Info about The Surge:

Official game description:
A catastrophic event has knocked you out during the first day on the job… you wake up equipped with a heavy-grade exoskeleton, in a destroyed section of the complex. Robots gone haywire, insane augmented co-workers and rogue AI - everything wants you dead.
Defy deadly enemies and huge bosses in tight, visceral melee combat. Target and slice specific limbs off your foes, with a next-gen loot system where you loot what you dismember. Equip, upgrade and craft new weapons and armors sliced from enemies, and make yourself stronger through a fresh take on leveling-up.

Release date: May 15, 2017

Categories: Soulslike Combat, Action RPG, Exploration, Character Progression, Cyberpunk Setting, Boss Fights, Limb Targeting System

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 60; verdict: Aggressive Monetization; summary: The game has received criticism for its DLC practices, with users finding the DLC content overpriced and suggesting that some valuable items are locked behind paid DLC. This indicates a potential issue with Day-1 DLC, where content feels like it should have been part of the base game.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around complex boss mechanics, poor map design, and unclear quest outcomes. These issues significantly impact the user experience, making external data sources almost mandatory for progression and full enjoyment of the game.
- Steam Deck: score 20; verdict: Good with Minor Issues; summary: The overall experience of playing on the Steam Deck is largely positive, with users highlighting intuitive controller support and smooth technical performance. However, there are some issues with user interface navigation and visual quality that need attention.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Visually appealing graphics (weight 0.31): The game features beautiful and vibrant graphics that are well-detailed and have aged well. Players appreciate the visual appeal and the impressive environments.
- Engaging and strategic combat (weight 0.25): Combat is described as fun, satisfying, and original with a layer of strategy. It offers many options and becomes rewarding once mastered.
- Dark and captivating setting (weight 0.19): The game's setting is described as dark, engaging, and captivating, with a compelling atmosphere and interesting lore.
- Variety in combat and playstyles (weight 0.17): The game offers a variety of combat mechanics, playstyles, and build options, providing players with diverse ways to approach combat.
- Challenging and rewarding boss fights (weight 0.15): Boss fights are challenging but fair, well-designed, and rewarding, providing an enjoyable experience for players.
- Rewarding exploration (weight 0.11): Exploration is intriguing, charming, and rewarding, encouraging players to discover more about the game world.
- Satisfying progression system (weight 0.11): The progression system is described as satisfying and rewarding, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- Interesting and thought-provoking story (weight 0.08): The story is considered rich, interesting, and thought-provoking, adding depth to the game without being overbearing.
- Good voice acting and soundtrack (weight 0.08): The game features good voice acting and an engaging soundtrack, enhancing the overall audio experience.
- Enjoyable DLC content (weight 0.08): The DLC content is described as enjoyable and fun, adding value to the overall game experience.

Common complaints:
- Confusing map design (weight 0.37): The map design is widely criticized for being confusing, disorienting, and poorly executed, making navigation difficult. Players often get lost due to the lack of an in-game map and the convoluted layouts.
- Clunky gameplay mechanics (weight 0.17): The gameplay is described as slow, clunky, and lacking fluid movement. Combat mechanics are also criticized for being unsatisfying and shallow.
- Difficulty and balancing issues (weight 0.16): The game has notable difficulty spikes and balancing issues. The difficulty curve is described as more of a stairstep than a gradual increase, leading to frustration.
- Unreliable controls and camera (weight 0.12): The controls and camera are described as terrible and frustrating, contributing to a poor overall gameplay experience.
- Game stability issues (weight 0.12): The game is reported to have stability issues, including crashes and bugs that affect the overall experience.
- Unrewarding leveling system (weight 0.07): Leveling up in the game feels unrewarding and does not significantly help the player, leading to a lack of progression satisfaction.
- Disappointing narrative (weight 0.07): The story and narrative are criticized for being weak and disappointing, with no significant payoff.
- Enemy mechanics break immersion (weight 0.07): Enemies can deal excessive damage and have mechanics that feel unfair, such as hitting through walls or adjusting attacks to always hit the player, breaking immersion.

