The Ascent

The Ascent is an isometric action shooter set in a cyberpunk arcology, a giant vertical city run by a corporation that suddenly collapses. The player starts out as an insignificant laborer in the lowest levels and gradually fights their way upward, with combat combining constant movement, cover, and switching between low and high aiming. Dual-height aiming is the most interesting mechanic: raising your weapon lets you shoot over crates and railings, while lowering it keeps you in cover. On top of that come tactical gadgets, augmentations, and stat progression, which make the game feel like a lighter action RPG.

The art direction leaves the biggest impression. The city is packed with detail — neon, advertisements, crowds of characters, and layers of trash — and the game shows it from a distance that lets you appreciate the scale of the whole construction. On Xbox Series X|S ray tracing and high resolution are available, and the environments rank among the most striking an isometric game has offered on this generation. The soundscape leans on dark electronic music that keeps a heavy mood beneath the street noise. The entire campaign can be played in co-op for up to four players, whether online or on a single console.

The game was made by a small team, which is remarkable given the scale of the world, and contemporary reviews usually highlighted that disparity. The visuals, atmosphere, and combat system were praised, while criticism targeted confusing navigation through the city's complex levels, an occasionally uneven difficulty curve, and technical issues at launch that were later addressed with patches. Today it's one of the best ways to play fast cyberpunk action with friends on console — a few dozen hours is plenty, and the visual impression of the arcology lasts long after finishing it. Playing solo is noticeably harder, since enemies attack in waves from several directions, but with two or three players the game turns into a pleasantly chaotic firefight full of improvisation. Its availability via subscription also helped it reach an audience that might otherwise never have picked up an isometric shooter.