Developer Deck13 has cited cult Amiga fighting game Rise Of The Robots as The Surge’s inspirationThe Surge 2
GO AHEAD CYBERPUNK, MECH MY DAY AARON POTTER
PUBLISHER FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE / DEVELOPER DECK13 / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £44.99/$49.99
the right stick in the precise direction
of incoming swings so you’re able
to stagger your enemy and wreck
shop? Alternatively, you might prefer
dodging, drawing out enemies into
open spaces so you can then circle
them and hit their blind spot. There’s
more to encounters than the humble
horizontal swipe and vertical blow
manoeuvres The Surge 2 initially
gifts you – so much that it can feel
overwhelming at first, but it soon
becomes second nature.Suit yourself
Adding to this is the strong suite of
customisation options. You see, again,
The Surge 2 requires you to not just
manage your health, but your battery
and stamina meters, too. You accrue
battery energy by landing hits and it
comes in handy when you want to cut
enemies to pieces, while stamina is
what enables you to dodge, block and
attack. All three can be improved to
make you withstand tougher beatings.
You’re constantly finding components
to equip onto your exosuit throughout
your journey, too, allowing you toWhile man and
machine are always
destined to suffer
from some sort of
friction in sci-fi,
we’re inclined to
believe that the eponymous ‘Surge’
referenced in the title of Deck13’s
futuristic Souls-like series must be
one of frustration. Not simply due to
the punishing nature of the game’s
technical combat. Not even due to the
blandness of its war-torn world. No,
it’s frustration that this is a sequel
that simply feels all too familiar.
Because despite doubling down on
how great it feels to slice people
apart limb from limb, The Surge 2
disappointingly boils down to being
more of the same.
Let’s rewind a bit. One of the main
differences this time around is that
you now create your own character.
It’s a smart choice, helping anyone
who didn’t play the first game easily
jump into the new story The Surge 2
weaves right away; even if it ends
up being an uninspired one. It kicks
off as you wake up in hospital after
a storm gathered over the run-down
metropolis of Jericho City causes your
plane to crash. It isn’t long, however,
before you find yourself a good ol’
exosuit, letting you go toe-to-toe
with all manner of similarly equipped
baddies in search of why this has
happened to you.
Much like before, the star of The
Surge 2 is its in-depth combat. Every
fight is frantic, fast and challenging,
not least because of the number of
attack options available to you. Will
you focus on countering, pushing
create a loadout suited to your
preferred approach.
For as good as all The Surge 2’s
individual pieces can be, however,
they never really add up to an
experience capable of usurping its
contemporaries. Recovering your
XP from the last place you died,
uncovering shortcuts, overwhelming
enemy placement... almost every
mechanic laid down in FromSoftware’s
brutal magnum opus isn’t handled
nearly as elegantly in Deck13’s second
attempt. It’s marred even more so by
the lack of any significant innovation,
other than a sharp change of setting.
If all you’re looking for is a
cyberpunk take on the by now a little
overdone Dark Souls formula, The
Surge 2 should satisfy. It will certainly
frustrate the hell out of you at times,
though – especially if you’re hoping
that Deck13 has brought something
new to the table. Here’s hoping for a
true recharge should there ever be a
third game in the series. Qshort
cutWHAT IS IT?
A relentlessly
challenging action
RPG with a focus on
technical combat.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
If Dark Souls decided
to ditch its fantasy
setting and time
travel to the future.
WHO’S IT FOR?
Anyone who
relishes the feeling of
fighting their way
through punishing
enemy encounters.“It isn’t long
before you find
yourself a good
ol’ exosuit”
OXM VERDICT
This sequel feels
like more of the
same, but The
Surge 2’s combat
remains satisfying.6
LEFT To say
Jericho City has
seen better days
is a bit of an
understatement.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 091REVIEW