Gameplay feedback:
- Souls-like combat mechanics (weight 0.29): The game features combat mechanics similar to Souls-like games, including dodging, parrying, attacking, and stamina management. It also includes unique elements like adrenaline management and limb targeting.
- Interconnected level design (weight 0.27): The game's level design is interconnected, similar to Dark Souls 1, with bonfires serving as checkpoints for exploration and resupply. The levels are labyrinthine and maze-like, with few checkpoints and many shortcuts.
- Limb targeting system (weight 0.22): The combat system includes an innovative targeting system for body parts, allowing players to target specific limbs during combat. This system is tied to the dismemberment and looting mechanics.
- High difficulty level (weight 0.22): The game features a steep learning curve and high difficulty level, with challenging combat and boss battles. The difficulty is considered fair but demanding.
- Exploration and implants (weight 0.18): Exploration is a key aspect of the game, with players searching for implants that provide various abilities. These implants play a significant role in gameplay and customization.
- Cyberpunk setting (weight 0.17): The game is set in a cyberpunk or dystopian sci-fi environment, which adds to its unique atmosphere and aesthetic.
- Boss battles (weight 0.1): Boss battles are a significant part of the game, with each boss following specific patterns. The bosses are challenging and offer unique rewards.
- Build and gear variety (weight 0.07): The game offers a variety of builds and gear, allowing players to customize their characters and playstyles. This includes different weapons and equipment.

Performance notes:
- Well optimized for various hardware (weight 0.21): The game is noted for running smoothly on a range of hardware, from low-end to high-end PCs, including median PCs and even M1 MacBook Air with Crossover. It maintains a constant 60 FPS on GTX 1650 and above, and is praised for its optimization.
- Visual and graphical bugs (weight 0.13): Several players have reported visual bugs, graphical glitches, and issues with black windows. There are also specific problems with AMD graphics cards, including broken textures and driver issues.
- Miscellaneous bugs and issues (weight 0.11): Players have reported various bugs, including game corruption, loading issues, and frustrating bugs with drones. There are also mentions of general jank and technical hiccups.
- Performance issues and stuttering (weight 0.1): Some players have reported unstable framerates, frequent stutters, and FPS issues on stationary PCs. There are also mentions of performance differences between devices and high system requirements for optimal graphics.
- Gameplay and control issues (weight 0.1): There are reports of mouse movement issues, awkward animations, and problems with camera bobbing/smoothing. Some players have also mentioned issues with attack displacement and hit registration.
- Frequent crashes and stability issues (weight 0.09): The game is reported to crash frequently, with some players experiencing crashes every few minutes. There are also issues with instability on Windows 11 and random freezing on specific hardware.
- Compatibility and patch requirements (weight 0.07): The game requires a third-party patch to display correctly on modern AMD cards. There are also mentions of the game working smoothly on Linux.
- Graphical and lighting issues (weight 0.06): Players have noted issues with the game's lighting system being overly realistic, causing some areas to be excessively dark. There are also mentions of chroma shift and other graphical issues.
- Specific hardware performance (weight 0.06): There are specific reports of the game's performance on certain hardware configurations, such as stable 4K 60 FPS performance on AMD RX 6750 and GPU usage of 30-35% with power consumption of 100-120W.
- Mixed feedback on gameplay mechanics (weight 0.04): Some players have mentioned improvements in certain gameplay mechanics, while others have reported issues with motion blur and lens flare.
- Sound and spatialization issues (weight 0.02): Some players have reported poor spatialization in sound, which can affect the overall gaming experience.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale (weight 0.24): Many reviews suggest purchasing the game during a sale to get the best value for money. It is often considered worth the investment when discounted.
- Challenging gameplay appeal (weight 0.12): The game is suggested for players who enjoy difficult and rewarding gameplay. It is noted for its complex level design and challenging combat.
- Gameplay and strategy tips (weight 0.11): Reviews offer various tips and strategies for combat, exploration, and character upgrades, suggesting a depth in gameplay mechanics.
- General recommendation (weight 0.07): Several reviews simply recommend the game without specific conditions, indicating a general positive reception.
- Specific audience recommendations (weight 0.07): The game is recommended for specific audiences such as fans of sci-fi action games, those who enjoy crafting and upgrade systems, and players looking for a different flavor in the Souls-like genre.
- Unique and addictive experience (weight 0.07): Some reviews highlight the game as a unique gem in the Souls-like genre, offering an addictive and time-consuming experience.
- Worth trying with reservations (weight 0.06): Some reviews mention that the game is worth playing but comes with frustrating aspects. It may not be suitable for everyone due to its tedious and unrewarding gameplay for some.
- Not worth the time or money (weight 0.05): A few reviews state that the game is not worth even a low price or the time investment, indicating significant dissatisfaction.
- Controller and system recommendations (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for controller users and those with low-end systems or portable devices, indicating good optimization and control scheme.
- Sequel recommendation (weight 0.02): Reviews suggest playing the sequel for a smoother experience, indicating that the sequel might have addressed some issues present in this game.

