Twin-stick shooters have been my bread and butter for more than a decade now. I got my start on a mobile game called Gun Bros. and found that with ample weapon/enemy variation, the genre can get a lot of great hours of gaming sunk into it. This continued with Enter the Gungeon implementing smart Roguelike elements to make each run a thrill ride. Now, The Ascent, created by a modest team of only twelve devs in Neon Giant, looks to be the next big title in the genre.

Taking place in a dystopian Cyberpunk universe, The Ascent has the player create their character who is an indentured laborer or an “indent.” This servitude is mandatory for The Ascent Group, the corporation that feeds you and gives you a place to live, but is going under and you’re left to clean up the mess. Quickly, you’ll navigate through the dank, deteriorating machinery and get accustomed to the twin-stick controls that are needed to traverse the futuristic landscapes.

The combat within The Ascent has the player take down any enemies that stand in their way, bystanders will scurry about at the first shot of gunfire, but are collateral damage in the ensuing battle. With a trusty dodge-roll, equipment that replenishes on sufficient enemy hits, and a backup weapon to switch to when you need to reload, there’s plenty of tools to utilize to ensure your survival within the game. You’ll need all of these, as health does not regenerate on its own.

RPG elements in The Ascent are prevalent. Leveling up your character means you’ll get to allocate 3 points into four distinct skillsets. One option lets you minimize the time between dodge rolls, while another increases max health. Wearing certain armor boosts specific skill areas, rewarding those who choose to specialize or focus on one. I found myself really tacking on points to that roll cooldown, making sure that I could get out of hairy situations with ease on a regular basis.

When all the moving parts of The Ascent come together, it’s a spectacular experience. It’s hard to believe a team as small as twelve created a product that could take on the very best in the genre thanks to an iconic environment, tough-as-nails firefights, and a certain addictive nature that other games just don’t have. If there’s any room for improvement, the title requires a beefy PC to complement its optimization, and I found the shotgun (usually my weapon of choice) to be less of a battering ram than it could have been considering its risk/reward playstyle.

The Ascent is a game that is available day one on Xbox GamePass. This means that for the typical $10/$15-a-month gamer, they’re getting a hell of a good time for their money. For those without GamePass, $30 is still a more-than-fair price point for a polished, tantalizing, twin-stick shooter that will provide about 20 hours of pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat action. It’s refreshing that there’s at least one recent Cyberpunk game that made it to its launch with all pieces attached.

A PC review copy of The Ascent was provided by Curve Digital for this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

29.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Fully-Realized Cyberpunk Setting
• Expansive, Engaging Combat
• More Polish Than 2077

Cons

• Performance Issues
• Lack of Gun Balance