Among all the games that we expect, we find ourselves having very high expectations. Often, we are slightly disappointed, we can be downright disappointed (like Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg), or we can also be really surprised by the quality of a software. Personally, I've been eagerly awaiting The Ascent, and here's what I think of it after testing it on PC).
Graphics & atmosphere
With the right machine, the game can deliver a truly impeccable rendering for an optimal gaming experience. Whether it's the atmosphere that oscillates between the dirtiness of certain places and districts, the slightly chic side of others, we are witnessing something really interesting. In terms of characters, we also have a nice thing with his avatar and those we meet as we go along, we feel that efforts have really been made on this point.
I found myself looking at the reflections of my deployed weapons in the puddles on the ground, especially when it is an energy ray (kamehamehaaaaaaa) that ravages everything in its path. Regarding the atmosphere, the sound effects are very well done and the music well balanced, although not unforgettable despite some well-found sounds, like when when you load a game, which reminds me of the very good film: Blade Runner.
History
You are an employee of the Ascent company, closer to the handyman slave than to the executive, your role is to find solutions by all means to the problems of your sector manager. But when the company goes bankrupt, you are sold with the rest of the possessions of the latter, and you will have to make sure to succeed in fulfilling the missions of your new masters. But why did your parent company go under, and why do many companies desperately want its secrets?
My opinion: Behind this little summary, deliberately vague, hides a rather dark and interesting story, despite many passages that are far too predictable. Despite everything, we like to carry around in the carcass of his character to complete the missions and find out more!
Gameplay
After your character creation, the game drops you with basic weapons and an implant that will expand your arsenal after a few minutes. To get you in shape, the first mission, in the form of a tutorial, will quickly teach you the basic commands. Quickly, the first boss arrives and there... it's the purge if you think it's going to be a lame boss. Zone attack, enemy en masse, big damage: if we are not on the job, we get our faces demolished by this first enemy who announces the color.
To fight and survive, you will have welcome assets. Your "cyberdeck" will allow you to quickly hack the surrounding systems, but on condition that you find well-hidden upgrades as the game progresses. This will allow you to open doors, chests and many other things that are sometimes essential to some side quests.
As for the fights, you can count on armor increasing some of your statistics and a substantial arsenal. You'll have classic guns, flamethrowers, assault rifles, heavy machine guns, energy cannons with guided projectiles, something to find what you're looking for and, in addition, you can improve them for certain resources!
You will also have access to implants and boosts that will totally change the game during your fights. At a grafter, you can increase your statistics by finding skill points, which you will also obtain by leveling up. These will be divided by you into different categories that will increase one of the four main categories. Each category will amplify the power of certain implants
For example, you can have an implant that will put enemies in stasis, an ultra-powerful area strike, a devastating ray, a rain of missiles, bots that will be there to create a diversion, and many other extremely useful things. You will be able to orient your equipment and your stats according to the mods that interest you or choose your mods according to your equipment, according to your preferences.
Exploration and Survival
All your exploration of the game will be free on the world map depending on the areas you unlock. The enemies have a displayed level which may cause you problems if yours is not high enough, or your weapons are not powerful enough. I often got stuck on a passage because of an unevolved weapon that didn't do enough damage against enemies that were stupid in AI but had powerful characteristics or were just outnumbered.
To survive, you can buy care packs (in limited quantities) from distributors with your hard-earned credits or simply hack them if you have the skills. You will have to be very careful with your credits, because they will go very quickly against equipment or improvements that will catch your eye, As well as for your taxi trips in order to quickly move from one area to another. another without going through the metro or the stations.
The little more
Note also the existence of a mode that allows you to play co-op with friends, whether on the local network or remotely. I don't have anyone to help me test this feature, so I can't tell you about it in this preview. The game also has a function for color blind people of all types, so that they can have the best possible access to the title without having any worries.
Summary
All in all, The Ascent is an interesting game that has the potential to give you a good time, as long as you like this genre. The rather powerful atmosphere of the title combined with an effective although repetitive gameplay is quite engaging overall. Far from revolutionizing the genre, it is still a very interesting game to get.
