It’s been just over a year since we first heard that The Ascent was coming to Xbox and PC. Finally though the highly anticipated cyberpunking action shooting RPG has been detailed and dated, with a July launch set. And yep, we’ll be playing this through Xbox Game Pass!
Coming from the publishing team at Curve Digital, with creation handled by the Swedish indie studio of Neon Giant, The Ascent fast became a hot topic on the back of a reveal in May 2020, with us here at TheXboxHub seeing fit to place it on our list of some of the most anticipated titles shown at the recent ID@Xbox showcase. Now though it’s time for the hype to really go through the roof with confirmation that The Ascent will launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and through Xbox Game Pass come July 29th 2021.
Available to pre-order from today, if you’re looking for a new solo or cooperative action-shooter to blast your way through, and think that a cyberpunk styled world is the best way to do it, The Ascent is going to be for you. Obviously that Xbox Game Pass route is going to appeal to many players, but if you prefer to actually splash cash on your games, you’ll find this coming to market for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 / ¥148.
A solo and co-op action-shooter RPG set in a sci-fi cyberpunk world, The Ascent is the first title from Neon Giant, a new 12-person studio which is composed of games industry veterans who were behind some of the most iconic AAA titles; games like Gears of War, Bulletstorm and the Wolfenstein franchise. And when it does arrive, the game will target 60 fps and have full 4K support on the Xbox Series X, offering amazing gameplay performance for new generation console players.
“We are super excited that people will soon be able to jump into the world of The Ascent,” said Arcade Berg, Creative Director and co-founder of Neon Giant. “We love making games and we do it because we want people to enjoy the experience and world we have created – so we’ve designed a game that lets all players have fun with the element of gameplay that interests them the most. Whether you’re someone who enjoys exploring every corner, loves exciting combat or gets invested in the story and lore, we’ve tried to put something in The Ascent for everyone.”
Fellow co-founder and Creative Director of the studio Tor Frick added: “A month ago we celebrated Neon Giant’s third anniversary and we’re so happy to be launching our first title just after this milestone for our young studio. We have a very passionate and dedicated team and each person in the studio has brought something new and great to the overall experience of The Ascent, so we’re really excited to share the planet of Veles with everyone and see what people think of the world our team has created.”
Powered by Unreal Engine and promising to take the genre to all new levels, The Ascent will see players dive into ‘The Ascent Group’ arcology, a self-contained corporate-run metropolis, stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. Taking on the role of an indentured worker, the world starts to go haywire when The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons. Life becomes a case of survival, with rival corporations and crime syndicates looking to fill the empty space. Players will have to take up arms and hold them off. The Ascent begins here.
Features include:
- A free-roam play style in a cyberpunk inspired dystopian world
- Classic RPG mechanics to enable players to build up their character including cyberware, augmentations and looting
- An unprecedented sense of verticality within its world, with different levels and platforms discernible within play
- Double-aim mechanic enables players to utilise the full screen and choose between multiple targets anywhere in the environment
- A narrative-led adventure playable in single and up to four-player co-op modes
The Ascent will launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. And don’t forget, Xbox Game Pass playability will be in place on launch come July 29th 2021. Make sure you check out the latest trailer too.