The Ascent

The Ascent is a visually impressive cyberpunk-themed twin-stick shooter that offers a detailed and immersive world filled with atmospheric lighting, unique alien creatures, and a rich environment. Players appreciate its solid combat mechanics and RPG-style progression, with satisfying weapon and armor upgrades that make the gameplay rewarding. The game supports enjoyable solo and co-op experiences, with a story that, while somewhat on-rails and lacking deep choices, still provides an engaging sci-fi narrative.

However, the game is plagued by numerous technical issues including frequent crashes, game-breaking bugs, and flawed multiplayer logic that frustrate many players. Navigation and mission design can feel repetitive and confusing, often involving tedious backtracking and overwhelming enemy encounters. The developers appear to have abandoned the game, leaving many bugs unresolved, which negatively impacts the overall experience. Despite these flaws, many players find it worthwhile especially at a discounted price and praise its artistic design and atmosphere.

Highlights

Players praise The Ascent's stunning graphics and detailed cyberpunk world, highlighting its immersive atmosphere and vibrant lighting effects.

Gameplay mechanics such as twin-stick shooting, weapon variety, RPG progression, and challenging combat receive positive remarks. The story and world-building, while linear, are appreciated for their unique alien designs and engaging sci-fi themes.

Co-op play is considered fun, and the sound design and music effectively complement the game's intense action and mood.

Criticisms

The game suffers from frequent bugs, crashes, and game-breaking glitches, especially in multiplayer mode, leading to lost progress and frustration.

Many players find the mission design repetitive and the map confusing, with excessive backtracking and unclear objectives. Difficulty spikes and poor balancing also detract from the experience.

Developers have seemingly abandoned the game, resulting in unresolved technical issues and lack of support. The story is considered shallow by some, and the cover system is viewed as ineffective in later stages.