Guitar Hero was put on an indefinite hiatus back in 2009 when sales weren't meeting expected goals. Guitar Hero was also beginning to leave the eyes of gamers until February 2015 when rumors of a new Rock Band and Guitar Hero game surfaced. As of today, April 14th 2015, Activision has officially announced the reboot of the Guitar Hero series.

Many aspects of the familiar Guitar Hero formula have been changed for better or for worse depending on your opinion. Most notably are the changes to the guitar controller and the game's visuals. 

The crowd is live action as well and their reaction is determined by your guitar playing abilities. If you're good, then they will rock out. If you aren't, then they will make that known and begin to boo. 

Your band mates will also let you know if you need to start preforming better by doing things like glaring at you for hitting the wrong notes.

Now the controller has six buttons on the fret board. Three on top and Three on the bottom. The three on the top are all black and the three on the button are all white. 

The new fret board is actual a much better representation of an actual guitar than the previous Guitar Hero controllers. It seems the new developers are going for a more authentic and personal experience in the music world through Guitar Hero Live.

Guitar Hero Live will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, and Xbox 360 Fall 2015. 

Windows 10, the Next Big Thing for Microsoft

First of all, the release is July 29, next week. Excited yet? You should be. Not only are we getting a complete update for the famous operating system free for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, but also the much anticipated release of the phone assistant, Cortana, for specific phones. Windows 10's release not only offers benefits for PCs, but also for the Xbox, Windows phones and tablets, and other interesting devices like virtual reality headsets.

How To Get It

First off, Microsoft has made Windows 10 more accessible than ever before. The home version can be bought at the price of $119/£99/€135, but that's not the thing that's making people happy. It's the fact that anyone with Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 can update their OS to Windows 10 for absolutely free. Notable, however, is that this offer is only available for one year, so don't slack on that (though I don't expect that many will). Another thing that is absolutely notable is that this is update from Windows is quite special. It's the reason why I've been calling it an update for most of this article: it's more of an update than an entirely new OS. Not only is this slightly different in changing Window's philosophy to versions of Windows, but it's almost an extension of a previous Windows version. You can download and install this Windows without losing any of your data at all, according to Microsoft.

There are in total seven total versions of Windows 10 that cover many different systems, including Home, Mobile, Pro. Though those aren't all, those are the ones eligible for free download under the deal of upgrading from a previous version of Windows. Others include Windows 10 Enterprise, Education, Mobile Enterprise, IoT Core.

New Features

Windows 10 offer many functions that vary depending on the version from a better alt+tab to a better computer search to being able to schedule restarts, but for the sake of discussion, it could be most closely related at an improved Windows 8 in both appearance and functionality. While it's absolutely true that the release of Windows 8 wasn't exactly world-shattering in revolution – in fact, it was more of a step back in usability upon initial release – Microsoft has listened to the pleas and overhauled the entire thing, even skipping the number nine this time around.

Compared with Windows 8, Windows 10 has been stated to offer a more usable interface for multitasking and the return of the start menu verily. From the start (pardon the pun), the start menu employs Cortana, the assistant from Microsoft's Halo series who we all know and love. Stating that her integration will bolster capabilities in multitasking or general use through day to day activities, it's something quite new to see in an OS. While Apple has employed an assistant to some success, they've never spanned into desktop computers or anything larger than a tablet. Cortana will be the next big competitor, facing against already popular assistants like Siri and Google Now. Though I'm not usually one to touch the digital assistant, I'd be pleased to see what potential she has.

Because Microsoft has released their line of more portable devices, we've seen a blend in the styles between tablets and phones to those of down to earth desktops. Though the initial introduction of such a design in Windows 8 led to an experience of staggered usability, Microsoft has tried to learn from their mistakes and implement what are truly the best of both worlds. While there are features like "home" view, we still manage to have the tried and true start button amongst many other details that we might've been missing from Windows 8. As seen, one could imagine Windows 10 being a modernized Windows 7 and use it at that alone.

Another line of usability that might be drawing from tablets or phones that have the ability to directly multitask through separate windows is the fact that Windows 10 allows you to have multiple desktops. No, not multiple windows using the alt+tab, but actually multiple desktops with independent windows and applications open. This might be the most useful when you are doing two significantly different tasks, such as discussing a business plan on Skype and reviewing the Excel spreadsheets on one desktop while reading novoGamer on the other.

