The Surge was one of the earliest reviews I did in this project, and the game that gave me an understanding of the mechanics of Soulslike gameplay.
In April I found that I had a Steam Key for The Surge 2, from the Humble Choice July 2021 bundle, and so I loaded it up.
For the last few days, it's been bugging me that the gap between play days and new plays was 19 days. It feels... unordered. Threw in a bonus newplay to round it up to 20.
The Surge 2, like its predecessor, is a sci-fi themed third-person Soulslike action-RPG.
It's also the game I've sworn more at than any other since January 1.
I've gotten frustrated with some games, but my frustration with The Surge 2 was on a whole different level.
After a cut-scene intro, followed by a character creator, you wake up on a hospital table in a prison.
Unlike the first game, you don't have an exo-suit, just a couple of defibrillator gauntlets. Yeah, I have no idea why.
The game does the same thing as the first one, too. Throws you up against larger enemies to teach you the movesets, and then suddenly throws you up against an armored boss.
Clad only in a hospital gownsuit (no bare bums here), and a pair of defibrillator gauntlets.
I died.
And died.
And died, and died, and died some more.
For the first 45 minutes I couldn't even land a single hit on him before he took me out.
The swearing became increasingly copious, eventually quitting out in frustration, and looking up a Google video on how to kill the boss.
It didn't help.
I went back in, and locked on, targeting the one exposed part of his body (his head).
Died.
Died some more.
Eventually I got a single hit in.
Died a few more times, ragequit and went grocery shopping.
Came back from the shopping, sat down at the PC and tried again.
I died.
I honestly don't understand what people see in Soulslikes. The sheer frustration of dying over and over again.
Eventually, I was managing to avoid him, so I was still dying, just slower.
Then I noticed he was telegraphing his attacks, and there were... gaps. I might be able to land a punch and retreat.
I did.
Then two attacks in a row.
I started to feel the pattern. I still died, but I was doing increasing damage.
Then suddenly... I didn't die. He did.
I won the fight.
It was then, that I understood what it is that people see in Soulslikes. Breaking through that frustration to clarity.
The satisfaction of taking down a boss that seemed impossible to kill, or even hit. Not by coming back with bigger guns, but by recognising the patterns, and countering them.
The Surge 2 is the Soulslike that gave me an understanding of the satisfaction to be found in Soulslikes, and is: