- Publisher: Curve Digital
- Release Date: Jul 29, 2021
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One
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- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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Jul 29, 2021Despite some of the more minor issues listed above, there was very little that was able to pull me away from The Ascent in the past week or so that I’ve been playing, and it’s certainly a game I’d like to revisit post launch with a fresh character so I can toy around with different builds and loadouts a bit more. Again, it’s an absolute no-brainer if you’re a Game Pass subscriber on Xbox, but even if you’re looking to purchase the game outright, it’s absolutely worth checking out.
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Aug 4, 2021The Ascent reminds me of the good old days of Xbox 360 and its robust indie offerings on the old Xbox Live Arcade service, where games like “Shadow Complex” or “Super Meat Boy” were not afraid of making small twists to classic formulas.
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Jul 29, 2021The Ascent combines excellent worldbuilding, satisfying role playing, exciting combat, and stellar visuals to deliver an astounding action RPG.
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Aug 9, 2021The Ascent brings us all the frenzy and strategy of a chaotic and futuristic cyberpunk-style world, where our character must discover the places and secrets that this universe hides. Despite its flaws, it becomes an Xbox essential.
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Jul 29, 2021With the recent experience of Cyberpunk 2077, The Ascent has managed to amaze me with its aesthetics, its artistic section and its powerful and impressive graphics.
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CD-ActionOct 12, 2021Style over substance – I bet Neon Giant has this cyberpunk principle printed above the office entrance. The design of their game is absolutely breathtaking, with huge, vertical, crime-infested cities and masterful use of lights and shadows. Add a pulp-style story and good dialogues (or rather monologues, as the protagonist is silent) immersed deeply in the cyberpunk lore, and you’ve got a pure gem for anyone who enjoys this setting. The shooting mechanics and progression system might be overly simple, but they get the job done and make it easier to catch the game’s flow. [10/2021, p.56]
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Aug 2, 2021The Ascent is a wonderful experience that is easy to recommend thanks to Game Pass. It has some technical issues, some bugs, and also takes a while to get to the point, but it is worth the investment. There is little reason to not check it out if you have Game Pass. This is a game that is great with friends and even solo manages to entertain. I hope they continue to clean up the bugs over time, but for now it is easily one of my favorite experiences of the Summer.
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Aug 10, 2021The Ascent is an essential experience for anyone that enjoys tight action-RPG combat or beautiful, neon-colored Blade Runner skylines. Go play this solo or with up to three other friends before its world becomes reality.
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Aug 4, 2021The Ascent is a solid and fun action-RPG, capable of providing many hours of fun thanks to well-paced gameplay and powerful and inspired graphics. Too bad for some flaws such as the poorly executed cooperative mode, annoying bugs and the lack of Italian localization, which prevent the first job of Neon Giant to shine as it deserves.
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Aug 4, 2021Experiences like The Ascent don’t come along often. Game Pass may well turn out to be The Ascent’s redemption. This is an experience that’s best had in co-op, and a day one launch on Xbox’s service means that almost all obstacles are removed. So, find three friends and take your time with The Ascent, refuse to play in long sessions, and you and your partners will find worlds and gunplay that blow your augments clear off.
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Jul 29, 2021Beautiful to fall for, fun and nervous, The Ascent is a generous twin stick shooter, which evolves in a coherent world with neat lore. If the optimization of the game as the ergonomics of the navigation or the interface remain to be reviewed and can sometimes be frustrating, the whole is sufficiently solid on its shoot part as an RPG to occupy you for long hours, solo or with friends . A great way to get back on track for the small team of Neon Giant, whose game is available as soon as it is released on the Game Pass.
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Aug 19, 2021A visual feast that, along with the great audio design, makes for a very atmospheric experience. It's not perfect, though. Navigation leaves a bit to be desired and some technical shortcomings put a damper on the fun.
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Aug 18, 2021The Ascent offers cyberpunk lovers a setting where they can unleash their dreams of steel and neon.
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Jul 29, 2021The Ascent is an ambitious work, which fascinates with incredible atmospheres and visually breathtaking scenarios. Unfortunately, the exceptional production effort carried out on the sets and modeling of the game world does not hide some problems related to the balance of the gameplay and the quality of the script. In short, as far as the creation of the imaginary is concerned, we can say that we are faced with a great little blockbuster of the Microsoft and PC offer: a shame not to be able to remember the splendid streets of Veles as an absolute excellence of the indie market.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Jul 29, 2021As we draw our conclusions, it seems important to note that The Ascent was created by a small team of skilled developers. And what else is there to say except maybe that they completed the challenge with flying colours. For almost 15 hours, Neon Giant’s game puts the RPG aspect aside to embark us on a huge romp through a larger-than-life city, whose AD rivals that of Cyberpunk 2077. Those fond of finesse and detail-oriented builds will need to go somewhere else. For the others, it would be difficult to miss the Swedish studio’s first game as it was released in the Xbox Game Pass on its launch. Visually speaking, this one is quite outstanding and is a pure action guilty pleasure made of gunpowder, metal and blood. While waiting to be able to enjoy a 4-player coop session, we’re already dreaming of a probable second part developed by a larger team. Hopefully, this would be enough to improve what needs to be improved and revamp the game from being a pleasant surprise to being a must-have.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 346 out of 453
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Mixed: 40 out of 453
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Negative: 67 out of 453
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Jul 30, 2021
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Jul 31, 2021Weak storyline, mediocre and boring gameplay, poor optimization. You can pass by, you will not lose anything.
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Jul 31, 2021This is not an RPG, its just another boring game not bringing anything new to its genre and at the same time not executing the ideas too well.