The Surge 2

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,458 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Surge 2 Game Cover
The Surge 2 combines a rewarding combat system with a fantastic game world to craft one of the best games of 2019. Fans of Soulsborne games shouldn't hesitate to check this one out.
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"The Surge 2" is a challenging action-RPG set in a dystopian future. After a mysterious plane crash, you awake in a high-security prison. Fight your way through a ravaged city using technologically advanced gear and abilities. Defeat formidable enemies and bosses to upgrade your exosuit and increase your chances of survival. Rebuild society and uncover the truth behind the oppressive regime.

  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,458 reviews
story367 positive mentions
optimization139 negative mentions
  • The Surge 2 is a worthy successor to the original game that improves on the formula in every way.
  • Combat is addictive and satisfying, with a unique limb-targeting system that allows players to dismember enemies for gear.
  • The game features a variety of weapons and armor, allowing for diverse builds and playstyles.
  • The story is weak and lacks depth, making it less engaging than the first game.
  • Level design can be confusing and maze-like, leading to frustration in navigation.
  • The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, including crashes and frame rate drops.
  • story1,798 mentions

    The story of *The Surge 2* has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less engaging than its predecessor. While some appreciate the world-building and character interactions, others criticize the plot as generic, convoluted, and filled with uninteresting side quests. Overall, the gameplay is often highlighted as the main draw, overshadowing the story, which is seen as a weak point in the game.

    • “But it has an engaging storyline and tons of fun weapons and armor.”
    • “The world is well-developed and thoughtfully created, characters and side quests are humorous and interesting.”
    • “The story was solid, interesting and kept you guessing.”
    • “The story is probably where I feel the most sucker punched.”
    • “The story is a mediocre 'save the infant princess' fairytale and the sidequests are unsubstantial.”
    • “The story is unremarkable, the characters aggressively annoying (except one or two) so you never get a good immersion.”
  • gameplay1,404 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Surge 2" has received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the improved combat mechanics, particularly the directional parry system and limb-targeting feature, which enhance the overall experience. While some found the gameplay repetitive and criticized the story, the core mechanics, including crafting and dismemberment for gear acquisition, were highlighted as engaging and rewarding. Overall, the game is seen as a significant improvement over its predecessor, offering a satisfying blend of challenge and depth in its combat and exploration.

    • “The addition of directional parrying and a diverse arsenal of weapons injects further depth into the gameplay, allowing for versatile combat styles tailored to individual preferences.”
    • “The gameplay has been improved compared to the first, the directional parry system is very fun, sets having partial bonuses makes mixing and matching pieces more interesting, there's more varied environments, etc.”
    • “The combat is smooth and exciting, the level design is good, and the gameplay loop of killing, collecting, and upgrading is very addicting.”
    • “The gameplay does not change throughout the game making it get boring and repetitive; there are no skills/abilities to spice life up, it's just.”
    • “Sure, the game isn't really buggy, but the gameplay is fucking terrible, repetitive as all hell, clunky, and just flat out annoying!”
    • “I played the game for 65 hours and I can't say I enjoyed it, because it feels too much of a rip-off from the Dark Souls series; the first part gave you only blocking and now you have even parry. I understand that some people love it but I can't find their satisfaction within the gameplay because everything feels just incredibly weak.”
  • graphics622 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant downgrade compared to its predecessor, "Surge 1." While some appreciate the art style and find the visuals acceptable, others criticize the blurry textures, poor optimization, and various graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as dated and inconsistent, with performance issues affecting gameplay for many users.

    • “This game starts off so well, the graphics and world building are top notch and the story seems interesting too but the combat is far too slow and clunky for me.”
    • “The surge 2 resolves almost all of them, while retaining perks that made it fun in the first place: sci-fi'ish setting, clean and crisp graphics, power core leveling that allows you to change builds on the fly.”
    • “Great graphics, great gameplay, customizable armor and weapons, what can I say.”
    • “I get that it's a new age with nano tech and robots and more intensive graphics, but it all just looks bad.”
    • “Graphics are totally outdated, game looks like it was released on a PS3 and runs like your computer is a microwave machine.”
    • “The graphics are so much worse than I thought possible for a modern game, on the highest settings I thought I was on some sort of laptop compatibility mode.”
  • optimization472 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, particularly on PC. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay without problems, a substantial number have struggled with poor optimization that detracts from the overall experience. Despite ongoing patches aimed at improving performance, many still find the game unoptimized compared to its predecessor, leading to a recommendation to wait for further fixes before purchasing.