Something that is interesting is that, while in recent years security for devices have meant fingerprint scanners, swipe locks, and other neat things, that all changes with this new Windows. Not only does Windows 10 offer support for fingerprint readers like most devices do now, it also is planned to implement infrared face scans, 3D cameras, and iris scans. Yes, it is the future! Now we just have to wait for devices to actually have infrared cameras, 3D cameras, and iris scanners.

You might be reading this and find it underwhelming, the new features, but in total there are way too many to cover in one article. Microsoft has been slowly releasing the features behind their tech quite slowly, but that's only been adding on to the anticipation of it all. I believe we won't have a full grasp of what's to come until we actually use it for the first time – or we find out a year afterwards some amazing feature that would've come super handy had you known about it earlier.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge? What's that? You may be scratching your head that you've never heard of one of Microsoft's biggest features for Windows 10, and that's just how they want it: Microsoft Edge is the new Internet Explorer. That's right, Windows 10 will feature the new browser with a new name, no longer associating itself with the shoddy, slow one we love... to hate. Under the name Project Spartan until now, Microsoft Edge is reportedly completely redesigned. This might be your next favorite browser! That's right, favorite! Because the browser will be built into the OS, it will be able to operate at higher speeds, better efficiency to its already substantial performance, and will even feature Cortana. Yep, she's everywhere, even giving tips whenever you pose for a selfie on how to smile... not really, I hope.

One thing of note is that IE is still there, but not as a traditional browser. When certain plugins or third party programs are needed, Internet Explorer still serves a role.

How Windows 10 Is Going To Change Gaming

For gaming, Microsoft 10 is coming with DirectX 12. Yes, you heard me! No more DirectX 11, but a more powerful API with much stronger performance on all aspects. This is expected to expand the limits of PC gaming quite a bit, especially with better 3D modeling and such required games. The new technology is claimed to have better manipulation of graphics cards, "unlocking" their potential, as well as having backwards compatibility to DirectX 11 cards. GameSpot recently provided a test which results can be seen here:

Click on the image to see GameSpot's full article on the matter. Other features that Microsoft claims to be evident in the new DirectX 12 is a 50% power consumption reduction and just general higher performance for a better experience with gaming and more efficient computers. Because of this, it might be possible that this starts a new generation of graphics cards, and Microsoft has already been working with Nvidia to produce promising results.

The DirectX 12 release should also help Xbox users to see a boost in performance, as that console implements it as well for its graphics processing. It should be noted, however, that many Xbox developers have stated that they don't have high hopes for the new technology, in contrast to PC users. Microsoft's Xbox division boss, Phil Spencer himself stated:

"On the DX12 question, I was asked early on by people if DX12 is gonna dramatically change the graphics capabilities of Xbox One and I said it wouldn’t. I’m not trying to rain on anybody’s parade, but the CPU, GPU and memory that are on Xbox One don’t change when you go to DX12. DX12 makes it easier to do some of the things that Xbox One’s good at, which will be nice and you’ll see improvement in games that use DX12, but people ask me if it’s gonna be dramatic and I think I answered no at the time and I’ll say the same thing.“

Even so, we here at novoGamer believe that DirectX 12 will allow for a larger space for game developers to work with and also hardware specifications to expand. As Mr. Spencer said, we may not see a huge difference, but one may appear over time.

Another big thing for Xbox users, Windows 10 offers something pretty huge in the gaming industry. You know what gaming device is also owned by Microsoft? That's right, the Xbox. According to sources, Windows 10 is offering cross platform play between Windows and Xbox. While it's not clear how many games will be supported, Microsoft invited a few developers to create games to get the ball rolling and initial results have been reported to be successful. While it's not clear how usable the games are with the physical limitations of using a keyboard and mouse over a controller, it's certainly the next step with using cross platform play with the PC. Nevertheless, this will make the console/PC war a bit more literal.

Another interesting feature that will be featured in Windows 10 is supposedly Microsoft's Windows Holographic. Debuted earlier this year, Microsoft is trying to literally offer a Window (get it) into the virtual reality world. Very credible names like Oculus have already been invited to try to make games for the new device and, from early reports, it's working out well. What's amazing is that support will come with Windows 10. No downloads from their website, no extra programs.Virtual reality may become the next big thing for gamers at home, surprising many.

