The Ascent

The Story of The Ascent has received a mix of opinions from critics regarding its narrative. Some positive aspects highlighted by reviewers include the detailed cyberpunk world-building, immersive setting, and intriguing premise. Critics like Eurogamer Italy and Windows Central appreciated the richly detailed cyberpunk narrative with conspiracy-filled plots and compelling characters. The game's setup of a collapsed megacorporation leading to chaos and power struggles among criminal gangs and corporations was also praised by MondoXbox, emphasizing the potential for an engaging storyline. On the other hand, several critics expressed negative feedback on the story of The Ascent. Common criticisms include the lack of depth in storytelling, poorly developed characters, and a narrative that falls short of exploring cyberpunk themes effectively. GamesRadar+ and GameSpew mentioned the poorly developed characters and juvenile storytelling that may not resonate with players. Additionally, IGN France and IGN highlighted the lack of player choice in the storyline, which contributed to a feeling of repetitive missions and a lack of engagement with the narrative. Overall, the consensus among critics leans towards a disappointment in the story of The Ascent. While some appreciated the detailed world-building and premise, the general sentiment suggests that the narrative falls short in delivering a compelling and engaging experience. Critics like Digitally Downloaded and GameSpot criticized the shallow exploration of cyberpunk themes and the lack of meaningful commentary in the storytelling. Despite some positive aspects, such as the immersive world and intriguing setup, the overall sentiment points towards a narrative that lacks depth, character development, and fails to fully capitalize on the potential of its cyberpunk setting.

The gameplay of The Ascent has received a mix of positive and negative feedback from critics. Many reviewers praised the engaging combat mechanics, diverse abilities, and strategic elements present in the game. Critics like Gaming Age and MondoXbox appreciated the action-packed combat with a variety of weapons, augmentations, and skills, offering tactical depth and rewarding character progression. The intense combat, weighty shooting mechanics, and enjoyable combat moments were highlighted by Finger Guns and Gfinity, emphasizing the satisfaction derived from upgrading guns and cybernetics for fluid and malleable combat experiences. On the downside, several critics pointed out issues with the gameplay that hindered the overall experience. Metro GameCentral and RPG Fan criticized the game for its repetitive and shallow action, awkward controls, lackluster leveling up experience, and unexciting equipment customization. AusGamers and Push Square mentioned that while the gameplay mixed twin-stick evasion and cover-based shooting well, the RPG elements lacked depth and clashed with the action, leading to arbitrary limitations in weapon upgrades and exploration. Additionally, Hey Poor Player and Game Informer noted balance issues, poorly designed menus, and monotonous combat that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the consensus among critics regarding The Ascent's gameplay is mixed. While some reviewers appreciated the satisfying combat mechanics, character customization, and strategic depth, others found issues with repetitive gameplay, lackluster RPG elements, and unbalanced systems. The game seems to excel in providing an intense and challenging combat experience, with diverse weapons and abilities to explore. However, the presence of certain drawbacks like shallow RPG mechanics, unengaging storytelling, and balance issues may impact the overall enjoyment for some players. Despite these criticisms, the game manages to offer a unique blend of twin-stick shooting and RPG elements that cater to fans of the genre, providing hours of immersive entertainment for those willing to overlook its flaws.

