The Ascent

 Xbox Series X
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 453 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 346 out of 453
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 453
  3. Negative: 67 out of 453
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  1. Bokugakirada
    Aug 2, 2021
    6
    Looks beautiful, but performance issues and enemies not scaling to player made this a bit of a slog to finish. Think the devs did a good job though, and will be interested in what they do next
  2. F3x
    Aug 8, 2021
    10
    Es una maravilla jugar. Realmente me estoy divirtiendo mucho haciéndolo. Muy recomendable, pruébalo y no te arrepentirás, ¡lo único que te arrepentirías es no haberlo probado desde su lanzamiento!
  3. John_Remix
    Aug 24, 2021
    9
    Una de las sorpresas del año, un juego de accion super divertido con graficos excelentes
  4. OleMannLogan
    Aug 8, 2021
    8
    The Ascent is a great twin stick shooter with great RPG elements. Great Cyberpunk aesthetic to it that is very detailed an a joy to look at. The game runs Great on both the Series S/X with some stuttering here and there but most noticeable when playing coop. There is a great challenge in this game and tons to explore and do with extra side missions and areas to explore. Combat is great andThe Ascent is a great twin stick shooter with great RPG elements. Great Cyberpunk aesthetic to it that is very detailed an a joy to look at. The game runs Great on both the Series S/X with some stuttering here and there but most noticeable when playing coop. There is a great challenge in this game and tons to explore and do with extra side missions and areas to explore. Combat is great and there is a slew of weapon and augment combinations that you can do to cause a lot of chaos. Making it that so you can choose how you want to play. While the story is not super in-depth ever else about this game. Would absolutely recommend to any one who is looking for a chaotic good time! My total play time sat me at just under 24hrs in the game.… Expand
  5. Borachon
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    Great game, the world is gorgeous, the music is fantastic and the gunplay is a tonne of fun. Think some of the critics are rating this game as if it costs 70 quid. It's an indie title made by a dozen people. It's incredible to see the world they've created. Just don't expect a deep RPG experience. It's an isometric shooter with RPG elements. Co op will be incredible, can't wait to try itGreat game, the world is gorgeous, the music is fantastic and the gunplay is a tonne of fun. Think some of the critics are rating this game as if it costs 70 quid. It's an indie title made by a dozen people. It's incredible to see the world they've created. Just don't expect a deep RPG experience. It's an isometric shooter with RPG elements. Co op will be incredible, can't wait to try it with a few mates. If you have Game Pass this is a no brainer.… Expand
  6. JaeRobbyGaming
    Jul 30, 2021
    8
    The Ascent is a fun, high octane, twin stick shooter that leaves a smile on your face. Coming from a small studio, the game isn’t perfect and has a few bugs here and there. However, those bugs are never level breaking, and the gunplay, soundtrack, fun factor, and challenge easily trumps those small technical speed bumps. The progression tree is straightforward but each skill point spentThe Ascent is a fun, high octane, twin stick shooter that leaves a smile on your face. Coming from a small studio, the game isn’t perfect and has a few bugs here and there. However, those bugs are never level breaking, and the gunplay, soundtrack, fun factor, and challenge easily trumps those small technical speed bumps. The progression tree is straightforward but each skill point spent truly feels like you’re closer to becoming an ultimate killing machine. It tickles your Diablo-like itch with a sprinkle of cyberpunk cocaine dust. A must-play for GamePass owners and a great game for $40!… Expand
  7. Ryzenxgammer
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    Great game, nice implementation of cyber punk world. The story could use work, menus, shooting mechanic's and cinematography could also use work. A bit buggy at launch but I'm sure they working on a patch. Keep it up guys
  8. Tjirvin
    Jul 31, 2021
    9
    So first thing first, the game is beautiful, for it to be the type of game it is, it’s very detailed and the city is always active. I have had a blast playing with my guy’s on this game. The wave of enemies that comes your way that are different levels in different territories. Some could be level 3 than some could be level 24 or 28 you never know just be ready for action. The game onlySo first thing first, the game is beautiful, for it to be the type of game it is, it’s very detailed and the city is always active. I have had a blast playing with my guy’s on this game. The wave of enemies that comes your way that are different levels in different territories. Some could be level 3 than some could be level 24 or 28 you never know just be ready for action. The game only gets better with as you level up and get better weapons, like I have the mini gun right now and a ghost buster like laser beam gun and it’s freaking awesome. Trust me you want to play this and level up. Here’s the con’s, it has glitches, I mean what game doesn’t. You almost can never get the perfect game without something wrong with it. Sometimes it might kick you out the game, or if you and multiple people are in the same shop at the same time. One of you might glitch and not be able to move. Luckily the game saves it seems like every certain amount of seconds so your progress is not loss. So there’s nothing to worry about. I gave it a 9 cause once those glitches are patched the game is a action pack thriller and a perfect 10.… Expand
  9. Brasso
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    Great game! Probably one my favourite Indie games out so far! Great gunplay, amazing visuals graphic wise and just dam good fun to play! Definitely recommend.