To pair with those awesome features, Microsoft will be releasing what they call Hololens: a full PC, packed into a small headset, completely standalone. During Microsoft's presentation of the technology, they featured the someone wearing the virtual reality headset building a small drone with 3D software by Microsoft named Holo Studio, similar to what you might expect from AutoCAD. Afterwards, they actually brought the drone on stage: she had been building it real time with a 3D printer backstage, which only goes to show the detail that can be managed through the 3D view. We can only hope that the same detail provides a crystal gaming experience when that very same headset will be undoubtedly used to stimulate virtual reality. One factor that will probably be necessary is that you may need to connect it to an actual desktop PC if you wish to play beefier games, but we might be able to see implementation of technologies like Steam's broadcasting service for wireless use.

Something interesting, however, is the thought that you have a 3D headset, right? And you also have Microsoft's shining, smart, blue A.I., Cortana. That's right, something you could very well expect is an actual holographic projection of Cortana coming out as your digital assistant. If that doesn't happen, it's almost guaranteed that someone will make one!

Last Windows Version

This will be the last version of Windows. Worried? You really shouldn't be. Because of how this Windows is being written, there won't be any big updates like this one anymore. This is what Microsoft is saying, but I wouldn't be too surprised if something pops up later in life. However, the reason why there doesn't need to be any more updates is because Microsoft is gearing towards smaller updates. Updates a little more like how Apple handle updates. When an Apple computer updates, it's something you do overnight or even just while you're out grabbing lunch; suddenly your computer is running OS X Yosemite and you're good to go for the rest of the day. Compare this to Windows, where every version is a purchase, a new install, and what feels like a new computer. No more of that now, as Microsoft is planning on making itself more of a service, meaning that it will provide small updates and improvements.

Microsoft states that this is all possible by making stuff in the operating system modular. Confused? It's really quite innovative. If you imagine a car, Microsoft has taken the mentality that you replace the outdated things, the parts that have been broken, the parts that can be taken out relatively easily without replacing the car. By using this metaphor, if you imagine that Microsoft would be able to fix the start menu, or maybe the desktop, or maybe Microsoft Edge, without updating any major changes. However, a car is likely to need to be eventually replaced, which is why I say that I wouldn't be too surprised to Microsoft 11 or Microsoft 12 jump out at us within the decade.

Remember to mark the date, everyone, July 29th!

Although the news of the existence of a System Shock remake isn't exactly new, this is the first video that has been shown to the public. Built on the Unity Engine, System Shock: Remastered Edition is Night Dive Studio's attempt at both a 1:1 remake and a re-imagining of the original System Shock. Some features, such as the user interface and graphics, are getting a completely overhauled redesign in order to feel fresh for fans of the original game and to be more viable to a new generation of players.

Stick with us as news of System Shock: Remastered Edition and System Shock 3 develop further.

In an industry that has seemingly forgotten how to make a proper RPG, Spiders have to once again remind us what an actual RPG looks like; and that RPG is The Technomancer. Developed by Spiders and published by Focus Home Interactive, The Technomancer is a third person RPG in the same vein as its predecessor, the criminally underrated, Mars: War Logs.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So it's a good thing that The Technomancer's weakest link happens to be redeemable. The Technomancer puts you in the shoes of Zachariah Mancer; a newly initiated Technomancer that is contracted to work with a powerful corporation on Mars. Unfortunately, revealing any more of the story would spoil too many of the twists and reveals. Oddly enough, many of the big twists aren't all that surprising, but the smaller, more character specific reveals, are much more surprising. The main story in The Technomancer isn't all that interesting or engaging, and mainly serves as a means to shuffle you along from one place to another.

Luckily, this is easily redeemed by the fleshed characters you meet along your journey. Zachariah isn't alone on his quests. You will also have two companions with you at all times, and you are able to choose from a large, diverse cast to bring along with you. Taking the time to speak to your companions is crucial as it not only will that unlock new quests, but it also allows you to get to know them. Almost all of you companions feel like real people with real goals. Given the desolate nature of the game, you will often hear a saddening story from a companion's past that is genuinely believable due to the writing and delivery by the voice actor. I haven't genuinely cared about a cast of characters like this since Mass Effect 2 from all the way back in 2010.

