The robotic dance of death – review of the game “The Surge 2”

The Surge 2  invites us back to the dystopian world, distinguished by its unique science fiction setting. It also offers demanding gameplay, inspired by the soulslike genre. The first edition was well received by the players. Did the Deck13 team manage to improve the solid prototype?

The German studio already has considerable experience in creating games modeled on the Dark Souls series . It treats the source material with respect, drawing on the best solutions from FromSoftware. In addition, it adds a pinch of original ideas to stand out from the competition.

First, the pretty good, though underdeveloped, Lords of the Fallen saw the light of day . Then it was The Surge ‘s turn  and the rejection of fantasy convention in favor of sci-fi, which turned out to be a bull’s eye. The title also intrigued the innovative limb cutting off system. The game received very decent marks, so the sequel was just a matter of time.

Is the pilot flying with us?

The plot layer is not the strong point of The Surge 2  – although you can see that this time there was an attempt to put a stronger emphasis on the narrative. As a result, the story is more extensive and more NPCs appear in it. On the one hand, it is a good move, but on the other hand, it lacks the feeling of alienation, mystery and constant tension known from the predecessor.

The production in question shows a grim vision of the future, in which natural resources are depleted and the planet is slowly dying. Humanity on the way to extinction sees salvation in advanced technology and artificial intelligence. As always, not everything goes according to plan, and our protagonist ends up in the middle of the confusion. Or rather, he crashes because his plane crashes just over Jericho.

When the hero we created in the character creator wakes up from a coma, he finds the city in chaos. Danger lurks at every step, so the exoskeleton found at the beginning of the adventure turns out to be a rescue, significantly increasing the chances of survival in a hostile environment. So we try to survive and to unravel the mystery of the girl who shows up in our visions, which can be an important part of the plot of the plot.

Although the story touches on intriguing issues, such as transhumanism, existentialism and decadence, none of the plots uses its full potential. The story lacks depth, the characters are asexual, and the dialogues are not appealing. It is not necessary to know the events of the first part, but there are many references to it.

Futuristic Dark Souls

The Surge 2  has the most important features of the soulslike genre. This is a third-person action RPG whose core gameplay is challenging combat, exploration and character development. The second installment of the series brings a number of improvements that make the fight more dynamic, but also easier, so that it can reach a larger group of recipients.

As in Dark Souls , clashes focus on analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of enemies and remembering their moves. We have at our disposal horizontal and vertical attacks, combining into effective combinations, as well as standard blocks and dodges. New are the charged blows necessary to pierce some shields. The creators did not stop there and decided to introduce more new solutions.

The most interesting is the directional paring of attacks. Well, when we block a blow from the right side at the right moment, we parry it, throwing the opponent off balance. It is associated with a certain risk, but contrary to appearances, the time to react is considerable and when the maneuver becomes our blood, it turns out to be extremely effective. It is also worth mentioning an important mechanics, started in the “one”.

Namely, during the skirmishes, we choose which limb to target. If it is armored, it is harder to defeat the enemy, but also the reward is greater, because we have a chance to receive new weapons, armor diagrams or parts for improvement. If, on the other hand, we attack the exposed limb, we’ll deal with the petitioner faster. Decapitations are decorated with effective finishers that do not get bored even after many hours.

The revolt of the machines

Fights often gain a quick pace, require constant focus and reflexes, but also a tactical approach. Their important aspect is constantly controlling the level of endurance – when it drops to zero, we are defenseless. Often, one mistake separates us from death and the loss of valuable scrap metal, which is the main currency. However, nothing is lost, because – as it happens in the soulslike genre – we can recover it if we reach the place of death within a certain time.

When we get near the scrap grave, the hero’s health points are regenerated, which is helpful in more difficult parts of the game. By the way,  The Surge 2  allows you to heal your wounds more often thanks to special implants almost from the very beginning of the game. This makes it much easier to deal with opponents, of whom there are more. They are located closer to each other and clashes with several at the same time are more common. I am glad that the artificial intelligence of the opponents has been improved.

