Release Date: 29/06/2021
Played On: XBO
Available On: Win / XBO / XBSX
Time Played: 24h 14m
Progress: Completed
Developer: Neon Giant
Publisher: Curve Digital
Sometimes a game comes along that you've never heard about, but thanks to its strong aesthetic and firm genre, you wonder how you could ever have let it pass you by. I love experiencing creations without any expectations or preconceptions, and when they turn out to be the kind of creation you've spent a long time looking for, the satisfaction could not be more palpable.
I'm a big fan of shoot-em-ups in all their wonderful forms; from bullet hells, to twin-sticks, and even side scrolling relics that seem to have been left in the shmup archives as of late. However, my favourite form of a shmup is the twin-stick, as it perfectly merges a genre with mechanics in a way that seems like it was always meant to be. As soon as I picked up my first twin-stick, oh so many years ago, I knew this would be precisely the kind of game for me.
Funny to think that in recent years I've become a much bigger fan of narrative gaming experiences, leaving mechanics and gameplay as a secondary measure of how much I'll enjoy a game. Indeed, some of my favourite titles in the last decade or so have been the purest narrative games out there, with little to no gameplay to speak of at all. Hence why even I forget about one of my favourite genres of all time, simply because it's the antithesis to my contemporary interests.
Nevertheless, when I pick up a twin-stick and start manipulating those analogue sticks to move and shoot, I'm immediately reminded that it feels like home. That simple combination that makes up the name and control scheme of the genre, has always felt like the most intuitive form of game interactivity I've ever encountered. In fact, even as I write this I can feel the excitement grow within me, as I consider all the wonderful twin-sticks out there I could write about in the future.
Right now though, let's talk about The Ascent, which ended up providing the most fun I've had with a game in quite a while. Not only does it deliver an excellent twin-stick experience, but everything else about the game appeals to my tastes entirely. This is one of the few games I've ever played that felt like it was made specifically for me and my niche little preferences.
Mechanically speaking, it's an isometric twin-stick shooter with some interesting additions to the gameplay formula. You move and shoot with the analogue sticks, while triggers and buttons will initiate dodges, grenades, and other expected actions. Although, in The Ascent, cover is dealt with in an interesting way that I hadn't really encountered before, so not only have they stuck solidly to their genre roots, but they've introduced something useful and interesting to expand on expectations.
A lot of games will have you press a button to stick to cover objects, or simply ask you to stand behind them in order to avoid getting hit. The Ascent chooses not to use a sticky button cover, but goes a little further on the free-roam cover that I've seen in similar games. Instead, you always have the ability to raise or lower your stance, which effectively raises and lowers your gun. When lowered, you're able to utilise cover and not get hit, but raising your gun allows you to shoot over cover and even aim for more headshots on enemies.
Furthermore, there are plenty of enemies that require you to use the appropriate stance in which to attack them. Smaller monsters obviously need to be countered with a low stance shot, lest your bullets go shooting over their head. On the other hand, flying monsters might need a higher stance in order to catch them as they move around in the air.
Sure, most of the time you can just go with the default and you'll hit anything in your path, but the little changes here and there are enough to keep things interesting and provide a small amount of tactical decision making when facing some of the larger fire fights. Coupled with the need to manage grenades and swapping weapons, combat always kept me on my toes, which is something of a requirement in a good twin-stick.
The Ascent doesn't just stick to being a cool little isometric shmup, as it has thankfully had a great deal of attention paid to the game world and overall aesthetic. In a lot of ways it's a fairly standard cyberpunk world, where anarchy reigns among the lower classes, preventing them from living the good life of the wealthy. Gangs control areas of poverty-stricken ghettos, while blue-collar workers engage with their machinery between attacks from mutant pests infesting the larger-than-life mechanisms.
One thing that really stood out to me while playing The Ascent, was the sense of place that was inescapable throughout every corner of the map. The entire game takes place within a large self-contained arcology, covering multiple levels of tightly packed residents, corporations, and workers trying to go about their lives and not piss anyone off.