The world of The Technomancer feels well crafted and each location's culture and populous differ from each other. I can't say that it feels like a living, breathing world as you play because it doesn't. Sure, you will occasionally pass by groups of NPCs in city hubs talking about events that are unfolding, but these interactions are few and far between. Locations can range from giant mega cities constructed by corporations with a government run purely by corporate interest in mind, to slums put together over decades by people with scrap metal they happen to come by, to baron wastelands once inhabited by early settlers of Mars. Once you begin to tire of a city hub, you will be introduced to another filled to the brim with even more lore and quests.

One feature The Technomancer would have benefited greatly from was a codex for all the lore and characters. The world of The Technomancer is one of the most original and interesting I've seen in almost 10 years, but the only way to learn more about the game's lore is to ask certain characters about locations and factions or eavesdrop on NPCs speaking to one another.

Being that this is an open world RPG, you will eventually have to make moral decisions that will affect who lives and who dies or your own personal karma and reputation with other characters. Most of the choices you will have to make are fairly binary that have little lasting impact on you. The biggest punishment you'll get is a lowered reputation level for a certain faction, but that may also cause you to no longer be able to receive quests from the faction you scorned. In fact, there are a few decisions that are some of the most morally ambiguous I've ever seen in a game, especially for some of the companions and quests towards the end.

As a third person RPG, The Technomancer could have gone one of two routes; it could have been a generic cover shooter or it could do something original. Thankfully, we got the latter. Technomancers, themselves, are highly skilled warriors that are capable of using mage-like abilities to control electricity in battle for offensive and defensive purposes. The Technomancer focuses almost solely on melee combat, of which, there are three combat stances/modes: Warrior, Rogue, and Guardian. All of which are just as important as the others.

Warrior allows you to wield a two handed staff that swings somewhat slow, but deals a considerable amount of damage. You won't be able to block with Warrior though. Your only defence is to dodge. Rogue gives the player a short blade in one hand and a gun in the other. The attacks from the rogue stance are quick, but don't deal a lot of damage. The gun in this stance is similar to Bloodborne's as it is more of a defensive weapon to disrupt attacks with. Again, you can't block with this stance, but you can still dodge. Guardian, the final stance allows the player to wield a blunt object and shield. The attacks are about as fast as the Warrior stance, but you can actually defend yourself with the shield.

Initially, it seemed as though all you had to do was tap X until your enemies died, but you'll quickly realize that will only result in your own untimely demise. The enemy AI will adapt if you begin mashing one button and promptly counter you dealing massive damage. So you should be ready to change stances quickly, and adapt to the enemy and situation as you'll find one strategy isn't strong in every case.

Technomancer abilities do seem seem a bit underwhelming with their extent being electrifying weapons and shooting lightning from your hands to temporarily stun your opponent. You do feel a sense of superiority as a Technomancer since you hardly ever face enemies that have similar powers. Although this will amount to nothing if you take the combat as a joke because you will quickly realize that, if you aren't thinking, the enemy can get the upper hand and kill you.

In The Technomancer, exposure to the sun on mars will cause severe radiation sickness and transform people into mutants with deformed bodies and altered DNA. This is something that is explained in the opening cutscene and through a few other cutscenes along with the existence of the mutant factions in the game that have been exposed to the sun. Since The Technomancer already has a day/night cycle, this idea sounds great. You would only be able to leave cities at night to avoid the exposure to the sun resulting in the death of you and your companions. Sadly though, this isn't an actual gameplay feature. The only times that the sun's radiation is any danger to anyone is during cutscenes. Otherwise, it's purely aesthetic. That is such a missed opportunity for a unique gameplay mechanic.

You have no idea how refreshing it is to play an RPG that has the guts to tell you that you can't have every perk and ability in one playthrough. You will have to play through The Technomancer multiple times to see and experience everything it has to offer. For me, that's a proper RPG. You are more than welcome to level up each combat stance and pick new perks, but you will have to choose wisely. Often times you have to choose between perks such as doing more damage in a certain stance or increasing the likelihood of getting a critical hit. You can't have both. The Technomancer also isn't afraid to throw you in a big world and let you figure everything out. After a short combat tutorial, which you can choose to skip, you are on your own. It feels wonderful not being treated like a child and being led around by your hand.

Creating a game with a lived in world, compelling characters, and fully fleshed out combat just wasn't enough for developer Spiders. On top of everything The Technomancer has to offer, you are also given an in depth crafting system not unlike the crafting in Spiders' previous game, Bound By Flame. Almost every item of clothing and weapons can be upgraded and health items can be crafted.

