The Ascent is the newest action-RPG shooter launching exclusively on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass.
You can grab it on the Xbox Store or Steam for £24.99. Alternatively, the game will be available at no extra cost if with your Xbox Game Pass subscription. The Ascent caps off another incredible month for the service as one of 4 new titles to arrive on the scheme today alone.
Like many other cyberpunk worlds – Cyberpunk 2077, anyone? – The Ascent is rife with social criticism. The Ascent Group is a towering, neon-drenched city, full of species from across the galaxy and run by mega-corporations. You play as a worker enslaved by one of the corporations in charge everything in your district.
As The Ascent Group suddenly shuts down, chaos ensues and leaves you stuck right in the middle of it. Your journey through the industrial, sci-fi city will take you all over its various districts, from the deep slums to luxury suites.
I say journey, but the game looks more like a violent bullet-spree through the city. You’ll be able to take advantage of multiple weapons, abilities and gadgets to deal with enemies in combat inspired by top-down, twin-stick shooters. You can aim high and low, take cover and utilize the destructible environment to give yourself the strategic edge in combat.
The Ascent is far from a pure action game however. RPG elements are everywhere in this shooter. You can customise your character to adjust your playstyle, trying out new augmentations and allocating skill points to boost different stats. The game also features RPG-style conversations with dialogue trees and surprisingly detailed facial animations.
The Ascent’s explosive action can be experienced by yourself or with up to three friends in local co-op or online.
“About three years ago we founded Neon Giant; a small game dev studio with the belief that with the right focus and mindset, even just a few people can create grand experiences and high quality games,” said Tor Frick, Creative Director and co-founder of Neon Giant. “We have a passion for creating living worlds and action gameplay – it’s in our DNA from our shared history in the industry and The Ascent is the result of our team’s passion and hard work.”
Fellow co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Arcade Berg added: “In The Ascent you start off at the bottom of the food chain – that’s just the life of an indent – but as you progress, you will get to grow more powerful, find shiny guns, toys and augmentations making you able to live out your twisted power fantasies – if you choose – with robot tentacles coming out of your back. We will take you across the world, wide and high, in a megacity filled with turmoil and introduce you to characters who have found ways to thrive in this environment. We hope our game is as fun and exciting for you playing it as it was for us to make it.”
The game is also optimised for Xbox Series X|S featuring ray-tracing, 60 fps and 4K resolution. The game also supports Smart Delivery, so you can start the game on Xbox One and then enjoy the Series X|S version whenever you can grab a hold of the systems.
The key features include:
- SOLO OR CO-OP Play the entire game alone or work together with up to three friends in local or online co-op.
- EXPLOSIVE SHOOTER Aim low or high, switch weapons and equip lethal gadgets, take cover and use the destructible environments at your advantage and keep adjusting your tactic as you face new enemies.
- RPG ELEMENTS Customize your character with cyberware that suits your playstyle. Allocate new skill points as you level-up and try various augmentations to take down your enemies in new creative ways.
- A VIBRANT CYBERPUNK WORLD Meet new allies and enemies and find loot as you explore the brimming world of The Ascent and its wide range of districts, from the deep slums to the higher luxury spheres.
Our full review of The Ascent is currently in the works, and spoiler, this is one title you WILL want to play sooner rather than later. Keep an eye out for our review very soon.
In the meantime, grab yourself a copy from the Xbox Store right now. Make the most of the Game Pass love if you must. The game will be playable from 6pm UK time.
Game Description:
The Ascent is a solo and co-op Action-shooter RPG, set on Veles, a packed cyberpunk world. Welcome to The Ascent Group arcology, a corporate-run metropolis stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. You play as a worker, enslaved by the company that owns you and everyone else in your district. One day, you are suddenly caught in a vortex of catastrophic events: The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons and the survival of your district is threatened. You must take up arms and embark on a new mission to find out what started it all.