  10. xXZEROCOOLXx
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    Great game. Graphics are excellent for a twin stick shooter. Gameplay is addictive but can be repetitive. Definitely worth a look in especially if you have Gamepass.
  11. Frankalavera
    Jul 31, 2021
    10
    This is a pretty awesome game ! the music is amazing, great gameplay and nice cyberpunk ambient ! just I love this game.
  12. Bhav
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    son niveau technique est incroyable, un jeu avec pas mal de problèmes à divers points mais rien pour interférer avec votre jeu.
  13. Nio23
    Aug 7, 2021
    10
    ‎¡Juega! No importa a los demás. Si te gusta lo que ves - usted estará en el ascenso durante horas y horas!‎
  14. FPSConan
    Jul 31, 2021
    10
    better than Cyberpunk 2077. it feels like true Akira experience. Soundtrack, graphics, gameplay, style of cloths.etc everything is true to the cyberpunk genre
  15. Flanke
    Jul 30, 2021
    10
    I love diablo 2 and everquest 2... This game is a lot like diablo but in a different environment... It is a twin stick shooter. I have played it for awhile now and there was one quest I could not complete and the mP is a little bit difficult but the game is an absolute blast!
  16. umaumai
    Jul 30, 2021
    7
    This is a very deep twin stick style shooter with some of the most intriguing visuals surrounding a rich environment that is set to a dystopian cyberpunk future. The problem for me is there is almost too much happening on screen when you are in the over world. This can make exploring more of a chore than a delight. The voice acting is great and there is a lot of dialogue and text to combThis is a very deep twin stick style shooter with some of the most intriguing visuals surrounding a rich environment that is set to a dystopian cyberpunk future. The problem for me is there is almost too much happening on screen when you are in the over world. This can make exploring more of a chore than a delight. The voice acting is great and there is a lot of dialogue and text to comb through to get the most out of what you're involved in. There are RPG elements as you level up here as well. Augments and weapon upgrading are just a few of the standard fare that most of you who are used to the genre will be familiar with, but I felt like there was too much to keep track of initially without a lot of explanation from the game itself on how to utilize those systems. There are instruction cards that pop up when a new feature or ability becomes available to you, but there isn't aways an immediate tutorial as too managing or using them. That's not a dealbreaker for me as learning and developing my own style of play is fun, but for some it might become overwhelming. I haven't finished the story, but what I've experienced so far was fantastic. On the flip side of that I can see that the multiplayer co-op is one area that this game can shine. I see a lot of late night sessions rocking this with friends in my future. The one big drawback for me is the isometric gameplay. I'm perfect fine with concept in general, but after having other games utilize a rotating isometric view it's hard for me to get completely behind a static version. I understand that with the amount things that they have going on at one time visually on screen it would have made development for a rotating feature very difficult, but it would have been nice if some of the action sections could have been seen from different views. The use of static here is mostly well executed, but I have experienced a few hiccups, minor bugs, that have kept me from finding somethings that enemies drop after combat. Again, that's not a dealbreaker for me just a very minor annoyance. Over all if you have "Game Pass" all I can say is why are you reading this and not downloading the game right now? For everyone else if you like the idea of an RPG driven twin stick shooter I'd give this a look.… Expand
  17. The_Matheus27
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    Simplesmente VICIANTE! Mas necessita urgente de um bugfix, alguns crashs durante a gameplay, apesar disso uma experiência Cyberpunk fantástica!