In the world of The Technomancer, you will be able to find varying qualities of metal and leather, and misc items in containers and on defeated enemies in order to craft and upgrade items to survive longer on Mars. The upgrades for articles of clothing typically fall under three levels of damage reduction, disruption, and energy regeneration. Whereas, weapons can be upgraged for either increased damage, increased disruption, or increased critical hit chances. Again, just like the skill system, you can't have it all at once and will be forced to swap out and choose each upgrade.

You will often find yourself digging in trashcans or dead bodies looking for the last ingredient for your upgrade, or scrounging up enough money to afford a recipe to craft better upgrades. The crafting system is much more in depth and involving than I thought it would be and is almost a game in itself. Some enemies may be more susceptible to disruption, and some enemies are mainly susceptible to critical hits, so you will need to swap out your increased damage upgrade for an increased disruption upgrade or critical hit upgrade.

Don't expect the latest AAA lensflare simulator when picking up The Technomancer. Textures aren't anything to write home about, but some of the vistas can be downright breathtaking. There were multiple times where The Technomancer rendered me immobile as I stared at the awe inspiring view. As for texture models, they are serviceable, but in the current year just don't stand up to most games released so far. But if you only care about graphics, please stop playing video games.

The version of The Technomancer I played the most was on Xbox One. Obviously, it wasn't as graphically appealing as on PC, but some of the textures were surprisingly bad. Character and weapon textures were okay, but many of the rocks and buildings in the world looked almost untextured and seemed to be only a flat color. Despite this, the Xbox One version ran smoothly and hardly ever fell below 30 frames.

I mentioned briefly before that the voice acting is delivered well enough to compliment the writing and make characters believable. That is with the exception of whomever is voicing the playable character, Zachariah. His performance is constantly fluctuating between perfect delivery and "that tone has nothing to do with the situation." It's a shame really, because his performance is crucial to keeping players emotionally invested in the story, and I believe that's partially why I found it so hard to actually care about the main story. It's a good thing that your companions and the actual world of The Technomancer make up for that make up for it.

The soundtrack for The Technomancer can only be described as synth slathered supremacy. It is a large conglomeration of many instruments, but seeing how this is a cyberpunk game, synthesizers are the star of the show. The Technomancer knows when to expertly cut through a tense moment with a brooding 80's synthesizer that even Charles Bronson would approve of. And then the game knows when to play a soft melody during an emotional scene. Every track compliments the given situations and never feels out of place.

The Technomancer achieved everything it strived for. A non-linear, proper RPG with an emphasis on storytelling and combat. Admittedly, it stumbled over a few hurdles, but was still able to finish the race gloriously. For me, it's safe to say that The Technomancer is one of the best game of 2016. An indie developer was able to make a cyberpunk RPG to rival Mass Effect, one of the biggest AAA franchises on the market. Take that in, and do yourself a favor, don't miss out on The Technomancer.

Before I even begin, I already know the first complaint that will be made about The Surge. "It's just Dark Souls, but in the future." And while that's right, it's also wrong. It's right in the sense that Dark Souls is also a hack and slash RPG with an emphasis on patience and difficulty, but Dark Souls, nor Demons Souls, were the original pioneers of that subgenre of video games. They merely popularized it. The cherry on this bad comparison sundae is that The Surge having an original story and setting already sets it leagues above a generic medieval dungeon crawler with its only gimmick being that it's difficult.

As Warren, you arrive at CREO, a robotics company desperately trying to reverse the effects of climate change, for your first day on the job. You quickly learn that your character, Warren, is paraplegic. Now how are you supposed to play an action RPG as a guy in a wheelchair? Well, luckily for the player, the position Warren has signed up for at CREO needs him to undergo a painful operation that will give him the ability to walk again as well as giving him near superhuman strength. The catch is that, in doing so, he must agree to have a metal exoskeleton surgically bound to his body.

"Show, don't tell" seems to be the motto for The Surge's story. Similar to many games that follow this narrative style, you enter CREO's facility after it has already gone through hell, and your main goal is to survive the mad house and get out. Just the environment alone does a great job of visually telling you of what happened. It also doesn't hurt that there are occasional audio logs and survivors scattered around to help put the pieces together. While told in a way that has been proven to be great time and time again, the story itself isn't anything special and merely serves as a backdrop for the vastly superior gameplay.

