The Surge

It'll either grow on you, or it won't.
Lots of things about this game may irritate players who are coming in from other Souls-likes and souls games.
TLDR:
Cons:
>Timer to get scrap(souls) back. Scrap is gone once the timer is depleted.
>No Map. Convoluted area layouts. Easy to get lost.
>LOTS of backtracking. Almost feels like a Metroidvania at its best and worst times.
>You only get bonuses from armor if you equip all parts of the same kind.
>Combat is all over the place. Good at times. Frustrating at others.
>Game sometimes feels unfair due to design.
>Upgrading system feels very unforgiving considering how many materials you need for all the weapons you get.
>Weapons have a proficiency system,
>Damage system isn't quite explained. You're meant to figure it out with context
The timer is an iffy inclusion. Killing enemies extends it, but it's a risk/reward mechanic that I feel didn't need to be included. It puts pressure on you needing to run back to the location you lost it at and if you didn't memorize that map (or if you went through some particularly tough enemies that took a long time to kill) then get ready to rush through and potentially die.
It's so easy to get lost, but the areas are decently deigned to seem interesting if you like the aesthetic. Some areas are easy to figure out, but others can be convoluted.
You do have a "directory" system where certain areas have maps you can consult like a 'you-are-here' directory map in a mall, but it's still easy to get turned around. The worst part is that if you equip the module that alerts you to secret items, it might drive you insane considering THERE ARE A LOT of hidden items. But this is also a good thing as most of those items are actually good to track down and obtain. The backtracking can lead you on a lot of wild goose chases and sometimes the game doesn't tell you where to go. You have to rely on context clues when NPCs don't give you a clear indication of where to go next.
Weapons having a proficiency system is another odd choice. For one I understand where they're coming from with this type of game as they have you backtracking A LOT and fighting weaker enemies again and again, so it gives you many opportunities to use unleveled weapons and not be completely screwed on damage. But this is a double-edged sword because if you pick up a really strong weapon and you haven't leveled up the proficiency in that weapon? Well guess what you aren't using.
The damage system is as follows. Weapons have:
-Impact value (the ability to stagger enemies)
-elemental damage value (ideal against machinery)
-slash damage value (ideal against unarmored limbs/targets)
-thrust damage value (special interaction function with specific enemies when they do certain moves)
-crush damage value (ideal against armored limbs/targets)
It doesn't explain it, but high thrust on a weapon can interrupt certain enemies attacks before they get them off. And it doesn't quite explain what type of elemental damage is good against what type of armor/machinery. You're kinda meant to experiment. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing since swapping weapons takes little effort, but if you're putting your life/scrap/progression in a map on the line you may be less prone to testing these things out.
There are modules you can equip to speed up the proficiency leveling but you have to find/obtain them first and it might take you a while depending on your penchant for search and rescue.
The pros:
>Satisfying combat loop/upgrade system once you start getting more fun modules, but this requires getting a bit into the game to collect them and sufficient levels to include them in your rig.
>Decent looking game. Nothing cutting edge but the environment and the environmental storytelling is top-notch.
>Weapon/rig/exoskeleton designs are really fun
NPCs feel like there was so much missed potential. It kinda works like Dark Souls where you can find certain NPCs in areas and you can progress them through if you give them items, do a quick task, or advance their dialogue and perform a quest for them. The game doesn't keep track of any of this, so I hope you remembered to get that item from that person after you logged off and came back after a week.
Their dialogue and personalities are mostly summed up to "I'm confused." "What happened!?" "Thank god you're sane. Help me out!" but in different flavors of person.
Sure it helps flesh out the environment to know there are survivors but they offer nothing to enrich the game's storytelling or experience. You could cut out 90% of them and the game would still feel the same.
Upgrading your armor and weapons requires you to cut off limbs of corresponding items you want to level to get the upgrade scrap needed. You can't just buy any of it. You want to level weapons and arm armor? Start cutting of limbs with weapons attached. You need to upgrade your helm? Start cutting off heads. And in order to upgrade them you have to find the OPS areas (your hub for leveling up your rig, resting, regaining health, talking to NPCs you rescued, et cetera. But whenever you enter it and interact with the machines, you reset all enemies in the area.
The game *really* forces you to go back and backtrack through a lot of areas, which is a blessing if you wanted to level up those other weapons you haven't touched yet.
I know this was a lot and thank you for reading all of this if you got this far but... there's a lot to talk about. I really want to really love this game and recommended it to others, but it's an iffy recommendation because despite me being able to bear some of these mechanics I can see them easily turning others away.