The majority of critics praised The Ascent for its stunning graphics and visual design, with many highlighting the detailed cyberpunk environments, impressive lighting effects, and immersive world-building. Critics like Player 2 and Multiplayer.it commended the high level of detail in the environments, while GamingBolt and PlayStation Universe appreciated the neon-drenched cyberpunk settings and glossy lighting that brought the world to life. The Indie Game Website and Eurogamer Italy also noted the captivating cyberpunk aesthetic and vibrant neon colors that added to the immersive experience. Overall, the visuals were described as visually impressive, detailed, and immersive, with intricate world design and attention to detail, making it a standout feature of the game. However, some critics pointed out certain drawbacks in the graphics and visual design of The Ascent. VideoGamer and NME mentioned that while the game had stunning backdrops and impressive neon effects, there were areas that lacked polish and felt repetitive. Checkpoint Gaming and WellPlayed highlighted issues with character models lacking detail or texture pop-in, which could detract from the overall visual experience. Additionally, IGN France and RPG Fan noted technical bugs and glitches that hindered the otherwise exceptional graphics. Despite these criticisms, the overall sentiment was that the game's visuals were a strong point, even if there were some minor issues that needed addressing. In conclusion, the consensus among critics is overwhelmingly positive regarding the graphics and visual design of The Ascent. The game was praised for its visually stunning cyberpunk aesthetic, detailed environments, and immersive world-building, with many critics commending the attention to detail and vibrant colors that brought the cyberpunk world to life. While there were some minor criticisms regarding repetitive visuals, lack of polish in certain areas, and technical issues, the general sentiment was that the graphics and visual design were a major highlight of the game. Critics like GameSpot, TheSixthAxis, and VG247 emphasized the stunning visuals, detailed environments, and impressive lighting effects that contributed to creating a visually impressive and immersive cyberpunk experience. Overall, The Ascent was widely regarded as a visually striking and artistically captivating game that excelled in its graphics and visual design.

The Sound Design and Music of The Ascent have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from a majority of critics. Critics such as Finger Guns, PlayStation Universe, and Checkpoint Gaming praise the game for its exceptional sound design, with Finger Guns highlighting the thrilling experience it offers in both solo and co-op modes. The neon-like sound design, as mentioned by Digitally Downloaded, complements the cyberpunk aesthetic, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Additionally, critics like COGconnected and RPG Fan appreciate the immersive ambient noise and synth-heavy music that contribute to creating a rich and captivating atmosphere in the game. On the other hand, a few critics have pointed out some shortcomings in the audio aspects of The Ascent. Multiplayer.it mentions that the audio falls short, impacting the overall experience negatively. WellPlayed notes instances of chaotic audio and technical jank throughout the game, which detract from the overall sound design quality. Despite these criticisms, the majority of reviewers seem to agree that the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to the sound design and music of the game. Overall, the consensus among critics is that The Ascent excels in its sound design and music, enhancing the immersive cyberpunk experience for players. Critics like Telegraph and Hardcore Gamer highlight the well-done sound design that immerses players in the game's world, while critics such as AusGamers and PlaySense appreciate the strong soundtrack that complements the visuals and creates a captivating atmosphere. Despite some minor criticisms, the general sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the game for its top-notch audio design, evocative soundtrack, and immersive use of sound to enhance the cyberpunk setting.

The voice acting in The Ascent has received a mix of positive feedback from critics. RPG Fan praises the voice acting for being astounding, enhancing the narrative experience with engrossing vignettes and memorable characters. COGconnected also highlights the surprisingly well-written and voice-acted cut scenes with entertaining characters, adding to the overall enjoyment of the game. TheXboxHub further supports this positive sentiment by describing the voice acting as top-notch, with a keen ear for dialogue and character development that enhances the narrative experience. On the other hand, GamesRadar+ and But Why Tho? express some negative opinions regarding the voice acting in The Ascent. GamesRadar+ finds the voice acting disorienting and criticizes the characters as unlikeable or weirdly juvenile, contributing to a lack of engagement with the narrative. But Why Tho? mentions that while the main characters with English dialogue are excellently performed, the reliance on subtitles due to many characters speaking an alien language may detract from the overall experience for some players. Overall, the general consensus among critics leans towards the positive side regarding the voice acting in The Ascent. While there are some criticisms, such as the disorienting nature of the voices and the juvenile portrayal of characters, the majority of reviewers appreciate the quality of the voice acting, noting its contribution to the narrative immersion and character development. The consistently good performances, engrossing vignettes, and well-written dialogue are highlighted as strengths of the voice acting in the game, ultimately enhancing the overall gameplay experience for many players.

