One of the chiefly misunderstood qualities of the Souls series is failing to realize its nature as an exclusively AAA genre. I think people intuitively understand the idea that some games could only be made in an AAA space because they're bottlenecked by voice over, art production, set piece vfx, etc (like an uncharted, or a call of duty) but there's some disconnect that prevents otherwise capable critics from identifying when a game cannot be made without a level of testing, iteration, animation, re-animation, prototype animation, and experimentation that is completely unacheivable without a skilled, 200 person team (and an external mocap studio on tap).
The Deck 13 "souls likes" represent a nearly big enough studio that had enough sense to notice it was impossible to duplicate souls-like combat (animation driven everything and very little "spreadsheet design" is hopeless with a ~50 person core team) but not enough sense to realize that attempting to cobble souls game encounters out of limited animation
moveset, rubber band movement, and big box and sphere hit tests was completely moronic.
Awful game.
The Deck 13 "souls likes" represent a nearly big enough studio that had enough sense to notice it was impossible to duplicate souls-like combat (animation driven everything and very little "spreadsheet design" is hopeless with a ~50 person core team) but not enough sense to realize that attempting to cobble souls game encounters out of limited animation
moveset, rubber band movement, and big box and sphere hit tests was completely moronic.
Awful game.
This game is extremely clunky and awkward to control, but I absolutely love the setting and the limb dismemberment system. But the gameplay is super rough
Good and successful attempt at a futuristic souls-like with interesting mechanics, fashion, and locations. Few bosses though, even if they're good. Story is interesting.
Underrated soulslike which tried something new (and succeeded, in my opinion). Not all great, but combat was innovative.
why does controlling a wheelchair feel better than controlling an exosuit
I did enjoy this game! The Whole dismembering mechanic is fun and unique! But left me feeling overwhelmed with what I have gathered of an enemy!
Bosses were lacklustre and boring.
I found the whole level design shocking. Was lost all the time, some "Shortcuts" didn't even act as one.
Not to mention my trophy's were bugged because the game crashed at the very end and the same goes for the DLC Boss with the cat costume, I was fuming, instantly deleted it, despite only needing 5 more trophies, but who knows maybe in the future.
Bosses were lacklustre and boring.
I found the whole level design shocking. Was lost all the time, some "Shortcuts" didn't even act as one.
Not to mention my trophy's were bugged because the game crashed at the very end and the same goes for the DLC Boss with the cat costume, I was fuming, instantly deleted it, despite only needing 5 more trophies, but who knows maybe in the future.
The Surge offers a gritty dystopian setting but falls short with its frustrating difficulty spikes and lack of original gameplay, ultimately feeling unrewarding and monotonous.
interesting ideas spoiled by terrible execution. so many completely bizarre ideas in this, really poor level design after the first level, awful bosses, frustrating enemy placement, the list goes on. lame
Bad controls for the jumping and crouching options in combat and made repetitive just to waste a player's time.
The dismembering mechanic is a great idea though
The dismembering mechanic is a great idea though
repetitivo pra um cacete, e isso pq eu sou fã de farcry
A game that tries to do its own thing with the "dismemberment" mechanic and futuristic setting, and one that is actually pretty fun. There are only a handful of bosses in the entire game, which is a shame, and trash-mobs can decimate you in no time, which forces you to either play carefully, or abuse the running-attack with the staff, which is what I did.
The first DLC is fantastic and offers a creepy setting. The second DLC, however, is absolute, repetitive garbage and nothing more than a cash-grab.
The first DLC is fantastic and offers a creepy setting. The second DLC, however, is absolute, repetitive garbage and nothing more than a cash-grab.
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Games I Like That Everybody Else Dislikes
Two major flaws right off the bat: first and foremost its boneheaded attempts at a grimdark tone which just end up being juvenile and insufferable. Second - and this is a less severe blemish but still necessary to mention - the combat system posed here is genius in theory but just isn't 100% here yet, you'll get caught in a move and fall off the edge to your death or accidentally select the wrong limb to attack right in the heat of battle fairly often. Thankfully its sequel would fully rectify both of those problems - but for now, with all that being said, in the end this is still a gorgeous and addicting Souls-like that has an identity all its own. When this game puts you in the zone, oh man... you're dialed in down to the very last nerve. Fighting some of these bosses and then finally tackling them is a religious experience. Its monochromatic world of nanites and technology gone loose is a feast for the eyes, too. Should get automatic bonus points for having an eighth-gen opening cinematic that isn't totally boring, and the Don Hackett storyline is one of gaming's most sorrowful shocks.
