The Ascent Is A New Gritty Dungeon Crawling ARPG With A Cyberpunk Flair
I’m a big fan of the cyber-dystopian vision of the apocalypse. As corporations are spoon fed capitol to the tune of trillions of dollars and the government is genuinely calculating how many people must be sacrificed to the machine gods of industry, this sci-fi vision of the future is becoming closer to reality. If we’re all going to be worked until our bodies are converted to soylent anyways, why not have some fun with it?
A new addition to the collection of cyberpunk games, The Ascent is taking a new approach to the classic cyberpunk story. God is dead. Well, the corporation is dead. Which is basically God. With no one left to defend or control you, how will you make your way through this collapsed world? As you can see from the trailer above, with lots of shooting, ground slams, and what seem to be cyber-demon tentacles. Badass.
If I had to compare The Ascent to something (the term ARPG is broad), it looks like Diablo with guns. Here’s more info from the official description:
The Ascent is a solo and co-op action RPG, set on Veles, a packed cyberpunk world.
Welcome to The Ascent Group arcology, a self-contained 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. You get things done, whatever menial task is given. One day, whilst sent on a routine assignment to make use of your skills with a cyberdeck, you are suddenly caught in a vortex of catastrophic events. The Ascent Group, the largest mega corporation on the planet, shuts down for unknown reasons, causing the automated security systems to go haywire. The survival of your district is threatened: rival corporations are trying to force appropriation and crime syndicates are looking to boost their black-market augmentation trade. You must take up arms to stop them from seizing control and embark on a new mission to find out what started it all.
Explore the world of Veles, alone or with up to three friends, to find out what happened. Your ascent through the arcology will lead you across the path of the most impressive enemies but also unexpected alliances. Fully customize your character’s appearance, skills and abilities to match your playstyle and loot various weapons and gear as you grow stronger.
The Ascent is coming to Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Series X sometime in 2020. If you want to learn more, check out The Ascent‘s website here.