The Ascent. The best games released in 2021

The Ascent is perhaps the most detailed isometric game.

Release date: July 29
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Our rating: none (73/100 on Metacritic)

The Ascent is the first production from small studio Neon Giant, which took gamers' hearts by storm over the summer. What we got was an isometric Cyberpunk with satisfying shooting mechanics and proper RPG elements. Somewhere in the background, there is a plot about a failed corporation controlling society, memorable characters and our hero (or heroine) trying to regain his freedom and explain what really happened. However, something completely different is at the forefront.

The authors have created in The Ascent one of the prettiest, most atmospheric worlds in games, with the amount of detail visible at every turn coming to the fore, outstanding for an isometric game. It is also matched by the level design, narration through environment and objects found along the way. The gameplay is challenging and complex, but it all adds up to a lot of fun, which you can do in co-op with friends.

More about The Ascent

Darius Matusiak

Graduate of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Journalism. He started writing about games in 2013 on his blog on gameplay.pl, from where he quickly moved to the Reviews and Editorials department of Gamepressure. Sometimes he also writes about movies and technology. A gamer since the heyday of Amiga. Always a fan of races, realistic simulators and military shooters, as well as games with an engaging plot or exceptional artistic style. In his free time, he teaches how to fly in modern combat fighter simulators on his own page called Szkola Latania. A huge fan of arranging his workstation in the "minimal desk setup" style, hardware novelties and cats.