Games I Like That Everybody Else Dislikes
Two major flaws right off the bat: first and foremost its boneheaded attempts at a grimdark tone which just end up being juvenile and insufferable. Second - and this is a less severe blemish but still necessary to mention - the combat system posed here is genius in theory but just isn't 100% here yet, you'll get caught in a move and fall off the edge to your death or accidentally select the wrong limb to attack right in the heat of battle fairly often. Thankfully its sequel would fully rectify both of those problems - but for now, with all that being said, in the end this is still a gorgeous and addicting Souls-like that has an identity all its own. When this game puts you in the zone, oh man... you're dialed in down to the very last nerve. Fighting some of these bosses and then finally tackling them is a religious experience. Its monochromatic world of nanites and technology gone loose is a feast for the eyes, too. Should get automatic bonus points for having an eighth-gen opening cinematic that isn't totally boring, and the Don Hackett storyline is one of gaming's most sorrowful shocks.
Played it before and wrote it off because I thought it was too difficult.
Gave it another shot recently and It's now one of my favorite souls-like games.
Granted I still have a few gripes about the game, such as:
- Most of the later maps are a bit labyrinthine in structure and it's really easy to get lost when trying to traverse to new areas
- Plenty of shortcuts made for the medbay (this game's bonfire), but good luck remembering them
- Block/parry system is abit jank, sometimes your blocks will register and you can counter-attack and sometimes the enemies' attacks will go through your block like a knife through butter.
- Difficulty scaling for enemies is a bit ridiculous come later levels (looking at you bloodhound robots).
Other than that, the setting, the combat, the various weapon types to choose from and the move sets that they have for each I pretty much enjoyed. The story is not much to write home about, but there's much worse stories out there. The game did it's job, and I more than recommend this game for anyone looking to scratch that souls-like itch.
Gave it another shot recently and It's now one of my favorite souls-like games.
Granted I still have a few gripes about the game, such as:
- Most of the later maps are a bit labyrinthine in structure and it's really easy to get lost when trying to traverse to new areas
- Plenty of shortcuts made for the medbay (this game's bonfire), but good luck remembering them
- Block/parry system is abit jank, sometimes your blocks will register and you can counter-attack and sometimes the enemies' attacks will go through your block like a knife through butter.
- Difficulty scaling for enemies is a bit ridiculous come later levels (looking at you bloodhound robots).
Other than that, the setting, the combat, the various weapon types to choose from and the move sets that they have for each I pretty much enjoyed. The story is not much to write home about, but there's much worse stories out there. The game did it's job, and I more than recommend this game for anyone looking to scratch that souls-like itch.
I Finally beat this game after several years of playing it on and off. This may be the most 7/10 game I have ever played, which I mean mostly as a compliment, but also slightly derogatorily. It has a million ideas and it really goes for all of them, and in many ways it actually does succeed! But it can also feel sloppy and unfair nearly as often.
The combat system, where you can target specific limbs and chop them off after doing enough damage to acquire those gear parts from enemies, is legitimately very cool. Once you get the hang of it, the combat feels pretty good and has an interesting pace and rhythm and set of tactical considerations to it. When you are fighting humans. They put so much work into making this system feel good with humans, the most common enemy type, that fighting anything else can feel very janky and vague. The limb targeting still works on robots and such but only kind of, and their designs can make reading and reacting to their animations very difficult. And of course non-human enemies tend to be the ones that do the most damage and can often kill you in one or two hits. Many of the deaths in this game did not feel like they were my fault, and were instead due to jank, vague animations, weird hitboxes, and things that do way more damage than they look like they should.
The level design is also highly mixed. On the one hand the environment art and attention to detail is fantastic, and I respect how ambitious and complex they can be. On the other hand, they are often incredibly labyrinthine, far more so than anything Fromsoft ever made, and because they are primarily indoors there is a lack of landmarks to aid navigation. Many times I unlocked a shortcut and was extremely confused about if it had actually helped cause I could not for the life of me tell where the fuck i even was in relation to the OPS room. I did eventually learn my way around, sort of, but there was a lot of me wandering around going huh??? and I would say that I am pretty good at navigating and internalizing complex 3D environments.
So the game is a mixed bag, but where it excels, other than the combat against humans, is in its setting, presentation, and worldbuilding. The whole industrial dungeon + techbro horror vibe is super well done and the constant PR interviews and marketing bits playing on screens throughout the CREO facility are pitch perfect. The writing was sharper than I was expecting too. This game has a pretty clear viewpoint on silicon valley, climate change, the exploitation of workers, and it ties it all into the setting and level design pretty well. The NPCs are some dark souls ass NPCs to be sure, but that style of writing transplanted into this sort of setting is surprisingly novel, and they do a good job making them feel distinct. The sad, vaguely inspirational country song that plays in the OPS rooms is also an absolutely inspired choice, its exactly the kind of thing a corporation like CREO would pipe in to breakrooms to try and connect with and motivate its workers. And like, it literally works! I'm humming it to myself right now! I felt relieved every time i heard that song! You are so right The Surge, I was always as free as I wanted to be, always as free, as a bird.... It is true that you cannot miss what you have never seen before. And weren't we all born in a prison? The prison of this modern tech obsessed society???
