The Surge 2 is set to bring the post-apocalypse to a metropolis in the form of Jericho City, but it's the game's customization and combat that sets it apart after a series of tantalizing trailers over this past summer. The Surge 2 is the follow-up to the 2017 game The Surge, which also put players into a powerful mechanical exoskeleton that formed the foundation of how they experienced the world around them.
It's a major departure for The Surge 2 to take place in Jericho City, however, as its predecessor was limited to the confines of an industrial lab that had fallen into ruins. While Jericho City isn't in the best shape itself, it will offer players a lot of leeway in terms of where to explore, what to pursue, and how to engage with the environment around them - not to mention more opportunities to change scenery, creating a game that pops more visually and should feel distinct from the first title. Those interested in a look at just how Jericho City is laid out - and just how depressing it really looks - can check out The Surge 2's E3 2018 trailer that first put the game on the map. In The Surge 2, players will explore Jericho City and fight off a number of new factions, from cultists to nanomachine monstrosities while a mysterious girl named Athena, showcased in the game's story trailer, seems to position herself at the center of the mysterious story. Fans have also gotten a look at how the motion capture process for The Surge 2 will give it more realistic characters and smoother battles.
The Surge 2's story trailer is fascinating, but it's the glimpses at action that have really hooked fans looking for another dose of the IP's challenging, visceral battles. In a trailer first debuted at Gamescom, The Surge 2 impressed thanks to a heavy focus on customization. The game brings back the ability to target specific parts of enemies to use to better the player's exoskeleton, and it really is one of the most appealing elements of The Surge 2. Seeing an enemy wearing interesting gear and wielding new weapons, figuring out how to take them down, then targeting it for acquisition is a gameplay loop that other action titles don't have in such detail, and it makes every Soulslike battle an opportunity to measure enemies to see if they're worth more delicate combat in order to get their gear. It's well worth a look and, while fans are at it, The Surge 2's Combat trailer is a tantalizing look at how some of those moves will be put to good use against the game's increased number of boss fights.
There are also a number of changes coming to The Surge 2's combat, which is headlined by something revealed during the dev gameplay walkthrough trailer for The Surge 2 - directional parries, which are a high-risk defensive maneuver that allows players to pivot quickly into offense. It looks gorgeous in the trailer and smooths out an already crisp combat system even more. In the Overcome. Upgrade. Survive. Surge 2 trailer, fans were also treated to a look at more weapon types that will completely open up the gameplay - some of the game's 80 weapons even split apart from big, hulking weapons into two-handers with more agile applications..
The Surge 2's combat will also completely overhaul the drone system from the first game to enable a great deal of combination attacks during combat that simply weren't possible in the first iteration, as shown in the Surge 2 Gameplay Overview Trailer that also debuted at Gamescom this year. As is the case with most things in The Surge 2, the drone is also customizable, with players able to acquire new modules that can enable sniping gameplay or crowd control in the form of Molotov cocktails. Drones will be available at any point during fights but some of the modules will consume ammunition, making some of them riskier propositions if they fail to connect in the way that players want, but they'll be devastating when used correctly, as shown in the trailer - adding further depth to combat that already feels like it will be some of the best available in the fall 2019 release window. Even more depth was on display in that trailer, which also showcased gear set bonuses, a new addition to The Surge 2 that will offer perks for finding and equipping matching gear sets.
The Surge 2 looks for all the world like a game that has learned from the original Surge and will apply those lessons to great effect in the follow-up effort. Fans know that developer Deck13 can bring intriguing combat to the table and that looks to be the case here as well - all that remains to be seen is if The Surge 2 can get players interested in Jericho City and if limb-based targeting and loot can be just as compelling the second time around.
The Surge 2 releases September 24, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
This article was sponsored by Focus Home Interactive.