The Ascent

About The Ascent

Neon Giant released this cyberpunk shooter RPG in July 2021 under Curve Digital's banner. The game launches across PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X|S, and PC. Players inhabit the Ascent Group arcology, a massive corporate metropolis where mega entities own every citizen. When the corporation suddenly collapses, security protocols fail and chaos erupts. Rival gangs and syndicates scramble for power while automated defenses turn hostile. You play as a worker who must survive this collapse without any corporate backing. The setting is vertical and dense, filled with neon lights and galactic creatures. This is a solo or co-op experience where you fight to stop hostile factions from seizing control of the district while uncovering the truth behind the shutdown.

Gameplay

Sessions involve navigating tight corridors and open courtyards while blasting enemies with various weapons. You switch between heavy rifles, smart guns, and melee attacks while managing a cyberdeck ability that hacks turrets or stuns groups. The game features both single-player and multiplayer co-op modes where friends can join your instance to share loot. Movement feels weighty as you sprint up ramps or slide under barriers during firefights. You complete missions by eliminating targets, hacking terminals, or retrieving data drives. Character progression lets you upgrade cyberware skills that enhance health, shield capacity, or weapon damage. Combat is fast-paced and often chaotic since dozens of enemies swarm you at once. The environment reacts to your actions with dynamic lighting and destructible cover elements that shift during intense gunfights.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community has logged over 90 ratings on IGDB, giving the title an average score of 71.7 out of 100. Users report an average playtime of roughly 25 hours for main story completion, though many spend extra time hunting for all achievements. The dominant mood across reviews is "frustrated but hooked," with players praising the visual style while complaining about performance issues on older consoles. Achievement data shows a low completion rate of only 18% for the hardest difficulty mode. Critics note that the co-op experience feels surprisingly smooth despite technical glitches. One user comment highlights how the hacking mechanics save you from overwhelming odds, while another complains about frequent frame rate drops in crowded areas. The data suggests most players stick around for the world-building rather than pure replayability.

PlayPile's Take

This title suits players who enjoy tactical shooting with RPG elements and a strong cyberpunk aesthetic. You get access to three game modes including co-op, but expect some technical hiccups on legacy hardware. The price point is standard for an indie action game, and unlocking all 50 achievements requires patience rather than skill alone. Neon Giant built a dense world that feels lived in, even if the story lacks emotional depth. I recommend this for fans of fast combat who do not mind grappling with occasional bugs. Skip it if you need a polished, bug-free experience or if you prefer narrative-driven games over pure action. The game stands on its own merits as a solid shooter despite its rough edges.

Storyline

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. 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. You belong to the corporation. Can you survive without it?