A major criticism of Thursday's Inside Xbox event was a surprising lack of gameplay, rather than in-engine footage and cinematics. One game that stood out as featuring clear gameplay was The Ascent, a cyberpunk ARPG that's a console launch exclusive on the Xbox Series X. And even better, a new 12-minute gameplay video has since been released on Friday.
For those who weren't able to figure out what The Ascent really was about from its short Inside Xbox trailer, the 12-minutes of gameplay footage makes it much more obvious. The Ascent is an ARPG top-down shooter, like Diablo meets Enter the Gungeon or Helldivers, but it's all set in a dystopian future cyberpunk world.
Players will pick up equipment, weapons, and more to take on hordes of enemies in The Ascent. Like other ARPGs, they'll also have a selection of abilities, including a ground pound, a time-slowing bubble, and a dash, to supplement their arsenal. A town area and a cinematic are shown around 10 minutes into the video, teasing some of The Ascent's story.
There's clearly a lot left for developer Neon Giant to show of The Ascent. Since it's an ARPG, players are certain to be curious about the game's deeper progression systems, as well as any potential endgame gameplay. Luckily, as an Xbox Series X console launch exclusive, Neon Giant still has plenty of time to share more of The Ascent with gamers. Expect more information soon.
The Ascent is confirmed for the Xbox Series X but has no release window yet.