The Surge

[Tyler]

Most of you might have seen the first boss fight in preview videos. Thought of making a video of the second boss. As you can see the bosses aren't exactly the game's strong area. The camera is all over the place, it's alright during normal gameplay though. This one took me around 4 attempts until I figured out it's pattern. The bosses are more like puzzles than fights where you utilize your combat skills. And so far both of them forced me to abandon my main weapon and switch to a faster one. My main weapon works very well against normal enemies but is too slow for bosses. So my advice for anyone who decides to play the game - keep at least one fast swinging weapon upgraded as a backup.

 

[Tyler]

About 8 hours in now. Doing the third area...

 

Game keeps getting better and better. This was my main concern after playing LotF as the quality there dropped pretty significantly after the first area. The more I play the more I realize how cool the "cut off limbs to get armor/materials" mechanic is. I actually went back to the first two zones and got all the armor pieces that I was missing. I also crafted a set of armor that gave me toxic resistance to access an item in the first zone. Turned out that it was a nice elemental upgrade over my current weapon! I really like that sort of a thing and the game has many areas that can only be accessed once you get a certain ability or reach a certain power level. Also the armor set bonuses are pretty cool and each one has a role that you can form a build around. The best part however is that the game does not deliberately restrict you from using certain stuff. And the breadth of your arsenal is restricted only by how many limbs you cut off in combat - which is usually a lot.

 

The crafting is also pretty smartly implemented. Say for example you are in a later area and want to try a new armor set, you don't have to craft and upgrade it all over again. You can simply craft the best version of it right away by spending more tech scrap (souls) provided you have enough high-level materials. Farming for crafting materials also involves cutting off limbs so it goes well with exploration and combat. You don't need to go out of the way to get something.

 

Lastly, it's not easy to power through the game by grinding and raising stats (like Souls of Nioh). Some people might be turned off by that but I think it's a great way to maintain a certain level of challenge throughout. That and the lack of co-op means some people may get frustrated if they hit a particularly nasty wall. However in my own experience if you keep your gear upgraded and understand the combat mechanics well (basically mashing buttons will almost always get you killed) you'll be fine for the most part. Like I said earlier, I'm not too fond of the bosses as they don't really utilize the skills you've learnt during normal gameplay and have to be done in a certain way. At least the two bosses I've killed so far were like that. That said, the majority of the challenge comes from normal mobs, there really aren't any trash mobs in the game and every enemy (except maybe the drones) can easily kill you.

 

I'm not sure if the game is worth dropping $60 on for consoles. I'll reserve that judgment for when I finish the game. However at 1800 on the PC it's definitely worth picking up. Not to mention, it is a very solid port.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Tyler

[Tyler]

Alright, finished the game! Took me around 24 hours. Thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm already looking forward to NG+. Deck 13 has done an incredible job. They have proven that a studio can learn from past mistakes and do better. Like I've said before, this game is a massive improvement over Lords of the Fallen and fixes pretty much everything that was wrong about that game. The Surge does however falter a bit in the last area. It's unnecessarily complex and introduces a new enemy that's quite annoying. Personally I think they could have done without the whole level and just had a boss fight at that point. The game is sufficiently long as it is.

In summary here's how I feel about individual aspects of the game:

Combat is really good. It stayed fresh throughout and targeting limbs never got old. There's a decent amount of variety in the weapons and each type is effective. I don't think there's a single weapon that can be considered as OP. I ignored blocking earlier in the game but later found out that it was terribly effective against fast enemies. The drone is a decent adittion but I didn't end up using it much in combat, and used it mainly to pull enemies. I won't compare the combat to Soulsborne or Nioh, it's a different take on the formula and it's pretty amazing. They did a fantastic job with how it feels. It's brutal and very satisfying.

The character progression is also handled very well. There's almost always something to look forward to in terms of upgrades and customization. The leveling system which is based on powering your rig and installing implants is actually quite nice (it's a bit like Warframe's card system). It's a great alternative to how Souls-like games generally do it (with individual stats). All upgrades feel significant and some of the implants especially later in the game are gamechangers. There's a number of gear sets to find and use and each one comes with a bonus. I kept using the starter set (Lynx) throughout the game upgrading it as I went, simply because the attack speed bonus it gave was very noticeable.

Level design is consistently good (barring the final level - it's decent but not as intuitive as the earlier areas). All of the individual zones are massive and connect in interesting ways. There's only one med bay (bonfire) in a zone and everything loops around them. There are also mild metroidvania elements such as doors and crates that can only be opened once you reach a certain power level or get a drone ability. These usually house powerful upgrades and materials for endgame. Backtracking to earlier zones is usually worth it, however I wish they implemented some sort of fast travel between the med bays. The levels might look similar in previews and screenshots but in the context of the game they're actually feel varied. Still I wish there were more open areas like the first and third zones.

There are only 5 boss fights in the game. Now I know what you might think... only 5 bosses in a Souls-like? However this game works differently, instead of throwing in a boss fight every 20-30 minutes, the game presents you with challenges that are built into the level. Enemies aren't trash mobs and getting through them requires effort and careful play. The boss fights are ok for the most part, they have to be done in specific ways. They reminded me more of Darksiders than Dark Souls. None of these fights are challenging which may be good thing for some players as it's unlikely you'll get stuck at any point. You'll still die a couple of times as you learn the phases but getting back to the boss is usually a short run from the med bay.

The story is alright I suppose, it starts off with little context but there's a lot of info you can uncover. It's not amazing but decent enough to form a backdrop for the action. I wasn't able to do some of the NPC quests so I don't know how they end but these aspects are actually very similar to Souls. I also found the total lack of firearms (except a few turrets that only enemies can use) a little strange given the setting. The game also doesn't explain the respawning enemies too well, Souls has an explanation for why enemies respawn when you rest but there's nothing here. Maybe there was something but I might have missed it.

There's no multiplayer whatsoever so that may bug some Souls diehards. However I have always been more of a solo player. My first playthroughs are almost always solo in those games so that didn't bother me at all.

This almost turned out to be a full review. I genuinely like this game a lot and I'm sure others who like action games will enjoy it too. Go in with an open mind - yes, this isn't a AAA game, yes, it isn't as great as Soulsborne and yes the previous game from these devs sucked somewhat BUT this is still a damn good game. I really hope more people play this. I for one am glad we're getting so much variety in this genre.

Edited May 21, 2017 by Tyler

[Aftrunner]

I genuinely wanna get this and like it but I just cannot get over the mechanical character design. I have seen a decent bit of gameplay and the graphics just turn me off so much.

[Nr.Draca47]

The game also lack magical aspects. Like, take prey, its neural implants are very good (hvnt played yet...jus guessing). Good as in categories like human implants and alien implants. It can be compared to the 'magic' of Dark souls. Something more to eat for an rpg. Surge has only energy and health implants...although each being unique and meaningful..yet not enuf to satisfy those fantasy needs. Prey gives weapons like gloo gun or ablity to do special jumps etc. Surge relies of basic combat only. Its good but not long-lasting.

 

Horizontal and vertical attacks, peculiar yes, but when you start playing...will you actually use them? in dark souls, how many times have you ever two-handed a 1-hand sword for those vertical slashes? I have used light and heavy attacks...it was mostly better to weild a heavy shield with 1-hand (for me) and concentrate on my dodges and shield rather than switch to 2-hand and then attack. In surge, you will be using combos of right and left buttons and most likely you will be using a single combo most of the time...and mostly horizontal slashes to cover more ground...in case of a surprise attack. Also, i dont think the weapon rebounds when it hits a wall (unlike DS) so why vertical slash?? (unless flying enemy or boss).

 

And lets talk about invasions...oh wait...no multiplayer

 

And then tyler says the story if okayish or lil above avg at most

 

Backtracking.....a word i hate most. Backtracking to open shortcuts is acceptable....but backtracking for upgrades etc...seriously. I dont have time to jot down notes and the char level required to unlock and the paths to reach them. i m not free anymore.

 

PS: These are just my thoughts...dont start a debate plsss....(would be better if my input is cross checked by Tyler or some1 who has played the game for real)

[Ne0]

From software needs to be credited for creating an altogether new genre of action games !

[Tyler]

The game also lack magical aspects. Like, take prey, its neural implants are very good (hvnt played yet...jus guessing). Good as in categories like human implants and alien implants. It can be compared to the 'magic' of Dark souls. Something more to eat for an rpg. Surge has only energy and health implants...although each being unique and meaningful..yet not enuf to satisfy those fantasy needs. Prey gives weapons like gloo gun or ablity to do special jumps etc. Surge relies of basic combat only. Its good but not long-lasting.

 

Horizontal and vertical attacks, peculiar yes, but when you start playing...will you actually use them? in dark souls, how many times have you ever two-handed a 1-hand sword for those vertical slashes? I have used light and heavy attacks...it was mostly better to weild a heavy shield with 1-hand (for me) and concentrate on my dodges and shield rather than switch to 2-hand and then attack. In surge, you will be using combos of right and left buttons and most likely you will be using a single combo most of the time...and mostly horizontal slashes to cover more ground...in case of a surprise attack. Also, i dont think the weapon rebounds when it hits a wall (unlike DS) so why vertical slash?? (unless flying enemy or boss).

 

And lets talk about invasions...oh wait...no multiplayer

 

And then tyler says the story if okayish or lil above avg at most

 

Backtracking.....a word i hate most. Backtracking to open shortcuts is acceptable....but backtracking for upgrades etc...seriously. I dont have time to jot down notes and the char level required to unlock and the paths to reach them. i m not free anymore.

 

PS: These are just my thoughts...dont start a debate plsss....(would be better if my input is cross checked by Tyler or some1 who has played the game for real)

 

1. Magic is replaced by drone abilities, it has a ranged attack for pulling enemies (sort of like using a bow in Souls except not as damaging). Then there's a electrical stun/knockdown that can be used during combat. It also has a shield that can be used to temporarily protect you from attacks. Sure the "magic" is very limited but do note that the setting of the game is very grounded so it would be quite out of place if you start shooting fireballs and calling down lightning. BTW some weapons also have elemental components (fire, shock etc).

 

As for the combat variety - like I mentioned, each weapon type (single rigged, double rigged, one-handed, staff, heavy weapon) plays very differently. Each armor set gives you a different bonus which changes your play-style, so yes there is enough variety for a 20 hour game. Your implant loadout also matters. Deck 13 did not focus too much on these aspects in their marketing probably because they wanted players to discover the depth of systems on their own.

 

2. Horizontal and Vertical attacks - these are definitely needed if you want to break certain body parts. For example if you want to target legs or body armor vertical swings work a lot better. Horizontal attacks are more effective on the head and arms. So yes, you certainly get a lot of mileage by mixing them up. They also combo into different moves. Pressing vertical attack right after horizontal results in a different move for example. There are some sequences that end with an overhead slam or stab. And like you said flying enemies are best tackled with a vertical attack. I really don't know how you can draw conclusions without experiencing the game first hand. There's a lot more nuance to the combat than videos will show you. Most LPers and streamers are not even utilizing the full arsenal of options. Sure you CAN get by by brute forcing and spamming a single type of attack, you'll die a lot that way but you'll still make progress eventually. But I'm sure that's not how you'd want to play an action game.

 

3. Yeah story is slightly above average but this wasn't the reason why I got this game. I fully expected a C-tier plot with laughable acting but it's definitely above that. Some of the voice work (especially in the audiologs) is quite well done.

 

4. Like I said, no multiplayer so if that's a game-breaker don't even bother with this game.

 

5. Backtracking is not mandatory and you don't have to do it if it bothers you, unlike Souls you don't need the final tier of upgrades to beat the final area/boss (technically you don't need that even in Souls). These areas are completely optional and you can complete the game without ever backtracking. There's one central area that you'll come back to twice but each time you'll open new locations there. The metroidvania style design of some sections is not a negative. Even Dark Souls had adopted it. In The Surge these doors and areas exist simply to give you a little something extra if you feel like revisiting earlier zones.

 

I really hope people approach this game with an open mind instead of thinking "oh it doesn't do X that Souls does!". It's a very well made game that shows immense potential of Deck 13 as a developer and even though the game itself is somewhat derivative it adds enough freshness to feel like a different game. Halfway through I stopped thinking about any Souls comparisons and was completely immersed in it for what it is.

 

 

 

Anyway, I'm almost half done with NG+ as well, will post my thoughts on that later.

[Tyler]

Okay, at the penultimate section on NG+ (took me just over 5 hours to get there), thoughts on it so far...

 

- You keep all implants, gear, upgrades etc. except for a couple of key items which are tied to level progression.

 

- Enemies do a lot more damage but don't necessarily have inflated health. They're still easy to kill with upgraded weapons.

 

- New gear tier upgrades become available (NG allows you to upgrade from levels 1-5 and NG+ takes it to 6-10). Highly suggest using the nano cores (titanite slabs of this game) during NG instead of keeping them as you'll lose them and also the new upgrade tiers will make them obsolete. Enemies drop materials accordingly.

 

- A few new enemies show up in some places. They are much faster and deal a lot more damage. However once again, they're not too hard to take down. So far I've only come across about 5-6 of them. However, enemy placement is largely the same.

 

- Bosses have more health and take slightly longer to kill. The don't necessarily become harder though. There was only one boss fight where I died in NG+ and that too because I was going for killing it in a specific way to obtain a V2 weapon (special versions of boss weapons that drop only when you kill a boss a certain way).

 

- Most of the loot pickups in the level are not scaled up, so you will still run into loads of V1 implants etc. Strange decision that makes exploration almost pointless in the early areas. I wish they were replaced by something like materials or level scaled implants instead.

 

- Left-over NPC quests can be completed.

 

Overall, NG+ is worth doing if you enjoy the combat and gear progression. Otherwise it doesn't add anything significant and isn't too different compared to NG. Note that this game has infinite NG cycles so you can continue past NG+, however like Souls you'll probably hit a progression wall at some point.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Tyler

[Keano]

Started playing this today

[GeraltOfRivia]

 

Complete edition will also be launched containing base game and DLCs.

[Tyler]

Nice! Will surely get the DLC. Loved this game.

[Big Boss]

Got this game after completing Surge 2. Augmented edition was on sale for 749 only. Loving this so far. At first I missed a lot of QOL changes they did in Surge 2, but got adjusted to it. They nailed the changes in Surge 2 though. Every minor complaint is fixed. However, this game looks much better than Surge 2. Almost like a AAA to AA difference.