The Surge 2

Despite some performance hiccups, The Surge 2 is a sequel done right. Meaningful changes have been made to address the criticisms aimed at the original game, new features have been added to enrich and expand the gameplay, and storytelling has been put more at the forefront. It’s definitely one of the best Souls-likes currently available, though it’s doing the game a bit of a disservice to call it one; The Surge 2 further takes the series into its own territory, enabling it to stand on its own two feet.

The Surge 2 is full of surprises, but not the ones you'd expect.

My time with The Surge 2 is far from over. Lessons from the original have clearly been learned, with the whole production having a better feel to every aspect, from combat through audio/visual presentation. While in some parts the difficulty spikes to an almost frustrating degree, it’s worth persevering with. An absolutely brilliant entry into the Souls genre, and well worth picking up.

The Surge 2 is an excellent ARPG whose combat is brutal and extremely fun. The mechanics have improved compared to the first game, but it doesn't risk enough in the technical field.

Deck13 addressed every single issue that held The Surge back in The Surge 2. It is not even necessary to have played the first, since the sequel has almost no connections to it outside of its gameplay mechanics and systems. The idea of Dark Souls but "sci-fi" is not exactly a great idea, but Deck13 truly made the most out of what is possible. Realistically, there would be much more guns than there are and probably hacking would have been more present in the gameplay, but since this "sub-genre" relies so heavily on melee combat, it is unavoidable. Finally, there's someone other than From Software who has nailed it.

When you have a fairly well-done RPG element, story choice, character upgrades and development, smooth combat and a gameplay system that allows for a fluid experience, you have The Surge 2. If you're a fan of "Souls" style gaming, then Deck 13 has a very solid title for you to experience. It may not be on the same level as other "Souls" style games, but what it does deliver is amazing amounts of entertainment and fun. Bring on the sequel.

If you’re a fan of the original outing in The Surge universe and have been craving more of that futuristic Dark Souls feel, then The Surge 2 on Xbox One isn’t a bad way to get your fill.

The Surge 2 improves on every aspects of the previous game. It’s more nervous, more intense, more varied. It’s consolidating on the very solid base of the first The Surge, and does it well.

Although The Surge 2 is certainly a better game than its predecessor, it still has a long way to go to reach the highs of similar titles.

The Surge 2 feels more like a heavy update for the original game with minor gameplay changes, new world and settings, and well-designed bosses. It still delivers an enjoyable hardcore experience, thanks to the balanced and smoothly working combat system, but you need to get along with a superficial story and dated graphics.

The Surge 2 brings us an improved combat system with a satisfying crafting and upgrading mechanic. Too bad such care wasn't given to graphics, art and storytelling, keeping it from reaching higher qualitative grounds.

Just seeing how far The Surge 2 has come from this summer’s version and seeing how far it has come from The Surge, Deck13 has finally emerged as a credible alternative to FromSoftware. The Surge 2 is a refined, challenging, and rewarding Soulsborne that has its own identity and value beyond the alternative setting. It won't have the industry-wide reverberations that a FromSoftware title does, but for fans within the genre, this is next one they should play.

A sequel with little innovation compared to its predecessor, but that is still a fun game «souls-like» with role-playing dyes that includes satisfactory mechanics but whose technical deficiencies and a weightless argument keeps it from being like a game that will to be remembered.