I can't believe how quickly I fell in love with this game. It has good story premice, amazing setting and very brutal combat system. Weapon impact is beyond fantastic, you can slice off body parts from enemies and also feel the weight of your tools of justice. Level design is pretty solid, you always making progression to unlock new parts of maps (which are HUGE) or shortcuts. Exploration is always rewarded.
Overall in my opinion The Surge is a very underrated game, it deserves much better.

I really enjoyed the game's atmosphere. It has a pretty fluid combat, nice story and I feel it is a bit underrated/unknown.

PROS:
1. Visual design of armour, enemies, bosses, environment is simply a HELL YEAH moment for anyone enjoying the cyborg aesthetic. It looks an feels COOL
2. Finishing animations are one of the best in (non-slasher) soulslikes that I have seen, feel very satisfying and not like a waste of time
3. Some really refreshing and original combat / upgrade systems are introduced in this game - targeting different body parts, energy system in addition to regular stamina
4. Classic linear soulslike level design with unlockable shortcuts, exploring is payed off with upgrades and weapons
5. Good variety of attacks ensures combat doesn't get too stale during the game duration - horizontal and vertical attacks with separate binds, sprint attack, jump attack, block counter, dive counter, drone attack
CONS:
1. Boss fights are pretty unintuitive and janky - you often need to attack specific part of boss model at specific time in order to deal damage and move to the next part of the fight.
2. Dodging attacks is pretty consistent, but blocking isn't - some attacks have weird hitbox and might reach you anyway. Perfect blocking is not rewarding, since if you miss it, enemies can drain you stamina and kill you way too easily.
3. There is no "real" map in the game and it is very easy to get lost in dozens of identical looking tunnels and shafts. There is no quick travel and getting back to early locations once you reach the level required to get late-game lootrooms there is so tedious that I didn't even bother with it.
OVERALL:
If you are tired of fantasy-themed soulslikes and seeing the same 3 mechanics, love the challenge and the futuristic cyber vibe, definitely give it a try!

If Dark Souls is a cryptic medieval fever dream, The Surge is its robotic sci-fi cousin: brutal, mysterious, and criminally underrated.
This game doesn't just borrow from the Soulslike formula, it re-engineers it. Combat is fast and tactical. You don't just defeat enemies. You dismember them. Want that weapon? Sever the arm. Need that chest piece? Rip through the torso. Loot isn't dropped. It's harvested mid-fight and it never gets old.
Armor sets come with meaningful bonuses that reward experimentation and build diversity. The world is a dystopian maze of malfunctioning tech and corporate decay, dripping with atmosphere and cryptic lore that begs to be unraveled.
And then there's the DLC: a deranged amusement park filled with animatronic nightmares and one of the coolest boss fights in the game. It's pure chaos, pure fun.
If you've bounced off other Soulslikes, The Surge might be the one that clicks. If you're a veteran, it'll surprise you. Either way, it deserves way more attention than it gets.
Here's hoping someday we get The Surge 3. It stands at the top of the hill, staring down every contender not named FromSoftware.
Cut limbs, not corners.

Underrated game and may even be better in some aspects than its inspiration.

Surge is a Souls-like game. It's not very creative these days, but man, this is an amazing game on its own. It's a Souls-like, so there is respawning, stamina management, and such, but it offers so much more.

Pros

* Amazing limb dismemberment system giving more choice and agency to the player

* Lowkey horror industrial setting

* Wide variety of choice in player arsenal

* Amazing level design (not level aesthetic)

* DLC is really good as well.

* Pretty well optimized and cheap these days on sale

Now for the cons, and this is a little bit subjective, as I am personally not the biggest fan of Soulslike games. I don't hate them; in fact, I like them, but they are not my go-to genre of games, and unfortunately, Surge follows some of that genre negativity as well.

Cons

*Art style not great, can cause confusion in level traversal

*Some random difficulty spike

* Pacing issues

Overall I think Surge is amazing, and despite my gripe with the game, its gimmick and effort by Deck13 really outshine its discrepancy. If you love Souls like this, it's a must buy. If not, then this most likely won't change that, but buy it on sale and check it out for yourself; it might change your mind. Solid "7/10" game

I tried playing this game and didn't like it at first.
The problem I had with it....it's souls-like. It's hard. It's unforgiving.
But my love for sci-fi kept me coming back.
After installing it for the 3rd time...i realised one thing.
This game takes the "from zero to hero" formula and cranks it up to maximum.
The level design is one of the best I've ever seen.
Sooooo many hidden secrets and shortcuts...just pure genius.
The story pulled me in from start to finish, which is a rarity these days.
And my favorite part were the armor sets and weapons...and the upgrades of the two.
It is one of those games that make you feel lost...but the more you play the better you get...the more you find yourself.
The game requires you to be focused at all times and you have to remember things...like surroundings or the story.
Which only adds to the immersion.
I'm going to be thinking about this masterpiece for a long time I can tell.