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The Surge 2: Ten Things Every Player Should Know

It’s September, and with the arrival of the fall also comes a slew of new RPGs, including The Surge 2. In this article, I’m going to tell you Ten Things Every Player Should Know, to help make things a bit easier as you find your Rig. It makes no difference if you are a new player to The Surge series, or a veteran, these tips are designed for you!

The Surge 2: Ten Things Every Player Should Know

There are many things that will set players on the path to success in The Surge 2, but none is quite as important as Directional Blocking. This one mechanic can drastically improve your chance of survival, and can make some of the most difficult enemies trivial. Let’s begin there.

1. Directional Blocking

You first learn about Directional Blocking very early on in The Surge 2, but you won’t usually become proficient in it until much later on in the game. The Directional Block Analyzer Implant allows you to see the direction of incoming attacks, so you know which direction to Block. It just might be the most valuable Implant in The Surge 2, because without it, timing and direction are much harder to deduce. NEVER UNSLOT IT!

Since Weapon Types in The Surge 2 all use the same moveset, enemies included, you can quickly ascertain what attacks an enemy may do based on the weapon they are wielding (spoiler alert it’s the same as your weapons). Learn to spot the weapon, so that you can anticipate the attacks, and memorize the timing and direction.

Things get more challenging on Bosses that don’t use traditional weapons, and you must learn their timings from scratch. Bosses also don’t behave the same way, and it takes multiple perfectly timed Directional Blocks to stagger them. You can see the exact number it takes next to their health bar, and you can see there how many left you need to perform before the next stagger. Note that this number can change from phase to phase on a single Boss.

2. Weapon Swapping

One great feature that returns from The Surge is the ability to swap Weapons without interrupting combat to go to the menu screen. In order to set this up, you need to set Weapons you want to use as “Favorite” in your inventory screen, and then while fighting simply press “Up” on the D-Pad in order to swap through them. You can set just a 1 or 2, or a lot as Favorite and you will only cycle  through Weapons set this way. It can really help on Boss encounters where you need a little something different than what you are currently using. And, it’s even more useful because there is no longer Proficiency.

3. Quest Log

It can sometimes happen in The Surge 2 that there are so many ways to go, and you cannot recall where you’ve been and where you should go next. One really good way to help jog your memory is by taking a peek at your Quest Log and scrolling through the Quests there. This is handled much more clearly in The Surge 2, compared with its predecessor, so this can really come in handy. Don’t be afraid to check now and then, and don’t forget to finish Side Quests!

4. Mix & Match Armor

One great addition to The Surge 2 is the incorporation of “Partial Bonuses” on Armor. This allows you to slot 3/6 pieces of a Set and still gain a bonus, which creates the opportunity to mix and match. Figure out what you can get from each Set and plan accordingly. Sometimes having two Sets is better than filling out a complete one, even if it doesn’t look as cool!

5. Use The Drone!

One new aspect to The Surge 2 is  the Drone that can be used in combat, and outfitted with different modifications that do various things. You can use it to “pull” enemies to you one by one when there are a lot, or you can use it to take down one target quickly when you are out numbered. And don’t forget to use it during Boss Fights! It can make some Boss Fights much easier than they could be otherwise, and is great for hitting hard to reach places. Additionally, you can mark these as favorites and swap them on the fly by holding “Left” on the D-Pad and selecting the one you want!

6. Bank Tech Scrap

One of the great things about The Surge 2, is that it allows you to “bank” your Tech Scrap if you don’t have enough to reach your next Level and you don’t want to spend it on Crafting or Upgrades. This is a great way to prevent yourself from losing it, particularly if you have accumulated a large quantity, or if there is a tough fight coming up. Note that you get a modifier the more Tech Scrap you gain, so if you are farming Tech Scrap it is wise to hold off on “banking” it until you have what you need.

7. Diminishing Returns

Health, Stamina and Battery Efficiency all have diminishing returns, so pay attention to how much benefit you get from each Point you spend. The soft caps for each of these Stats are not the same, so you’ll have to decide how deep into each you wish to go. And, because of this, you won’t see as much benefit when leveling up from a certain point onward, only really gaining Core Power in order to slot better Implants.

8. Loadouts

One really cool feature of the game is Loadouts. This allows you to setup your character with a different set of Weapons, Armor and Implants that you can swap on the fly! There are a total of 3 Loadout slots, so you can save up to 3 different Builds for all different scenarios. Don’t be afraid to experiment and then swap back if you don’t like your new one!

9. Charged Attacks

Charged Attacks can come in extremely handy in The Surge 2, and are useful for breaking things like Shields on enemies that are hard to damage otherwise. They also tend to have much longer range than standard attacks, making them very versatile against specific enemies. Learn when to use these attacks, and what range they have for best results. Note that some Weapons have much better Charged Attacks than others!

10. Upgrade Your Injectables

Last on our list is upgrading your Injectables. This is very very important, because it allows you to store more charges, which can make harder areas of the game much easier. It’s essentially the equivalent of increasing your Estus Flask count in Dark Souls, and you need to do this or you may have a difficult time. The best way to get parts to upgrade these Implants is by decapitating enemies, so aim for the head and have at it!


Whether you’re brand new to The Surge or a returning player, these tips should help you to become more efficient, and gain a little bit of knowledge that might otherwise go overlooked! Be sure to check out our Surge 2 Review to see what we think about the game, and our Boss videos if you’re having a tough time on a specific Boss!

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