  18. pablonunez
    Jul 30, 2021
    9
    So funny and fast, few text much action. Nice gungame and graphics. Beautifull ambient Cyberpunk
  19. portillo12850
    Jul 31, 2021
    8
    Realmente un muy buen juego, excelentes graficos y posee detalles increibles, la jugabilidad es muy buena, posiblemente el unico detalle es la historia pero pasa a un segundo plano con la adrenalida que odrece el juego, lo recomiendo mucho
  20. deftones034
    Aug 1, 2021
    8
    What a surprise. Having a lot of fun so far. Eye candy for sure on series X. No HDR hurts my score a little. Not sure why it doesnt have it. Its 2021. Good job.
  21. Rad_Pitt
    Jul 31, 2021
    8
    Awesome twin stick shooter with fun combat, great visuals, music and atmosphere. Neon Giant have nailed the Cyberpunk aesthetic.
  22. Pepe_gamer
    Jul 31, 2021
    9
    excellent twin-stick shooter, mind-blowing world art design putting AAA to shame, insane visuals. Played 2 days non-stop and loved every second of it. Hoping the next project those guys go BIG, the only thing missing there is animation and world interactivity detail like bad clipping everywhere and very limited physics. Wish the destruction had actual gameplay impact rather than being justexcellent twin-stick shooter, mind-blowing world art design putting AAA to shame, insane visuals. Played 2 days non-stop and loved every second of it. Hoping the next project those guys go BIG, the only thing missing there is animation and world interactivity detail like bad clipping everywhere and very limited physics. Wish the destruction had actual gameplay impact rather than being just for the looks, blowing up buildings blowing up cover etc... that would be great.… Expand
  23. ALEXX84290
    Aug 1, 2021
    7
    El juego gráfica y artísticamente es brutal, las mecánicas están bien pulidas, me recordó mucho cuando en mi niñez jugaba Contra (un twenstick shooter)
    La historia, si bien no me voló la cabeza es disfrutable, para mí en lo que más peca el juego es en ser repetitivo en algunas secciones y de tener algunos Bugs menores.
    Básicamente mi sentimiento con el juego es que le faltó un poco de    El juego gráfica y artísticamente es brutal, las mecánicas están bien pulidas, me recordó mucho cuando en mi niñez jugaba Contra (un twenstick shooter)
    La historia, si bien no me voló la cabeza es disfrutable, para mí en lo que más peca el juego es en ser repetitivo en algunas secciones y de tener algunos Bugs menores.
    Básicamente mi sentimiento con el juego es que le faltó un poco de cocinarse pero sin duda es una gran opción para jugar    … Expand
  24. XramLC
    Aug 1, 2021
    8
    Just finished it. Good game, fun to play, beautiful graphics, great soundtrack (deeply reminded me of Akira). Found no game breaking bugs, at least during my play time. If you subscribe to gamepass, it's an awesome pick to spend a few hours. Just don't expect the best game in the world, something that will change the industry. It's a good game, a good rpg and a good cyberpunk experience.