The technical performance of The Ascent on PS5 seems to have garnered mixed reviews. Digitally Downloaded and XGN praise the game for being technically stable, with minor issues that can be resolved by restarting, such as cutscenes not triggering properly. However, PlayStation Country notes long loading times and readability issues with the futuristic 3D map screen, while Finger Guns mentions occasional glitches and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, Push Square highlights that the game has received updates that have fixed bugs and rebalanced gameplay elements since its release, showing a commitment to improving the technical performance on the platform. On the Xbox Series X, the technical performance of The Ascent also receives a range of feedback. Some critics like TheXboxHub and MondoXbox report smooth technical performance, especially in co-op play, with no major issues reported. However, GameSpew and WellPlayed point out occasional glitches, repetitive environments, texture pop-ins, and asset issues that impact the overall experience. Additionally, GamingBolt and Player 2 mention technical glitches, crashes, and quality-of-life deficiencies that hinder gameplay enjoyment. Despite these challenges, SomosXbox highlights that the game runs smoothly at 4K 60 fps, offering an immersive universe with attention to detail in world design. Moving on to the PC platform, critics have been critical of The Ascent's technical performance. AusGamers and Comicbook.com criticize the game for being buggy in nature, with issues like crashes, frame drops, and bugs disrupting important moments. Checkpoint Gaming and Noisy Pixel note occasional performance issues, such as frame rate drops during intense moments and incorrect hitboxes. Furthermore, MMORPG.com and RPG Fan express concerns over the lack of technical polish, with randomly spawning enemies causing frustration and impacting player enjoyment. Despite these technical challenges, GamingTrend points out that the single-player experience was relatively bug-free, while online multiplayer had issues with bugs, crashes, and desync problems, showcasing a disparity in performance between the two modes. In conclusion, the overall consensus among critics for The Ascent's technical performance across all platforms is that while there are instances of stability and improvements, the game is plagued by technical issues such as crashes, bugs, frame rate drops, and performance inconsistencies. Critics like God is a Geek and Impulsegamer highlight frame rate drops and crashes impacting the gameplay experience, while TheSixthAxis and VG247 mention issues with inconsistent gauge refills and occasional stuttering. The game's technical challenges seem to vary across platforms, with some platforms experiencing smoother performance than others. Despite these technical hurdles, some critics still found enjoyment in the game, showcasing a mix of positive and negative sentiments towards The Ascent's technical performance.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of The Ascent showcase several positive aspects. Critics such as Finger Guns and GamingTrend highlight the game's high replayability due to side missions, collectibles, New Game + mode, and different playstyles to explore. Additionally, the inclusion of co-op play, as praised by PlayStation Universe and Shacknews, enhances the overall experience and provides an avenue for players to enjoy the game with friends, increasing its replay value. The variety of builds, augments, and weapons, as mentioned by GamingTrend, offers players the opportunity to experiment and discover new strategies, contributing to the game's replayability. On the other hand, several critics point out certain negative aspects that may impact the replay value of The Ascent. GameSpot and PCGamesN mention difficulty spikes, grind for progression, lack of rewards, and repetitive gameplay elements that could hinder multiple playthroughs. Critics like RPG Fan and Noisy Pixel highlight issues such as lackluster gameplay, unbalanced difficulty, broken cooperative play, and limited roleplaying elements that may diminish the excitement and replay value of the game. Furthermore, PC Gamer and Gamepressure note frustrations with specific aspects like sidequests feeling like busywork, lack of efficient fast travel options, and the need for updates to address issues like difficulty levels and endgame content. Overall, the consensus among critics regarding the replay value of The Ascent is mixed. While some critics appreciate the game's depth in terms of customization, combat mechanics, and co-op play, others express concerns about repetitive gameplay, lack of variety in loot drops, and unexciting narrative elements. Critics like COGconnected and Finger Guns acknowledge the game's potential for replayability through various modes and content, while others like Game Informer and Destructoid highlight the challenges in maintaining interest in multiple playthroughs. Ultimately, the replay value of The Ascent seems to depend on individual preferences, with some players finding enjoyment in exploring different playstyles and engaging in co-op experiences, while others may be deterred by repetitive gameplay loops and lack of meaningful progression incentives.