I think what is the true mark of this game as a 7/10 game (complimentary) though is that I am still thinking about it a week after finishing it. Its a genuinely weird and ambitious little game that truly does go for it in all respects. Its got gumption and you know what I gotta respect that.
The combat system, where you can target specific limbs and chop them off after doing enough damage to acquire those gear parts from enemies, is legitimately very cool. Once you get the hang of it, the combat feels pretty good and has an interesting pace and rhythm and set of tactical considerations to it. When you are fighting humans. They put so much work into making this system feel good with humans, the most common enemy type, that fighting anything else can feel very janky and vague. The limb targeting still works on robots and such but only kind of, and their designs can make reading and reacting to their animations very difficult. And of course non-human enemies tend to be the ones that do the most damage and can often kill you in one or two hits. Many of the deaths in this game did not feel like they were my fault, and were instead due to jank, vague animations, weird hitboxes, and things that do way more damage than they look like they should.
The level design is also highly mixed. On the one hand the environment art and attention to detail is fantastic, and I respect how ambitious and complex they can be. On the other hand, they are often incredibly labyrinthine, far more so than anything Fromsoft ever made, and because they are primarily indoors there is a lack of landmarks to aid navigation. Many times I unlocked a shortcut and was extremely confused about if it had actually helped cause I could not for the life of me tell where the fuck i even was in relation to the OPS room. I did eventually learn my way around, sort of, but there was a lot of me wandering around going huh??? and I would say that I am pretty good at navigating and internalizing complex 3D environments.
So the game is a mixed bag, but where it excels, other than the combat against humans, is in its setting, presentation, and worldbuilding. The whole industrial dungeon + techbro horror vibe is super well done and the constant PR interviews and marketing bits playing on screens throughout the CREO facility are pitch perfect. The writing was sharper than I was expecting too. This game has a pretty clear viewpoint on silicon valley, climate change, the exploitation of workers, and it ties it all into the setting and level design pretty well. The NPCs are some dark souls ass NPCs to be sure, but that style of writing transplanted into this sort of setting is surprisingly novel, and they do a good job making them feel distinct. The sad, vaguely inspirational country song that plays in the OPS rooms is also an absolutely inspired choice, its exactly the kind of thing a corporation like CREO would pipe in to breakrooms to try and connect with and motivate its workers. And like, it literally works! I'm humming it to myself right now! I felt relieved every time i heard that song! You are so right The Surge, I was always as free as I wanted to be, always as free, as a bird.... It is true that you cannot miss what you have never seen before. And weren't we all born in a prison? The prison of this modern tech obsessed society???
I think what is the true mark of this game as a 7/10 game (complimentary) though is that I am still thinking about it a week after finishing it. Its a genuinely weird and ambitious little game that truly does go for it in all respects. Its got gumption and you know what I gotta respect that.
An attempt at making a game similar to Dark Souls, but with dismemberment.
It was a decent attempt. The sequel is definitely an improvement in every way.
The combat, which is certainly the most important aspect to nail in a game like this, feels a little floaty and not precise enough. The way you explore the levels and find shortcuts is a little too straight forward/literal, but hey, they tried. It's still worth playing, if you're a huge fan of the way From Soft designs games.
It's an example of not being able to get enough. I enjoyed this game because it was at least trying to be a game I'd love.
It was a decent attempt. The sequel is definitely an improvement in every way.
The combat, which is certainly the most important aspect to nail in a game like this, feels a little floaty and not precise enough. The way you explore the levels and find shortcuts is a little too straight forward/literal, but hey, they tried. It's still worth playing, if you're a huge fan of the way From Soft designs games.
It's an example of not being able to get enough. I enjoyed this game because it was at least trying to be a game I'd love.
Aside from a couple of not-so-good boss fights, this is good action RPG with pretty awesome combat. Can't get enough of making pretty crazy builds that completely changes my play style thanks to its pretty cool implants mechanic.
Very decent game, a Souls clone in terms of gameplay and how the game is played, but much easier.
Cool mechanics especially the limb amputation and the drone.
