The Ascent
Release Date: July 29, 2021
RPG, cyberpunk, science fiction, isometric view, for 2 players, co-op, shooters, action RPG, splitscreen, PS Plus Premium, PS Plus Extra, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet
Gamepressure
Steam
Isometric shooter and Neon Giant studio debut. We hit the cyberpunk world and try to discover the truth about the collapse of the ruling corporation.
Last Update: July 29, 2021
The Ascent Guide
The Ascent guide contains Beginner's Guide, best tips and guide to hacking, exploration, character development, combat and healing. We describe all boss fights, system requirements and controls.
July 29, 2021
The Ascent Review - What If Cyberpunk 2077 And Diablo Had a Baby?
Do you happen to be a Xbox Game Pass subscriber? If not I suggest you to quickly become one. A cyberpunk adventure like no other awaits you and three of your friends in The Ascent. Just make sure they all know how to shoot.
Videos and Screens
[0:51] The Ascent RTX trailer
[1:30] The Ascent trailer #2
Gamepressure Review
The Ascent
Do you happen to be a Xbox Game Pass subscriber? If not I suggest you to quickly become one. A cyberpunk adventure like no other awaits you and three of your friends in The Ascent. Just make sure they all know how to shoot.
The main pros of the game
- Visuals and World Design: The game is praised for its stunning graphics and rich, immersive cyberpunk environments. Many users appreciate the attention to detail and the overall art direction, which contributes to a captivating atmosphere.
- Gameplay Mechanics: The combat is described as satisfying, with engaging shooter dynamics. The game is considered fun, especially in co-op mode, and many players enjoy the action-packed gameplay.
- Soundtrack and Audio: The music and sound design receive positive remarks, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- Co-op Experience: Several reviews highlight the enjoyment of couch co-op gameplay, making it a fun experience when played with friends.
The main cons of the game
- Bugs and Technical Issues: A significant number of reviews mention frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer mode. Players have experienced freezing and framerate drops, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- Navigation and Map Design: The map is criticized for being unintuitive and lacking functionality. Players often find it challenging to know where to go, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- Repetitive Gameplay: Some users find the gameplay to become monotonous over time, with a lack of variety in missions and enemy encounters. The fetch quests and overall quest design are seen as uninspired.
- Short Length and Pricing: While some enjoy the game, others feel it is overpriced for its length, which is around 15 hours for the base game.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Improved Multiplayer Functionality: Users express a desire for better online multiplayer features, including an invitation system and more robust co-op options, as the current setup can be cumbersome.
- Inventory Management: Players note the absence of a proper inventory system, making it difficult to manage equipment and duplicates effectively.
- Depth in RPG Elements: Many reviewers feel the game lacks depth in its RPG mechanics, such as meaningful interactions with NPCs and a more engaging story.
- Quality of Life Improvements: Suggestions for enhancements include better navigation aids, clearer quest markers, and a more streamlined gameplay experience to reduce the amount of backtracking and running between locations.
Summary
- Overall, while The Ascent has a lot of potential and offers an enjoyable experience, particularly for fans of the cyberpunk genre, it suffers from various technical issues and design shortcomings that impact player satisfaction.
Summary generated on:
The Ascent Description
The Ascent is Neon Giant's debut project. The team was founded in 2018 and was made up of industry veterans who worked on titles like Bulletstorm, Far Cry 3 or Doom. The developer's first work is an isometric cooperative shooter with RPG elements in the style of cyberpunk and pure science fiction. Curve Digital is responsible for releasing the game.
Plot
The Ascent is set in a fictional futuristic reality, on the planet Veles. The world is ruled by a huge corporation The Ascent Group, controlling everything and everyone. The adventure begins when the almighty corporation collapses in mysterious circumstances - which, despite appearances, is not a cause for joy. A society deprived of supervision and protection is at the mercy of bandits and small companies fighting each other.
It is in such circumstances that we meet the main hero (or heroine) - a prole, i.e. one of the millions of mercenary workers de facto enslaved by the Ascent group. Carrying out successive orders, the protagonist tries to regain his freedom and at the same time discovers the circumstances of the corporation's collapse.
