The Surge

The combat feels and plays great, and the change in setting is what the genre really needed.

Although not long by Dark Souls’ standards, The Surge’s sci-fi setting is a refreshing change from its contemporaries, and the developers have made their mark on the genre. The combat system is unique, and very rewarding. It might fly below most people's radar due to the slew of quality games in 2017, but don't overlook The Surge. It will surprise a lot of people.

If you're looking for a game like Dark Souls, you should absolutely buy this immediately. It may not convert those who didn't already love that style of gameplay, but it's giving more of that style of content with its own unique twists that make it a worthy entry in the genre.

While Lords of the Fallen and The Surge may have Dark Souls roots, the more I progressed in The Surge, the more I started to see Deck 13 shining. The shadows are falling away, The Surge is miles better than Lords of the Fallen, and some trademark mechanics are starting to creep into the light. Deck 13 has polished and primed The Surge, and it now feels like it's time to stop comparing it to others and let it be noticed for what it is. Calling anything a Dark Souls clone at this point is purely lazy and an insult to the many smaller ways in which they're no way alike.

Deck13 reinterprets the Souls-like genre with a deep and original combat system and more gamer-friendly structure and story. This doesn't save The Surge from its dose of frustrating and repetitive action, though, but it's definitely a ride worth the effort.

Every bit as infuriating, enjoyable and insanely gratifying as an action RPG of this type should be, The Surge is great fun, thanks in no small part to its unique limb-cutting loot system and some tight combat mechanics.

The Surge is a game that can be mentioned in the same breath as Dark Souls, something which is high praise indeed.

The Surge’s unique spin on combat and customization coupled with some tried and true gameplay mechanics from the Souls series coalesce nicely for what feels like a familiar experience in an entirely new setting.

The Surge makes good use of its detailed sci-fi setting and provides an engaging experience throughout the 30 to 40-hour campaign, mostly thanks to its widely customizable inventory and wickedly fun combat system. It may struggle to keep the action moving and tell a strong story amid the chaos of battle, and its weapon progression plateaued early, but it offers some interesting ideas and delivers a solid new take on a familiar genre.

The Surge offers an innovative combat and crafting system but it suffers ups and downs on its difficulty and also has a poor script. Even so the result is a worthy action RPG that will live on as an alternative to the Souls Saga.

The Lords of the Fallen guys, Deck13, have created a great quality title, but despite bringing new mechanics from their previous game, they have left aside other sections. Recommended for all those who like this style of game, but still being good at everything, is not outstanding at all.

The Surge delivers an intriguing sci-fi world with dark themes and should satisfy any genre fans looking for something to play now that the Dark Souls series has ended. Just don’t pick up The Surge expecting a game that is as polished as From Software’s flagship franchise.

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.

It’s safe to say that The Surge completely focuses on providing a souls-like experience from beginning to end, offering up deep combat mechanics with interesting and large-scale boss battles. The story, although engaging to a point, takes a back seat to this singular goal. It’s not without its flaws, and its appeal will primarily be limited to those looking so this one type of experience. But The Surge feels like a success, and one that we’ll probably end up dying several hundred more times in.

The Surge is a fantastic starting point for those who may be intimidated by the likes of Dark Souls or Nioh. It may not be as polished or well designed as the games it’s trying to emulate, but it is more accessible for the mainstream audience. With satisfying combat and a unique dystopian setting for this genre, The Surge is still a good game regardless of its shortcomings.