The Surge promises to redefine the action RPG with its brutal approach to sci-fi action and storytelling. With the game now available on consoles and PC, you should find yourself readying your Exo-Rig for battle out in the dystopian open world.

Our Schematics and armor farming guide won’t be of much use until later in the game, and definitely not before you get your first Power Core.

When you first choose your desired Exo-Rig and leave the medbay, you’ll battle your first line of enemies. You’ll also be tasked with finding a Power Core in order to activate your Exo-Rig’s broader capabilities and functions.

If you’ve struggled to find your Power Core, don’t worry: it’s easy to skip over it and find yourself in a bit of loop searching for it, so hopefully this guide will push you in the right direction.

How To Find The Exo-Rig Power Core

At the start of the game, leave the OPS area, head down the stairs, and take out those pesky flying robots that are lingering about.

Once you take them out, you’ll find other Exo-Rig enabled folk roaming about, except these people are hostile and, well, not really “people” in the common sense of the word.

You’ll get your first lesson here on limb targeting, which is described more in the aforementioned and linked guide about Schematics. Take out all of the enemies in this area, and look for an Exo-Rig that is banging up against a wall.

This enemy is the one holding the Power Core that you need to progress. Using the mouse wheel or right analog stick, target the enemy’s head. Use a combination of vertical and horizontal blows to kill the enemy, and it should drop your Power Core. If the enemy doesn’t drop a Power Core, chances are you’ve focused your energy on the wrong one.

Once you acquire the Power Core, return to the OPS Center and interact with the Medbay. Here you’ll be able to install the new Power Core. Note that doing so and restoring health at any point of the game will respawn all enemies in the surrounding areas.

The Power Core is an important component of your Exo-Rig, as it can — once powered up — unlock additional implant slots. Implants are important, as you’ll come to learn. For an idea on how to earn new implants and farm Schematics to improve your Exo-Rig, check out this article.