'The Surge' First Boss Guide: How to beat the PAX boss

Impact

Deck13's The Surge is a follow-up to its 2014 game Lords of the Fallen. Much like Lords of the Fallen, The Surge is a Dark Souls-inspired romp that takes place in "a world ravaged by war and global warming." The Surge puts you in command of Warren, a man who signs up to be part of a corporation called CREO's exo-rig program to gain the ability to walk again. 

Naturally, his first day at work doesn't go as planned.

In true Souls-like fashion, The Surge tasks you with topping bosses, many of which are much larger than Warren, even in his exo-rig. If you're having some trouble beating the first boss, Pacification Automaton X, we've got the scoop on how to do it.

The Surge first boss guide: Know when to attack and when to dodge

According to USGamer, as soon as the fight starts with PAX, you'll want to close the distance between you and the boss fairly quickly. Circle-strafe around the machine by targeting either one of its legs, but don't get overly-aggressive: Attack when it finishes its own attack animation and be ready to move.

Any one of the PAX's attacks will take a pretty massive chunk of your health if it hits you, so you have to keep moving. One of its favorite moves is to stomp the ground around it, which it can do several times in quick succession. Getting caught in this will probably spell the end for Warren, so make sure you can read PAX's tells and back off to a good distance before it uses the maneuver.

Never stand in front of it, since PAX loves to slice at you with its giant arm blades if you do. Stick to its sides and wait for an opening. If it manages to use its special attack where it fires off a bunch of homing missiles, dodge until the barrage lets up, which should only take a few seconds.

Warren's special move — its charge is indicated by the orange bar — will knock PAX down, allowing you to land precious hits on its head. Keep at it and read its tells, and the big ugly robot should go down in short order. It's only the first boss, after all.

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