Chris InglisThe Ascent is a cyberpunk action twin-stick shooter with RPG elements developed by Neon Giant and published by Curve Digital. The game initially released on PC via Steam and Windows 10 and Xbox consoles and launched on PlayStation in March this year. It was my favourite game from 2021 by far and it’s first DLC has recently launched on August 18. The Cyber Heist DLC adds more cyberpunk Diablo-style aRPG gameplay with new locations, environments, characters to meet and new melee weapons to slay with.
This new Cyber Heist DLC is aimed at players that have completed the main campaign. I started this new content at level 28 and we are quickly sent from Veles to a brand new destination owned by megacorp Malhorst-Gelb Group. I was blown away by the sheer depth and level of detail of the world of Veles in the base game. It really felt like a true cyberpunk experience, better than many games out at the time, in particular the verticality of the backdrops given the isometric view. I was pleased that Neon Giant maintained that outstanding detail in the new locations and environments we get to explore.
After picking up the first quest chain, you are thrown straight into some intense combat battles which are harder than I remember the base game being. Adding to the difficulty was a few bounties that popped up right as I started fighting, so it didn’t take long to get the muscle memory back and start slaying. Weapons, skins and crafting components were dropping often and in vendor hubs, I was reminded of just how cool the transmog system is in the game and you can make your character look pretty bad ass.
Co-op is a great way to play this game, and quite frankly I needed the extra help after an hour or so. I loved the fact that your co-op partner’s avatar appears in story cutscenes. It’s these small touches that enhance the co-op experience. My mate had bought the DLC too, however if any of your other friends haven’t made the purchase yet, you can still invite them into your game so long as you are the host with the DLC enabled. As our publication name suggests, we love getting into some co-op gaming and The Ascent is just amazing playing together.
There are three melee weapons added with Cyber Heist – a baseball bat, the Guillotine which is a katana that was quick-hitting and powerful, killing enemies in two-hits. The third melee weapon to be added is the humungous Rock Crusher hammer which has a devastating secondary attack. The Guillotines special attack had a whirlwind effect which took out groups of mobs with ease. However, being melee only, you’ve got to be quick to dodge and use cover as most enemies are shooting at you from a distance.
The Cyber Heist DLC main story content lasts around 3 hours if you did nothing else, though I did often see shiny loot boxes on the map which turned into fighting mobs of enemies and then finding more shinies to loot, so it could probably be done quicker. There are many side missions to do too which I class as mandatory given the characters you meet and stories you get to play through are well worth your time.
Overall, The Ascent Cyber Heist DLC is a fantastic addition to an already outstanding game, and my best rated game of 2021. I only wish there was more content as the locations Neon Giant creates are some of the best cyberpunk experiences I have had.
This review utilised a key provided by Renaissance PR and The Ascent: Cyber Heist DLC is available now on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation.
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Written by: @ChrisJInglis