    • “Zero performance issues or bugs, ran flawlessly in my almost 40 hours of playtime.”
    • “Well optimized and good art direction.”
    • “Great game otherwise, thanks for another good one devs, keep it up, figure out these optimization issues in your engine and you'll be golden for many games to come.”
    • “This requires some dogshit Vulkan to run properly otherwise it'll crash every 30-40 minutes, so I recommend skipping this unoptimized pile of garbage.”
    • “The performance is really bad, even after turning all visual settings to low/off.”
    • “I've honestly never seen a more poorly optimized game.”
  • grinding226 mentions

    The game's grinding mechanics are a mixed bag, with many players finding the limb-targeting system engaging and rewarding, allowing for a more strategic approach to farming materials. However, some reviewers noted that the necessity to grind for specific parts can become tedious, especially when upgrading gear, leading to a sense of frustration. Overall, while grinding is integral to the experience, it can feel excessive at times, particularly for those who struggle with the game's challenges.

    • “Crafting new armor wasn't as tedious as in the previous game.”
    • “No grinding percentage RNG nonsense.”
    • “No grinding required: one-time kills and side quests provide more than enough scrap to level up and upgrade your gear.”
    • “Severing parts makes getting armor a tedious grind (again, just like the first game).”
    • “The issue is that limb targeting just like Surge 1 doesn't actually play into how the combat works which it should; there's no reason limb targeting and parrying don't go hand in hand, cutting off different limbs for resources is a target mechanic and just makes grinding more annoying when you have to fumble around with the right thumb stick.”
    • “I honestly wanted to like this game after the first one, but it's such a tedious slog.”
  • atmosphere173 mentions

    The atmosphere in "The Surge 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment compared to its predecessor, "The Surge." While some appreciate the game's varied environments and improved graphics, the overall tone is perceived as less dark and gritty, lacking the atmospheric horror that defined the first game. Critics note that the sequel's atmosphere feels more bland and less immersive, with a shift towards a lighter, less oppressive mood that detracts from the sense of urgency and intrigue found in the original.

    • “In conclusion, The Surge 2 is a captivating journey through a cybernetic hellscape, fueled by adrenaline-pumping combat and haunting atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere along with the weapon design and music really draw you in and give the feeling that a lot of thought was put into world building.”
    • “Generally, the music is functioning as an atmosphere piece in The Surge 2 - a heavy droning bassline, fragmented melodies, and powerful percussion.”
    • “The overall atmosphere; however, was a step down from the previous game, which in my opinion was a lot darker and grittier.”
    • “The atmosphere is completely different for starters, with very few parts of Jericho City evoking the tension of Creo's malfunctioning facility and its increasingly compromised personnel.”
    • “The story is weak and the atmosphere is worse than the Surge 1 which had almost a horror atmosphere.”
  • stability142 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on PC. While some users experienced smooth gameplay without major glitches, a substantial number noted frequent stuttering, graphical glitches, and game-breaking errors that hindered their experience. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by instability, leading to frustration for many players despite some enjoying the core gameplay.

    • “The game runs great and I never had a single hang-up or crash.”
    • “Game runs great on max settings even on laptops below the recommended specs.”
    • “This game is literally bug free.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess.”
    • “Currently in the process of refunding, looks great, probably is great to an extent and I should have read the reviews more thoroughly due to the fact in order to run this buggy unoptimized thing I have to keep alt-tabbing each time I run this game, open up task manager and turn off core 0 & 1 plus set priority to high just to stop it from stuttering/lagging.”
    • “While I enjoyed the gameplay it is a buggy mess, I ended up getting a game-breaking bug in the cutscene before the final boss that crashes the game, couldn't find a way around it and not willing to play another 20 hours to see if it happens again.”
  • music139 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the upbeat soundtrack and improvements over the first game's score, while others find it repetitive and unmemorable. Many players miss the iconic medbay music from the first installment, noting that the current soundtrack often feels bland or generic, despite some standout tracks. Overall, while the music contributes to the atmosphere, it lacks the distinctiveness needed to make a lasting impression during key moments like boss fights.

