I bought Doom Eternal and yet the game I'm putting a ton of time into is.. The Surge 2
Initially I was skeptical of the sequel because it didn't seem to be going in a direction I would like. I decided to wait and I was rewarded for my patience because lo and behold, it's now on Game Pass. I played the original and really loved it, incidentally also through Game Pass, and I gotta say the sequel is just as much of a fun time sink.
Most of my fears about it are sort of true. The production quality didn't really go up. The story took a weird detour and the atmosphere from the original is completely gone. In a way this game reminds me a lot of Doom Eternal where it's a sequel that gives you a ton more of that same game but with some weird difficulty ramps and new systems. The first game had a really cool premise of being a regular assembly line worker taking on a job at this big future company and then through a strange incident.. a surge if you will... everyone in the place goes haywire and you're just trying to make your way out. There were strong Dead Space vibes of using these construction tools as weapons and armor. Surge 2 decides to go from a fun indie-sci-fi flick to a summer blockbuster without the budget. Now it's a city, there is a huge nano-virus, it's all blown out in scale but the production values are still kind of B-tier with the city having a ton of repeating, low quality textures. Also none of it really looks like anything. Technically it's a city but not really.. it's a weird mix of stairways and plazas that make no sense with rubble and debris filling in every corner and blocking off access. I mean it's alright but it does have a rough look to it.
The combat continues to be great though. They introduced this directional blocking move which much like Doom Eternals many new systems is a necessity to defeat some bosses unless you really want to turn each encounter into a slog. It's awkward in execution and the timing seems to be weirdly specific for each enemy despite the animation - some guys you need to parry really early to get it to come out while other enemies need you to be right on point when their attack would connect with you. It's weird, I don't love it, but with a bunch of levels and high armor I've gotten decent at it simply because missing doesn't mean death. Once you level up in the game and get a lot more room for error, experimenting during fights isn't as strenuous or as deadly.
I think the dev team really fell in love with the idea of shortcuts because the semi open-world map of the Surge 2 is absolutely littered with them. Once you unlock an ability to go up and down ziplines you will unlock so many ways to go back and forth between areas that half of them seem absolutely superfluous. Once again, with better production values this would have been amazing. As is it is fun but you are constantly running through bombed out buildings and run down streets.
The bosses are where the game seems to get uneven. You can be cruising through an area and hit a boss that will get you stuck for a while. Your mileage will vary of course, maybe I'm just not that good, but the first major boss gave me a good deal of grief. Then it was smooth sailing until a ways down the road I hit another boss that I just couldn't dial in. Of course in true "souls" fashion, I went to sleep, next day came back to the fight refreshed and clear of mind and got it on my first try.
Focus Home Interactive are keeping the B tier alive for better and worse. Surge 2 is a lot of fun but sadly as a sequel it doesn't do much to elevate it past that B-tier grade. Surge 1 was this great beginning and I was hoping the sequel would be bigger and better. It's bigger alright, and there are a ton of smart changes that make it a better game overall, but it's not the jump in quality I was hoping for. I do wish them all the best and hope that they make another one of these - but seeing as even me, a big fan of the first game, didn't go out and get this game on launch day I dunno how well it sold. I'm a scumbag and I'm sorry, but if you're in the mood for some really solid B-tier souls with a unique identity - hey give it a go for a $1 on Game Pass.
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