The Surge 2 (2019)
The Surge 2 is a cyberpunk souls-like where you cut limbs off to level up…that´s what I call brutally addictive gameplay.
If some of the Souls games are a little bit too hard for you, or you had problems getting into Dark Souls, than give The Surge 2 a chance.
I think this game is the most accessible Souls-like out there and it improved the well established Souls gameplay in cutting edge ways…pun intented. Its like the ultimate cocktail of things I like about Souls games and it does enough things different to be it´s own thing. Does that make any sense?
This is how Nioh 2 should have improve. Less grind and more fun limb cutting action and challenging boss battles.
The journey you go on is interesting and the interconnected world is fun to explore. The worst part about it is that like the first game, The Surge 2 is flying under peoples radar. It’s around 20-30 hours long and it was a razor-sharp experience.
“I think The Surge 2 is the most accessible Souls-like out there and it improved the well established Souls gameplay in cutting edge ways”
The gameplay is faster and more visceral and that encourages using your offense as defense. The dismemberment system removes RNG from farming and makes it something that requires skill and is actually fun to do, not to mention the immense satisfaction it provides when you finish off an enemy by chopping off their head with a two-ton sledgehammer
Also there are very little unfair “Gotcha” moments, that means all deaths are your own fault. A standout feature was the classic Dark Souls level design. The levels have only one checkpoint with multiple shortcuts looping back to it that you need to open up, which encourages exploration and adds a lot of tension when you’re journeying through them the first time.
Fighting and pace was better than the first game. There were more weapons to try and a nice balance between character builds, that could be switch with minimal grinding. I tried out a few and I found all to work well enough.
I recommend trying to master blocking and dodging early on. It will make your journey so much easier.
On the downside we have the story. While I found it quiet interesting and it kept me engaged throughout the whole adventure, it ended up a bit lacking. I wish it would have explored some of the more serious themes more in depth.
Verdict
Everything I wanted from a cyberpunk Souls like. Love the concept. The executions are very satisfying and the items and armor are cool enough to keep me coming back.
Titel: The Surge 2
Genre: Action, RPG
Platforms: PC, Steam, Playstation 4, Xbox One
Developers: Deck13
Publishers: Focus Home Interactive