Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 73 | 30 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 83 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 70 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 64% | 63 | 33 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 93 reviews sampled · 92 total reviews in window · weighted 51.1 up / 29 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (128)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“The Surge is a good attempt to shift Souls mechanics into a world of a technological future, but a general secondariness, samely levels, problems with combat and boring enemies leave a touch of disappointment. In addition, the developers have not added multiplayer modes, which can be considered to be an obvious omission. However, to the credit of Deck 13, the game does not cause irritation, allowing you to spend time waiting for new additions to Nioh or a next project from Hidetaka Miyazaki.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Surge is all about tough fights. Battles are the main reason why you should try it, and maybe beat it to the end. But sometimes game becomes ridiculously hard just for the sake of being ridiculously hard, which is more annoying than fun.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In our present-day world, its prediction of a violent worker-versus-worker future feels hauntingly plausible.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Engaging upgrade system and a few interesting twists in its combat, such as limb targeting, makes The Surge more than a “Souls”-like carbon copy. Deck13 deserve all the praise.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Surge also has an admirable interest in real-life and a rare anger that manifests in excellent scenes of violence. But as well as being racked with contradictions (not to be mistaken with nuances) its length and the genre conventions into which it so heavily leans dramatically undermine what could have been a potent satire.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Deck13 really stepped up their development game since Lords of the Fallen. They have managed to address most of the complaints consumers had about that game, namely the slow combat mechanics, and delivered an enjoyable experience through and through.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Fast-paced combat, limb-specific attacks, easy to understand crafting, and flexible levelling is what sets The Surge apart from its peers and, at times, puts it ahead of the Souls series. The bulk of the gameplay, and indeed much of the narrative pacing, is lifted straight from Lords of the Fallen and should be familiar to fans of the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Unlike Deck13's predecessor, The Surge has personality of its own and introduces lots of new tricks, even if a couple of them are pointless. At its worst, the environments are samey, and the lack of variety of enemies are real noticeable flaws in what could have been a cult classic. The shockingly few boss fights are also a disappointment; since robots and cyborgs are so limitless in possibility for design, it is almost heart-breaking that The Surge is so restrained with what it does have. In spite of its shortcomings, this does come recommended from a user who has been intimate with these kinds of games since Demon's Souls. It gets a lot of things right, and does stand out, thanks to its atmosphere, lack of hand holding and, of course, the brutal action.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Surge is an excellent action RPG that will provide countless hours of entertainment for fans of the genre and newcomers alike. Deck 13’s latest creation deserves recognition, as the developers were able to learn from their past mistakes and use the experience gained with Lords of the Fallen to release a title that can stand proudly among the classics.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Surge has a lot of nice ideas, but most of them are stomped on by conflicting with the game design. Not a bad Souls-like, but not one that's particularly easy to recommend either.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The Surge had potential, but its excellent combat systems are baked into a game that can't do them justice. The repetitive and drab environments are a huge hindrance, and when combined with a confusing network of corridors, hallways, and ledges, it's easy to become frustrated, misled, and lost. You may find some fun experimenting with your attack options and the smooth framerate on the PS4 Pro does help to make that a better experience, but expecting anything more than that will only set yourself up for disappointment.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The most important achievement for Deck 13 with The Surge is that you can't accuse them of copying games like Dark Souls. The game has some problems specially in story telling but as a whole, The Surge is an enjoyable experience.”
read full review ↗
GameMAG
3DNews
Slant Magazine
Hu3br
Paste Magazine
Total Gaming Network
Nexus Hub
Cubed3
Gaming on PC
PC Invasion
Push Square
Zoomg…and 116 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- The Surge Patch 15: Various DLC Tweaks and FixesNov 27, 2018
- Patch 11: Various Tweaks and FixesDec 21, 2017
- Patch 11: Various Tweaks and FixesDec 21, 2017
- The Surge: A Walk in the Park now available!Dec 5, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 6 - More Tweaks And Fixes!Jul 18, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 6 - More Tweaks And Fixes!Jul 18, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 5 - Tweaks and Fixes!Jun 26, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Update 5 - Tweaks and Fixes!Jun 26, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- First Major UpdateMay 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- First Major UpdateMay 31, 2017significant · resets scoring window