Gameplay
The Ascent uses the classic gameplay of isometric shooters, spiced up with elements characteristic of hack'n'slash action RPGs. In the course of the main and side quests we explore various locations in the semi-open world, where we deal with numerous enemies using a wide range of firearms, gadgets and cybernetic enhancements. The combat is semi-tactical in nature - the key to success is using cover and dodging attacks. In addition to loot (especially weapons and armor pieces), the rewards for winning battles and completing missions are experience points, which we invest in improving our character's stats.
Co-op
The Ascent allows you to go through the campaign alone, but at any time up to three friends can join us in co-op mode (over the network or locally, on a shared screen).
Technical aspects
Neon Giant Studio took advantage of Unreal Engine 4 technology to develop very detailed locations and give them a distinct character, e.g. thanks to the multitude of lighting effects. Also noteworthy are the streets populated with crowds of NPCs, often falling victim to the protagonist and his opponents during exchanges of fire, which can occur virtually anywhere.
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The Ascent Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows July 29, 2021
PlayStation 5 March 24, 2022
Xbox Series X/S July 29, 2021
PlayStation 4 March 24, 2022
Xbox One July 29, 2021
Developer: Neon Giant / Dreamloop Games (PS4) / Dreamloop Games (PS5)
Publisher: Curve Games / Curve Digital
The Ascent System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: (30 fps / 1080p) Intel Core i5-3470 3.2 GHz / AMD FX-8350 4.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 / 8 GB Radeon R9 390X or better, 35 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: (60 fps / 1080p) Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz, 16 GB RAM, graphic card 8 GB GeForce GTX 1070 / Radeon RX 5700 or better, 35 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Cyberpunk Black Horse of 2021, The Ascent, With Big Expansion
The Ascent: Cyber Heist will take us to a whole new place full of unknown enemies and technology. And it's coming soon.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
August 4, 2022
Chernobylite and The Ascent Among Steam's Biggest July Releases
Valve presented the July list of the best launches on Steam, in terms of revenue. The mentioned games include Chernobylite and The Ascent, as well as remasters of the classic first three installments of Final Fantasy.
video games
August 24, 2021
The Ascent's Cyberpunk World is Even More Beautiful in FPP
The Ascent from Neon Giant has been impressing with its visuals for almost two weeks now. The details of the cyberpunk world can be examined even more closely - just run the FPP mode.
video games
Hubert Sledziewski
August 11, 2021
The Ascent Now With Ray Tracing in Xbox Game Pass; New Patch Available
Neon Giant prepared a huge patch for The Ascent. The update will not only fix a ton of bugs, but also add the missing ray tracing support in the Xbox Game Pass version of the game.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
August 6, 2021
The Ascent is the Biggest Commercial Success Curve Digital's History
The Ascent has recorded the best debut in Curve Digital's history. The small Swedish team's cyberpunk action RPG is selling well and generating a lot of interest.
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August 5, 2021
The Ascent Conquers Steam; Tribes of Midgard With Good Launch
In the past week, New World did not give up its position as the leader in sales on Steam. Despite this, the devs of The Ascent and Tribes of Midgard have reasons to be happy - both titles recorded a very good launch.
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August 2, 2021
The Ascent Devs Are Working to Improve the Xbox Game Pass Version
Tor Frick, co-founder of Neon Giant, the studio responsible for The Ascent, addressed the criticism of the Xbox Game Pass version of the game on Twitter.
video games
Adrian Piotrowski
August 1, 2021
The Ascent Launched to Positive Reviews; Gamers and Experts Delighted
Yesterday marked the release of The Ascent, an isometric action RPG in cyberpunk style. Both players and reviewers assess Neon Giants' game positively.
video games
Michal Ciezadlik
July 30, 2021
Cyberpunk Action RPG The Ascent Launches Today
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Ignacy Ziarkiewicz
July 29, 2021
Lots of New Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass Soon, Including Microsoft Flight Simulator on XSX|S
We've learned the list of games coming to Xbox Games Pass in the last days of July. Of particular note are The Ascent and Microsoft Flight Simulator for Xbox Series X and S.
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July 20, 2021