Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 73 | 78 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 97 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 74% | 70 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 67% | 65 | 129 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 368 total reviews in window · weighted 146 up / 73.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (112)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“The Ascent is worth your attention, but only after the developers will iron out most of the major shortcomings.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A worthy debut for Neon Giant. The Ascent is not a perfect, but a good game with a good combat system and stunning visual performance. In addition, you can clean up the streets of Sector 13 in the company of friends (both on the Web and locally) - the game itself does not change from this, but together, as you know, it is always more fun.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Ascent’s savviest move is making the arcology its main character. Trains run on their own schedules, NPCs carry on conversations whether you stop to listen to them or not, and there’s no exposition for concepts like “Escher loops” and “the First Law.” You’re not a hero, only a replaceable employee. The commune of off-the-grid coders aren’t relying on you, and there’s nothing you can do to help a traumatized recent arrival who woke to find that his family of 70 years was merely a cryosleep-induced dream. And so you look, listen, and empathize with the concerns of this vibrant, lived-in arcology. It’s a terrible place to live, and a terrifyingly believable premonition of where we might end up, but a wonderful one to get lost in.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Ascent is an excellent shooter that you can enjoy alone or in the company of friends. If you are an avid collector and explore everything you can, you can stretch your playing time to a nice forty hours. If you're only interested in the story, The Ascent will keep you entertained for about fifteen hours. The graphics are really great and the soundtrack only deepens the cyberpunk atmosphere. The combat is dynamic, aggressive and the destructible environment is the icing on the cake. The character dubbing is also great. I can definitely recommend this title.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Ascent is a great game, and although Its problems are hard to ignore, I can't pretend that I didn't have an amazing time with it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Ascent’s setting is remarkably striking, and it’s quite fun to play to boot. But the aspects that are either lacking, or entirely non-existent in the game’s design, have a large, detrimental affect on the overall quality of the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“For [US$20] or so, you’ll have a jolly neon-filled dystopian-blasting old time with The Ascent. Just don’t expect a grandeur tale ala Cyberpunk 2077, though you’ll have a meatier action RPG experience.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Ascent is for the most part a polished experience that's tons of fun to play and behold. The narrative will carry you along to many interesting places with different baddies to fry, though a few encounters feature enemies that are pure bullet sponges. You will need to pick the right equipment and keep up with leveling, but these issues can be overcome. Hardware requirements shouldn't hold you back too much, and glitches are few and far between. The overall quality makes this one a must play for cyberpunk and isometric shooter fans.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The Ascent's a solid, if somewhat repetitive shooter, propped up by eye-popping environments and a reasonable amount of RPG depth. If you can stomach some grindy mission design and the occasional buggy interaction, then there's explosive fun to be had here.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In terms of the overall gaming experience, the creators have designed a very exciting and engaging campaign for The Ascent, which doesn't lose its excitement until the end of the game by tearing enemies apart using a variety of weapons or special powers.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Cyberpunk gorefest that's brutal, intense, and incredibly fun in co-op.”
read full review ↗ - 88
“The Ascent brings us all the frenetism and strategy of a chaotic and futuristic cyberpunk-style world, where our character must discover the places and secrets that this universe hides. Despite its flaws, it becomes an Xbox must-have.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- THE ASCENT – STEAM PATCH 12 NOTESAug 18, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- The Ascent - Steam Hotfix March 30thMar 30, 2022
- The Ascent - Steam Hotfix March 4thMar 4, 2022
- The Ascent - Steam Hotfix February 28thFeb 28, 2022
- CYBER WARRIOR PACK & NEW GAME+Feb 24, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- FREE CHONGQING PACK + PATCH #7Jan 27, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- FREE WINTER PACKDec 15, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- FREE TRANSMOG UPDATEDec 2, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH #4 LIVE ON STEAMOct 28, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 4Oct 12, 2021
- The Ascent Patch #3 – Live on SteamOct 7, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- The Ascent – Steam Hotfix September 1stSep 1, 2021
- The Ascent Patch 2 – Live for Steam players – August 27thAug 27, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- August 16th – Steam HotfixAug 16, 2021
- AUGUST 6TH STEAM PATCH NOTESAug 6, 2021significant · resets scoring window