The Surge 2 gameplay video gives an in-depth look at combat and settings

Dust off your exo-suit and grab a weapon, because The Surge 2 gameplay video will get you excited to explore the city of Jericho.

The setting of The Surge 2 is Jericho, a city under quarantined by the A.I.D. group who’s trying to stop the spread of a techno-virus by setting all sorts of blockades and checkpoints. Developer Deck13 has put in a lot of thought into creating different routes and ways to overcome these obstacles, which you will have to find for yourself.

One of the significant aspects of The Surge was to dismember body part out of your enemies and add them to your exo-suit. This system is back in The Surge 2. Using the limb targeting system, you can target unarmed weak points of your enemies and use it as an advantage during combat. Observe your target before you strike, and then execute.

Executions are flawlessly designed. Build enough energy, target the limb you can to cut off, and enjoy a gruesome slow-motion decapitation or arm-chopping. The limb does not have to be of a living organism – a robotic arm will do just fine.

One element I did enjoy during The Surge 2 gameplay video was the use of verticality in combat. For example, you can push enemies off a ledge to kill them instantly, though you won’t be able to collect any of their parts. You can use it to your advantage, but be careful not to be the one falling.

You will upgrade your exo-rig along the way with crafting schematics and collected weapons like you could in the first game, but now you can also upgrade your drone. Yep, you have a drone now you can use during combat, and modify it to your fighting style. You can also use it to unlock doors and gates using an EMP attack.

The enemy A.I. has been improved since The Surge, so you need to use consumables, like the bio-sensor which allows you to see enemies through walls. Luring an unsuspecting foe into an ambush will give you a leg-up, but be sure to finish them quickly, or they’ll call for backup.

There’s a new online feature debuting in The Surge 2, where you can spray graffiti in key locations to direct other players towards valuable loot or warn them of a nearby sniper. There’s a pre-determined set of symbols you can use, so it’s not exactly like the writing messages players leave each other in the Dark Souls games.

The most exciting battles are boss fights, and it looks like Deck13 put in some serious effort into how bosses should look and behave. The boss we see in the video is the Delver Echo, a giant nanotechnological construct that operates on basic programming similar to an animal’s instinct. It’s there just to kill whatever it sees. Like any other enemy, the boss has armored parts, and removing them will expose a weak point you can use to deal more damage.

If you’re feeling bold, you can try and perform a directional parry. It’s a risky move that requires precise timing, but it can stagger most enemies – even bosses. Press on the attack and land a few extra hits before it recuperates.

After the boss is down, the gameplay video ends. The Surge 2 sure looks like a good time for any action-RPG fan, and you’ll be able to play it on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One come September 24.

You can already pre-order the game if you want.