    • “Great soundtrack, huge improvement over the first game's OST.”
    • “A simple but meaningful soundtrack complements the bold setting and game world in a way that is just satisfying, and yet again, original.”
    • “The music adds to the addictiveness of dismemberment and boss fights.”
    • “The level design is trash, it's a confusing maze like the first game, the characters are forgettable, the story is a mess and feels like it was an afterthought, the music is repetitive and generic.”
    • “The music is either boring or extremely repetitive, the boss music so far being an absolutely grating three-second repeating industrial theme.”
    • “Outside of title screen music (which is reused from Surge 1) - fairly bland and unmemorable.”
  • humor48 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the well-developed world, quirky characters, and entertaining side quests that often outshine the main plot. While some find the glitches and absurdities amusing, others feel the humor can be overly cartoonish and detracts from the game's serious tone. Overall, the game offers a blend of clever writing and comedic moments, though it is marred by technical issues that can detract from the experience.

    • “The sense of humor in this game is wonderful, and I like how many more NPCs are in the world.”
    • “Finally, I'm back to playing The Surge 2, and it's perfectly balanced in terms of gameplay, art, story, and humor!”
    • “Lots to see and do, lots of secret corners, absurd hints of humor and humanity.”
    • “The mechanics with charge attacks are so far off it's not funny, and forget it if you're being multi-attacked.”
    • “The humor in the game falls flat, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and poorly executed.”
  • replayability41 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the variety of builds and playstyles enabled by the implant system and the inclusion of a New Game Plus (NG+) mode that adds new content and challenges. While some players note that the game can become easier with the best gear, others highlight the potential for discovering missed quests and the enjoyment of experimenting with different strategies. However, a few reviews mention a lack of significant replay value due to limited build options or the ease of subsequent playthroughs.

    • “I would go as far to say it's a bargain on sale and really worth it for the amount of hours one can sink into this; there is definitely a hint of replayability to it as well that can result in hours of fun.”
    • “Paired with the game's implant system, it allows for various different builds and play-styles, significantly increasing replayability.”
    • “- replay ability = ng+ isn't just 'stronger enemies'; it's actually got more content than the ordinary ng since it includes an entire playable cutscene in the beginning, added enemies around the areas, new armors and weapons to obtain, and more audio logs to collect.”
    • “Replay value for completists, I guess... since it's hard to collect all the in-game gear in one go and requires a new game.”
    • “- zero replay value because the game has no builds.”
    • “There is potential for replayability, but nothing too serious.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience in the game, with some players feeling a lack of investment in the broader narrative and characters, citing shallow writing and an unsatisfying ending. However, others found a deeper emotional connection with a smaller cast, leading to impactful moments of loss and despair. Overall, the game's emotional resonance varies significantly among players, with some feeling detached while others experienced profound emotional engagement.

    • “The kraken is a smaller but simultaneously completely deranged and utterly wholesome narrative entry.”
    • “However, I found this smaller cast made me far more emotionally invested in the few characters we had, and their inevitable deaths or depressing endings were really gut-wrenching for me.”
    • “Emotional damage!”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for its unnecessary and low-quality DLCs, which many players view as cash grabs rather than valuable additions. Additionally, there are concerns about misleading advertising regarding the game's focus, contributing to a perception of it as a low-budget downgrade from its predecessor.

    • “Don't bother with the DLCs though, apparently they are either completely unnecessary cash grabs or not that great (the story DLC from what I read).”
    • “Low-budget cash grab, straight downgrade from the first game.”
    • “Misleading advertisement, this game is predominantly melee focused.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for being disjointed and lacking depth, leaving players with little reason to connect with or care about the characters. Despite the appealing world and character designs, the storytelling fails to provide context, making it difficult for both new players and veterans to engage with the narrative.

    • “How the story is told is awful; it jumps in without any context, does not even make any sense for Surge 1 veterans, very disjointed, no character development, and no reason why I should care about anything or any of these people.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy The Surge 2

Play time

13hMedian play time
20hAverage play time
5-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 64 analyzed playthroughs

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