The only hard thing about this game was the exploration, this game is very tortuos and you get no fast travel and no map/minimap. Sometimes my brain was in pain because there were so many routes to take and i was getting lost very often but at some point you learn every shortcut there is :)))
Took me about 30-40 hours to get the 100%
Cool mechanics especially the limb amputation and the drone.
The only hard thing about this game was the exploration, this game is very tortuos and you get no fast travel and no map/minimap. Sometimes my brain was in pain because there were so many routes to take and i was getting lost very often but at some point you learn every shortcut there is :)))
Took me about 30-40 hours to get the 100%
simply love this kinda working class industrial horror. starts off tonka souls then pulls the rug out and goes all in on daedalic technomazes, gloomy maintenance tunnels, and the kind of homogeneity that makes for the best kinda fevered n fraught navigation. very reminiscent of early 90s pc dungeon crawling, and very much a product of outsized ambitions and design choices; the kind of thing that punches well above its weight and isn't shy about bringing new ideas to the table. we should be thrilled that a developer best known for sludge like lords of the fallen was capable of this much growth in a three year span. that's fuckin sick dude, good on them
it's a shame no one seems to want to engage with it on its own terms, but the pitfall of wearing the mask of a clone is that you'll naturally be treated like one. there's a question of who's at fault here and to what extent, but the response seems especially heightened when it comes to the souls games. nearly every deviation here is done with deliberate intent, for better and worse, yet nearly all of them are treated as if deck13 misunderstands fromsoft, rather than granting even the faintest possibility that fromsoft's fanbase misunderstands deck13
iframes were reduced to bring a greater sense of dimension and purpose to spacing and positioning. limb targeting and its balance between armoured + unarmoured parts create a risk/reward situation where efficiency and economy are at odds with one another while solving the grind dilemma. guard break and overflow damage penalize poor stamina management. dial-a-combo strings provide situational offensive options and punish mashing. duck/hop reward pattern recognition with stylish defensive maneuvers. fast startups hint to get the fuck out of kissing range. and the list goes on. attempting to untangle the R1/O meta isn't easy (tanimura found that out too) but it's evident most of these choices draw directly from fighting games / 3D brawlers and try to shift the dynamic to one where the entire toolbox is equally utile and necessary. these aren't boneheaded mistakes, they're a conscious uprooting of the established verbset
now that doesn't mean you have to like any of it. you don't!! this isn't even really about whether the game's good or not but the strange refusal to consider other modes of exploring a similar foundation. browsing all the long winded steam reviews started to make me dizzy; all this time and all these words dedicated to an almost intentional misunderstanding of what was in front of them. I have infinitely more respect for the guy who says "naw this feels bad" than the guy who puts on their souls veteran uniform and postures as authority like a hall monitor
starting to wonder if any of these games will please an audience that doesn't particularly want to be pleased. it's very telling that Lies Of P's the standout fan favourite because it's the only one where if you close your eyes you could pretend it was miyazaki; a body pillow for ppl whose most formative life experience was beating the capra demon. even dark souls 2 gets berated for experimenting indulgently and drawing more from fromsoft's naotoshi zin era, so pretty much no one's safe. I don't envy anyone working in this space; you either make Demon's Souls 6 or you have to deal with immovably uncharitable weirdos with literally no interest in making adjustments outside their comfort zone
I guess it makes sense, souls fans always struggled with adaptability
it's a shame no one seems to want to engage with it on its own terms, but the pitfall of wearing the mask of a clone is that you'll naturally be treated like one. there's a question of who's at fault here and to what extent, but the response seems especially heightened when it comes to the souls games. nearly every deviation here is done with deliberate intent, for better and worse, yet nearly all of them are treated as if deck13 misunderstands fromsoft, rather than granting even the faintest possibility that fromsoft's fanbase misunderstands deck13
iframes were reduced to bring a greater sense of dimension and purpose to spacing and positioning. limb targeting and its balance between armoured + unarmoured parts create a risk/reward situation where efficiency and economy are at odds with one another while solving the grind dilemma. guard break and overflow damage penalize poor stamina management. dial-a-combo strings provide situational offensive options and punish mashing. duck/hop reward pattern recognition with stylish defensive maneuvers. fast startups hint to get the fuck out of kissing range. and the list goes on. attempting to untangle the R1/O meta isn't easy (tanimura found that out too) but it's evident most of these choices draw directly from fighting games / 3D brawlers and try to shift the dynamic to one where the entire toolbox is equally utile and necessary. these aren't boneheaded mistakes, they're a conscious uprooting of the established verbset
now that doesn't mean you have to like any of it. you don't!! this isn't even really about whether the game's good or not but the strange refusal to consider other modes of exploring a similar foundation. browsing all the long winded steam reviews started to make me dizzy; all this time and all these words dedicated to an almost intentional misunderstanding of what was in front of them. I have infinitely more respect for the guy who says "naw this feels bad" than the guy who puts on their souls veteran uniform and postures as authority like a hall monitor
starting to wonder if any of these games will please an audience that doesn't particularly want to be pleased. it's very telling that Lies Of P's the standout fan favourite because it's the only one where if you close your eyes you could pretend it was miyazaki; a body pillow for ppl whose most formative life experience was beating the capra demon. even dark souls 2 gets berated for experimenting indulgently and drawing more from fromsoft's naotoshi zin era, so pretty much no one's safe. I don't envy anyone working in this space; you either make Demon's Souls 6 or you have to deal with immovably uncharitable weirdos with literally no interest in making adjustments outside their comfort zone
I guess it makes sense, souls fans always struggled with adaptability
Destroying limbs to unlock upgrades for yourself was kinda neat. Some areas were really cool to explore and check out. And some bosses were really cool. Notice I keep saying "Some." this is a very middle of the road game. No part of it is absolutely fantastic. Just some parts are neat.