After all, there are gangs and criminal organisations that occupy the most crowded levels of the arcology, often standing around laconically, as they await vulnerable souls to harass. As we play through The Ascent's suitably dystopian story (which I won't spoil here), we get to meet various crime bosses and corporate characters who are all trying to wrest control of the arcology away from their rivals..
There are a number of hubs spread across levels, which act as peaceful zones where quests can be acquired and gear can be traded. There are even augments and mods to buy that give you special powers and abilities to change the tide of combat and feel like a science fiction super hero every now and again. However, what I loved the most about these hubs in The Ascent, was talking to the various characters that are hanging out and doing their own thing in what is essentially a busy city.
I was often reminded of the beautiful world building an aesthetic to be found in the equally impressive isometric cyberpunk world of Satellite Reign. Even though that was a game limited by its smaller stature and scope, it still managed to deliver on the neon-soaked-future aesthetic in a visceral and inescapable way. Now I can happily say that The Ascent has managed to find its way into familiar company and delivers an incredibly detailed and well-designed world that it has to be seen to be believed.
The level of detail is as fine as you'd ever want it, with every single corner of the game world showing how it was carefully designed and put together by some talented artists. What's more, there's a lot of environmental story-telling that supports the narrative in The Ascent with a strong foundation of place and time. For example, each level of the mega structure reflects the purpose of its inhabitants and location. The bottom floor is filthy, covered in garbage, and full of dirty machinery, infested with all manner of grime and rodent-like scavengers.
The middle levels are the most heavily populated so there are people everywhere, along with vehicles and small shops and bars. There are levels within levels, creating a warren of catwalks and pathways leading everywhere and nowhere. It took me a short while to get used to how each area is laid out and how to best navigate through the ever-changing environments. Not to worry though, as a solid waypoint system will always take you where you need to go, but exploring on your own is a sure fire way to become immersed in the detailed and remarkable environments.
Of course, the top level is pristine and clean, with a sparse population who are all dressed well and seem comfortable with a champagne flute in their hand. By the time I reached this wealthy and shiny part of the world, my augmented body and heavy weaponry felt out of place and at odds with my surroundings. It just goes to show that my relief at finally re-joining the unwashed masses in the middle, proves just how effective the environment in The Ascent actually is. In fact, this is one of those games where I feel confident saying that the location is as much a part of the story as we are as players, or the mob bosses and bounty hunters are as NPCs guiding our way.
The story itself is a solid version of a cyberpunk RPG tale, and it hits every beat enough to keep you motivated throughout. It might not be the greatest story ever told, but it serves its purpose admirably and I very much enjoyed discovering what was next on my path to the end. Although, I'm not sure how long it would be without the side quests, which are a must play, as they flesh out the world even further with a series of short vignettes about gangs and personalities living in the world.
Before too long I found myself feeling as though I really was a part of this world and another functional element involved in prolonging its existence. What I loved was how it didn't feel like I existed in a bubble, and that the whole place would continue on for better or worse without me. It says a lot that even though the player is ultimately the hero of the story, the world doesn't seem to revolve around them, which is actually quite refreshing. Although, I never tried the co-op multiplayer, which was a big part of the game's design, so I don't know how that kind of alternate experience could shape one's perception.
I genuinely had a brilliant time with The Ascent from start to finish. I originally loaded it up just to find out what the game was like, but I quickly had to stop myself from continuing to play more than is healthy. It felt like I quickly entered a neat rhythm with the game that I wanted to capitalise on how it felt to encounter this wonderful world and survive through the story.
That combination of excellent twin-stick mechanics and a phenomenal cyberpunk world to play in, couldn't have made me any happier. So yes, I do appreciate that my excitement for The Ascent probably has a lot do with it fulfilling many aspects that I love and essentially making the game I've wanted to play for a very long time. There are loads of brilliant shmups and cyberpunk games out there to play and enjoy, but none of them managed to blend the two together in such a satisfying way.
Thus, while I realise that my excitement may not apply to everyone who reads this, I would happily say that if any of this sounds like your kind of jam, then it's worth checking out. Screenshots don't do it justice, as this is a game that ties so many things together that it has to be played to be completely understood and appreciated.
This really is just about as close to a dream game as I've played in a long while.