Only had the NG+ and Revenants achievements left so I decided to do that over the weekend. With 2 completed, all mainline entries of the Dead Island franchise are now done. Will probably go for the 100% on Dying Light next, sitting at 51/78 there. Shout-out to my friend Railgun335 who accompanied me on all 3 games!
My quick review of The Surge
The Good
.The combat differentiates itself from traditional Fromsoft souls titles
.The game starts you off as very vulnerable where an encounter with even two humanoid enemies can be a quick death but the endgame really nails the exoskeleton power fantasy with it's build progression
. Perfect blocking and slide attacks can both be satisfying and are highly recommended to deal with the games more aggressive enemies
.A unique take on the Soul Level upgrade system
. Exploration is rewarding and there are lite metroidvania elements
.Chunky and heavy sound effects
.The setting is quite unique taking place in a blue collar factory
. Interesting mystery that you can piece together with the scattered voice logs
.A certain robots storyline
The Mixed
. Most weapons feel heavy and swing significantly slower than what you might be used to
.Some weapon move sets feel like they lack rhythm which makes it feel like you like you can't string together more than 1-2 attacks
.The Music is mostly all forgettable and poorly mixed. They're almost impossible to listen to with how loud the bosses and you are during the fight.
.V2 Weapons are a nice novelty but can be frustrating to get especially without a guide (Think of tail cuts but much more arbitrary)
.NG+ adds some new enemy spawns but they appear to be only once
.Not enough is done with the main character, Warren, to warrant him being the main character rather than a voiceless protagonist like in traditional souls games. It's not a complete flop, but I wish there was more to it.
The Bad
.The story is interesting in it's premise but the conclusion isn't satisfying. Perhaps the sequel will make me change my mind!
.Enemy variety is lacking
.Bosses are at best mediocre. Very little rhythm to their move sets to get you immersed in a fight
Conclusion
Even though the game isn't strong in it's narrative or even it's bosses, I couldn't help but root for it. The gameplay is done well and I could see great things if the boss designs improved and enemy variety was expanded. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new souls game to play.
8/10