it.

    It probably has some more issues, but I don’t really care. It’s simply so rewarding to play. It’s not very often that you get a game you can play whole night and can’t wait to get to it again next day. If not for the few issues I had written about it would be 10/10. It simply has that thing, that makes me play in games. It’s simply fun as hell.    … Expand
  23. Fantasymana
    Dec 8, 2019
    9
    Ce jeu est vraiment super, j'ai recommencer une deuxième fois est c'est vraiment un bon jeu, je comprend pas c'est note negatif, si vous aimer pas ce genre de jeux jouez pas au lieux de mettre des note negatif
  24. MotoBlockYY
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    Welcome to CREO!

    The world of distraught technology, and after them even more distraught people. The game is difficult, but playing from it becomes even more fun, it has pros and cons! There are many pluses and listing them for a long time, but the main minus is only one, the passage did not give a sense of completeness. This is a subjective opinion, you may have a different point of    Welcome to CREO!

    The world of distraught technology, and after them even more distraught people.
    The game is difficult, but playing from it becomes even more fun, it has pros and cons!
    There are many pluses and listing them for a long time, but the main minus is only one, the passage did not give a sense of completeness. This is a subjective opinion, you may have a different point of view!

    I advise this project to progress, I plan to soon and get acquainted with the sequel!    … Expand
  25. Msun89
    Feb 20, 2022
    8
    Gives you a lot of incentives to play and grind. Awesome crafting and customization system. Solid 8 out of 10.
  26. klausfiedler8
    Mar 15, 2023
    9
    gostei bastante do jogo. 8,9................................................

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
33
#33 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jul 7, 2017
    70
    Deck13 has stepped up to take a lash at Souls’ patented sadism. Some swings are short of the target, but the bulk have landed where they should. [July 2017, p80]
  2. CD-Action
    Jun 30, 2017
    80
    When it came to rating the game, I was torn between 7+ and 8. There are some technical issues here, the bosses are disappointingly bland and both enemies and environments could use some more variety. I made my final decision when I played the wonderful song from the game and started to look through the screenshots I captured. I instantly remembered how much fun I had with The Surge’s great combat system and felt the need to start New Game+. And I don’t even consider Dark Souls the best thing since medieval torture devices. [07/2017, p.54]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 24, 2017
    70
    Lacks the finesse and charisma of its inspiration, and the exhilaration of nippier titles such as Bloodborne. A decent action RPG that finds itself in with a tough crowd. [July 2016, p.83]
See all critic reviews »