Not as bad as the reviews say. The combat feels good and the dismemberment system never gets old. Weakest part of the game is the boss fights - they're either forgettable or crap.
This game has a lot of cool ideas but fails on almost every single idea, looks cool tho
Could have been a good game, held back by trying to be a soulslike. It's a good combat system but doesn't gain much by being difficult. Bosses aren't fun to fight. If this was just an action-adventure game, it'd be a lot more fun.
A very enjoyable soulslike. Great level designs and really cool ares to explore. Plenty of enemy types. Not that many bosses really and most of them aren't that challenging. Really fun combat and the limb targeting is a really nice feature, having to cut off certain limbs to get certain upgrade parts, really cool. Having said that the targeting can be a little jank at times and not being able to switch between enemies is a bit annoying.
Trophy wise, it's challenging but fun. I'd suggest a guide. There's plenty to miss and can easily mess up side quests. If you've plays souls games you know what it's like.
Trophy wise, it's challenging but fun. I'd suggest a guide. There's plenty to miss and can easily mess up side quests. If you've plays souls games you know what it's like.
Was starting off pretty into its smaller, sci-fi flavored Souls-like take with a pretty dynamic combat system and ingenious customization, but had to admit after some remarkable open-air areas it starts to get more and more confined and the loopy nature of the shortcuts is a lot less clever than how Souls games would approach it. So many vent-corridors. Still cool enough that I played it through and even enjoyed its relatively easy-to-master boss fights, but hoping the sequel fine-tunes this and has more inventive level design.
The Surge is a GREAT souls like. Aside some few bugs and problems the game can carry the player on his own terms to a good journey. Combat is top notch aside some dodge problems and simply dismember enemies to get parts is so underrated. If you like dark souls give it a try for sure
The sequel is much better, this is just kind of mediocre souls-like. Sequel pushes it further.
Didnt like the world
This game would be alright if it the level design wasn't so horrible. You literally need a guide right next to you while playing this game and even that isn enough to keep you from getting lost. Has a bunch of backtracking too and with the way the areas are made good luck navigating.
The combat ain't that bad actually and for an attempt at a souls based game is decent. The timer to get back to where you died though is ridic considering how far you can end up sometimes. The story is just weird because it tries to do the whole little bits and pieces together but instead you get a confusing narrative. If your looking to get a quick souls fix this may or may not do you good depending on how badly your itchin. ( Maybe go for Nioh or Code Vein) The last few hours of the game are extremely rough with navigation so it is one of the worse where the fuck do I go games.
Decent on a sale just know it can easily become one of those games you never touch because it feels like a chore to play.
The combat ain't that bad actually and for an attempt at a souls based game is decent. The timer to get back to where you died though is ridic considering how far you can end up sometimes. The story is just weird because it tries to do the whole little bits and pieces together but instead you get a confusing narrative. If your looking to get a quick souls fix this may or may not do you good depending on how badly your itchin. ( Maybe go for Nioh or Code Vein) The last few hours of the game are extremely rough with navigation so it is one of the worse where the fuck do I go games.
Decent on a sale just know it can easily become one of those games you never touch because it feels like a chore to play.
decent souls like i guess
lo unico que surgio de mi fue una rabia desenfrenada y ganas de arrancarme la columna vertebral con mis propias manos.
Estaba tan enfadado con el juego continuamente que literalmente no me he enterado de nada del juego que no sea el propio gameplay
Estaba tan enfadado con el juego continuamente que literalmente no me he enterado de nada del juego que no sea el propio gameplay