Other player notes:
- Niche appeal for specific fans (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for fans of the genre but may not appeal to casual gamers.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.33): Players are frustrated by a range of gameplay issues, including poor balancing of weapons and gear, clunky controls, and confusing level design. The game's high difficulty, lack of clear explanations for mechanics, and various technical issues such as camera problems and hardware compatibility also contribute to this frustration.
- Frustrated (weight 0.12): Players are frustrated by the game's confusing map design, repetitive combat, and high difficulty. Technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and poor optimization also contribute to this frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players express satisfaction with the game's unique mechanics, such as the dismemberment system, and the overall combat experience. The game's graphics, story, and progression systems are also highlighted as positive aspects.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Players feel disappointed due to the game's slow and clunky gameplay, unsatisfying weapons, and shallow combat. The lack of rewarding exploration, incoherent storyline, and performance issues also contribute to this disappointment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the game's unique combat mechanics, detailed graphics, and engaging atmosphere. The dismemberment system and the variety of builds are also highlighted as positive aspects.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the game's combat mechanics, unique setting, and engaging gameplay. The variety of attacks, rewarding combat, and the overall fun experience contribute to this enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Players are excited by the game's innovative combat and progression systems, unique mechanics, and high production values. The limb dismemberment system and the variety of weapons and gear also contribute to this excitement.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Players are confused by the game's overly convoluted map design, especially in later chapters, and the lack of clear navigation aids. The unclear and confusing story also adds to this confusion.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's unique mechanic of targeting body parts for new armor and weapons. The interesting story and setting also contribute to this interest.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry due to poor design choices, lack of reward for persistence, and frustrating boss fights. Enemies can randomly hit and one-shot the player, adding to the frustration.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's creative and well-designed aspects, including its level design and armor functionality. The game's unique setting and mechanics are also highlighted.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Players find joy in the game's combat mechanics and overall fun experience. The game's setting and immersion also contribute to this joy.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's interesting limb dismemberment mechanic and the cyberpunk/dystopian future setting. The unique mechanics and overall experience also contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Positive (weight 0.01): Players have a positive view of the game's innovative mechanics and overall experience. The game's unique ideas and feel-good moments contribute to this positivity.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sadness due to the emotional side stories and the narratives of NPCs. These stories add a layer of depth and emotional engagement to the game.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to the repetitive level design and gameplay. The lack of variety in enemy animations and the monotonous nature of the game over time contribute to this boredom.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Players are curious about the game's engaging narrative and world-building. The mixed experience of fun and curiosity keeps players interested.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the variation in boss difficulty between playthroughs and the impressive graphics and performance. These elements add an unexpected layer of challenge and visual appeal.}