They can be cunning and for this they use various types of robots or automatic shooting turrets. Much emphasis has been placed on fighting regular enemies – this is when the well-thought-out combat system shines the most. Perhaps that is why the bosses were not given due attention. It is true that they were slightly better designed than the original, but you can get the impression that they are only side dishes, not the main course.

Besides, there could be more of them. Some of them repeat themselves or appear in improved versions. Only a handful of “bosses” pose a real challenge, prompting bluffers and throwing the controller. Most of the clashes boil down to the use of similar solutions and learned patterns of operation. In such a situation, it is worth raising the bar and dealing with bosses in a specific way, for which we will be rewarded with a special weapon.

Short circuit

In numerous confrontations with enemies, we are supported by drones, which have clearly gained in importance. I would even say that they are invaluable in goofy situations. They deal more damage, are also more versatile and we can use them more often. They attack with various types of ammunition, incapacitate enemies, and even tow us to the medical station. We will also use shooting turrets in combat. It gives us a lot of room for maneuver, and a few tricks up our sleeve can be beneficial when we are pressed against the wall.

A moment of rest in the hardships of travel – and at the same time a safe haven – can be found at medical stations that act as checkpoints (similar to the outbreaks in Dark Souls) . We develop the character there and improve the equipment. They are better placed than in the first part, which reduces the frustration after dying in a remote place before unlocking the desired shortcut.

A key element of character development is increasing the core power. It depends on how many and which implants and parts of the armor can be used. However, this time with each level, we also grant hit points, endurance and battery efficiency (a kind of mana). These implants have many uses, they increase statistics, replenish health or increase the amount of scrap collected.

Many will be happy to hear that The Surge 2 features  new types of weapons, such as transforming weapons (inspired by Bloodborne ?). Overall, the number of pieces of equipment you acquire is impressive. This encourages you to experiment with different builds that work well in different situations. This is helped by the ability to set up several patterns that are easy to juggle.

A new, wonderful world

In terms of graphics, not much has changed, so the series is still far from the most beautiful titles of the current generation. The quality of textures, which like to read each other, is not good, but the creation of the presented world deserves praise. It is a full-mouthed dystopia, where the ubiquitous dirt and chaos contrast in an interesting way with modern technology and sterile interior spaces. Developers decided to have a greater variety of locations, which is definitely a plus.

We will visit not only the streets of a devastated city or dark underground, but also some green areas, which is a nice change. Attention was also paid to the design of the levels, which are full of collectibles and skilfully laid out shortcuts. Thanks to this, we are less likely to wander in the dark in the tangle of corridors, and backtracking is not so bothersome.

The excessive number of shortcuts may look artificial at times, but it is difficult to be amazed at how clever all the places you visit connect with each other. Especially when the way to the boss is unlocked right next to the medical station. However, when it comes to the musical layer, it… it simply is. Sometimes a soundtrack is activated, which is probably supposed to increase the tension during the clashes, but I usually did not pay much attention to it, because the songs themselves did not catch my ear.

It is worth mentioning a substitute for the multiplayer mode, bringing some modest social elements. Unfortunately, we will not try our hand at other daredevils, but we can leave signs in the game world, which are sometimes valuable clues. In addition, there is a chance to get additional scrap and items by taking vengeance on an opponent who previously reduced the torment of one of the players.

Something for everyone

The Surge 2  corrects most of the shortcomings of the first installment. The plot has been more strongly drawn, the locations are well laid out and diverse, and the combat is smoother. I did not notice any problems with optimization or glaring technical errors; only the camera can play tricks. However, most importantly – the gameplay is extremely absorbing and lasts for several dozen hours.

You can see that the creators wanted to introduce a certain balance to satisfy die-hard fans of the genre and encourage new players. In my opinion, it has succeeded to some extent, although some veterans will complain. A few simplifications in the game mechanics have been made and the entry threshold is much lower, but still a moment of inattention ends in death. If someone has been thinking about trying this type of production, it is a perfect opportunity.

We would like to thank CDP for providing the reviewer’s copy of the game for the PS4 console.