We’re living in a post-Dark Souls world, and there continue to be studios looking to iterate and capitalize on the revered, long-running series. BLAH is certainly one of those studios. Their previous title, Lords Of The Fallen, was a much more blatant and direct homage to Dark Souls, but now they’re back with their latest release- The Surge.
Just what is The Surge? Take the trappings of Dark Souls, and paint a dystopian sci-fi sheen over them in the vein of Elysium. That’s about all there is to it. You play as Warren- a guy with a disability that leaves him as a perfect candidate for an experimental procedure from a stereotypically evil and deceitful mega-corporation. The opening echoes Half Life 2, and events unfold as terribly as you might predict they would. From there, the game becomes a quest for equal parts revenge and understanding, as you make your way through a vast complex, clawing your way inch by inch to the top.
On the gameplay side of things, Surge makes a few key alterations to the Souls formula that does just enough to make it stand on its own, and innovate on several tropes that fans of the series are familiar with. For example, when you respawn after dying, your souls (called scraps this time around) don’t just sit where you died until you retrieve them. No, now they have a time limit. If you don’t scoop them up within the allotted time, they’re gone for good. Another great example is found in combat. Instead of just locking on to an enemy, you can target specific body parts. Exposed parts, including the head, do more damage, but wailing on armored parts raises your chances of getting that part as a drop once you take the enemy down. It’s smart little additions and alterations like that that really make Surge shine.
The Surge is an engaging game, to be sure. While no single aspect is mind-blowing or revolutionary, if you’re a fan of the Souls formula, this is a great addition to that lineage. While there’s a certain amount of jank present, it’s not enough to detract from your overall enjoyment. The world design is solid, if not a bit forgettable and unremarkable. The gameplay is engaging, but not addictive, and the enemy designs are well-rendered but not necessarily unique. There’s no other way to put it- this is a serviceable and enjoyable game, if not a bit forgettable.
And that may ultimately be The Surge’s greatest fault: there’s nothing about it that sticks with you. It’s an experience, you enjoy it in the moment, but once it’s over, almost everything about it evacuates from your mind. I don’t mean that to sound as damning as it does, but that was my experience with the game. I enjoyed it… but never really thought about it outside of actually playing it. Still, it’s a huge step up from Lords Of The Fallen.
While this isn’t required playing by any stretch, The Surge is a great distraction if you’re between games, or just looking for something a bit different. I would say that fans of the Souls games should check this out if only to see some of the gameplay ideas that have been iterated upon.
