Last Updated on: 1st August 2022, 03:54 pm

The Ascent is a single/multi-player cyber-punk twin-stick shooter. A genre that was pioneered by Robotron 2084 way back in the early 80s. It is developed by Neon Giant, a small Swedish indie developer with a team of just 12. It is published by Curve Digital.

The release coincided with that of Cyberpunk 2077. This meant that the team had to contend with “plagiarism” allegations and inadvertent comparisons. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 4.

Gameplay:

The camera perspective is top-down isometric. You can pick off enemies further away or closer to you by aiming high or low. The Ascent also features a cover mechanic. On booting up the game, you are given the choice to customize the characters’ appearance. Allowing you to further augment it with upgrades and even gain new skills. Previously inaccessible areas can be hacked through the use of a cyberdeck device.

The game includes a robust physics engine and the environments are fully destructible. Since it’s an open-world game, you can choose to fast travel either via the subway network or paid taxis. Be prepared to grind for loot as endless waves of enemies spawn and drop them. In addition to single-player, there are both local and online co-op multiplayer modes.

Reception:

When it was originally released for PC and Xbox consoles last year. The Ascent was met with mostly middling response. With critics knocking the world for its vast swathes of emptiness with nothing to do. The game’s soundtrack was lauded for its use of buzzsaw synths. Which is befitting of the cyberpunk theme.

The PS5 version received slightly better reception. With the 8-month gap being plenty of time to bring the game up to scratch. The gunplay was described as tight and the visuals as beautiful. Specifically, the dynamic lighting and FX work were thoroughly approved of. Making it look at times like a AAA game.

It's our 1st Year Anniversary! We're humbled by the support and love we've had since launch. Thank you to our awesome community for sticking with us and for playing our game! We appreciate each and every one of you!

Now with that being said, we'll just leave this here… 👀 pic.twitter.com/v4JxRZe7i3

— The Ascent (@AscentTheGame) July 29, 2022

Fan Bait:

Now a tantalizing post on the developer’s Twitter page suggests incoming DLC content. Marking the game’s first anniversary, the developers have said that the support shown by the gaming community was humbling. And that each and every one of them that stuck through with them since the game’s launch was invaluable.

Then it left fans with a 10-second teaser video that suggests some new contract missions could be headed their way. Their Twitter page is abuzz with excitement. Though the developers are mum on whether this means entirely new content/expansion or if it’s merely a patch or update. So take it with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates!

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