While nothing entirely special at first glance, the visuals of The Surge are quite impressive for a middle market game. From the highly detailed combination of the flesh and metal textures on Warren's newly modified body, to the sprawling, seemingly lived in, facility of the CREO complex, The Surge is a testament to the fact that you don't hundreds of millions of dollars to make a pretty game.

At this point, we're all familiar with combining light and heavy attacks as well as occasionally blocking and dodging to overcome hack and slash gameplay challenges. So what does The Surge bring to the table? Instead of needlessly adding arbitrary gameplay gimmicks or complicating systems that were fine the way they were before, The Surge chooses to refine already tried and true gameplay as well as putting a twist on some to make it its own.

Normally this is the part where I would say something along the lines of, "if you're familiar with Deck13's previous hack and slash outing, Lords of the Fallen, you'll be right at home with The Surge," but that would actually be wrong. If you did, by chance, play the criminally underrated Lords of the Fallen, then you would remember just how slow and deliberate it felt. The Surge is not at all like that. While it's still just as, if not more, deliberate as its predecessor, it's also much, much faster. Think of the nature evolution from Dark Souls to Bloodborne in terms of speed, and that's one of the only Dark Souls comparison that can be made here.

It's the little things that have a place in my heart. Something as simple as targeting seems like something that doesn't need to be improved on or tampered with in anyway, right? Well The Surge does just that and now it's how I want targeting to be in every game I play from now on. There's many things you have to pay attention to in The Surge, and enemy's armor is one of them. The Surge allows you to target individual body parts in real time and make decisions on the fly of where your attacks should land to inflict the most damage.

"Cutting" was, by far, my favorite feature in The Surge's. To cut, you must first build up your energy level by successfully chaining together light and heavy attacks to perform an instant kill. The benefits of cutting also go beyond just an instant kill. Say there's an enemy with a weapon you want. Simply target the body part that the enemy is holding the weapon in and cut it off. The successful cut will result in the enemy dropping said weapon and allow you to pick it up and use it. This also works for armor, so mutilating your enemies is greatly rewarded.

Just having light and heavy attacks is so 2011. Why not have vertical and horizontal attacks as well being able to combine those with light and heavy variants? With the addition of cutting individual body parts, having the ability to choose between vertical and horizontal attacks was definitely a needed option, and we got it. You wouldn't want to swing downwards when attacking someone's legs, you'd want to swing from the side.

Killing enemies rewards you with experience points. Take those experience points back to the designated safe area to level up, but if you die before you make it back to the safe area, you drop your experience points and have to pick them back up, and returning to these safe areas respawns all the enemies. Sound familiar? Well it should be to anyone that's played this kind of game in the last 5 or 6 years. There's nothing inherently wrong with this formula because many developers in the past have proven it to be effective. The problem The Surge has with it though is that it spreads these safe areas out thinner than Assassin's Creed's premise. There's only one or two safe areas, or "MedBays," per level, and these levels are huge. So you're either going to have to trek all the way back to the only MedBay in the level or pray to God that you can make it all the way through to the next level. Having more than one MedBay wouldn't have hurt the difficulty, Deck13.

Starting on the outskirts of CREO's facility, Warren must delve into the heart of a robotics lab in order to escape. As far as level design goes, The Surge offers enough to serve its intended purpose, but still nothing to write home about. The levels go far beyond the samey grey corridors and interiors that you would initially expect from a fictional facility like this, and they even feel lived in, as if they were designed with an actual purpose other than mindlessly murdering enemies scattered around, but nothing ever really stood out to me; or gave me that "wow" moment.

I also couldn't help but feel somewhat let down with the sound department. Now don't get me wrong, whether it's a chainsaw tearing through flesh and metal or bludgeoning unsuspecting crazy people to death, The Surge elevates the sound of death to an art form, but the music is seriously lacking. You would think that a cyberpunk action game would be a great excuse for the developers to throw in some fast, hard hitting synthwave, but with the exception of some occasional ambient tracks and a single Stumfol track, your ears will be treated to musical stylings of nothing ft. nada.

While not exactly the greatest game Focus Home Interactive have ever published, The Surge is an incredible experience and worthy of standing among the greats such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne. The soundtrack and level design leave much to be desired, but I'd be lying if I said that wasn't all made up by the beautifully refined gameplay. The Surge is a win for Deck13, Focus Home Interactive, and anyone fortunate enough to play through this game of the year contender.