  25. FoxStorytelling
    Jul 31, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Awesome art direction and immersion. Fun gameplay with minimal bugs. Best with a second player, but great regardless.… Expand
  26. Blixstopher
    Aug 1, 2021
    9
    This game is awesome. Its definately not a 0 outta 10. I loved every part of The Ascent, from the graphics all the way to sound and gameplay. The only place this game doesnt shine like a AAA game is the map. Now to those folks giving this a 0, you are scum. Any game that accomplishes being a playable game is not a 0 outta 10. Grow up folks. This game has less bugs than returnal and youThis game is awesome. Its definately not a 0 outta 10. I loved every part of The Ascent, from the graphics all the way to sound and gameplay. The only place this game doesnt shine like a AAA game is the map. Now to those folks giving this a 0, you are scum. Any game that accomplishes being a playable game is not a 0 outta 10. Grow up folks. This game has less bugs than returnal and you have people giving it a 0. These 12 devs worked extremely hard and for people to give it a 0 are seriously review bombing it because they cant stand to see game that are good on gamepass.… Expand
  27. Spencersboy
    Aug 24, 2021
    5
    Very simple and easy twin stick shooter disguised as an RPG. No HDR, no Ray tracing, buggy acheivements and poorly implemented coop.
    Once the wow of the graphics wear off, you'll be glad it was on gamepass and you didn't pay for it.
  28. frajatofx
    Jul 30, 2021
    10
    divertidisimo, no hagan caso a la calificación de la prensa, todos saben que son sonyers los que califican mal.

    Hilarious, ignore the press rating, everyone knows that it is sonyers who rate badly.
  29. Mogwai76
    Jul 30, 2021
    1
    Style over substance. The game looks good (but that's not really hard to do these days in Unreal) but it plays incredibly poorly and gets boring quickly.
    It's clear that this is done by a new team, who might well have experience in the industry in making games, but don't really understand what makes a great game.
    While the visuals are great, they are also inconsistent - some things in    Style over substance. The game looks good (but that's not really hard to do these days in Unreal) but it plays incredibly poorly and gets boring quickly.
    It's clear that this is done by a new team, who might well have experience in the industry in making games, but don't really understand what makes a great game.
    While the visuals are great, they are also inconsistent - some things in the environment seem to pull me in to investigate, but I can't interact, while other items I am supposed to interact with look dull and part of the backdrop. There is no signalling or breadcrumbing for players, there is no consistency.
    The game clearly was made for PC and then ported to the console once the GamePass deal was done - from "press any key to continue" on the first screen, to text that is too small to read on a TV and menus that are a pain to navigate with a controller - it's not built for a console.
    Gameplay becomes tedious quickly, the combat is average at best and I can't see myself going beyond a few hours without getting bored.
    Above all else tho: the usability in general is just very poor. The developers seem to have made a game for themselves, and learned how to interact with it as they developed it, and not given a thought as to how a new player might experience the game. The first 30 min is just a shockingly poor experience.
    I am glad I got this on gamepass, spending money on this would have been a huge waste.    … Expand
  30. Gaymerpika
    Jul 31, 2021
    3
    For all the amazing graphics, the area map is incredibly muddled and hard to read. Controls are iffy at best, with too many of them being contextual. Felt woefully unprepared for the first boss fight that happens within the first 30 minutes of the game, seeing as the chests gave me more cosmetics (that I couldn't figure out how to equip) and power-ups (that you have to visit a vendor toFor all the amazing graphics, the area map is incredibly muddled and hard to read. Controls are iffy at best, with too many of them being contextual. Felt woefully unprepared for the first boss fight that happens within the first 30 minutes of the game, seeing as the chests gave me more cosmetics (that I couldn't figure out how to equip) and power-ups (that you have to visit a vendor to use that you can't access until after the first boss) than it did gear. Everything was else was fine. Nothing special, though, and certainly not enough to make up for gunplay that just felt bad and frustrating. Might come back if they tighten the combat and progression up a bit.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best Xbox Series X Game of 2021
7
#7 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 34
  3. Negative: 1 out of 34
  1. CD-Action
    Oct 12, 2021
    85
    Style 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]
  2. PlaySense
    Aug 19, 2021
    75
    A 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.
    Read full review
  3. Meristation
    Aug 18, 2021
    75
    The Ascent offers cyberpunk lovers a setting where they can unleash their dreams of steel and neon.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »