• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Ascent Review Thread

Topher

Gold Member
I've never played a twin stick shooter and I can't believe how much I suck at it. How the fuck do you aim? It seems like my sticks are way too sensitive to aim properly and my aim is all over the place.

I think the skies are calling me to come back and practice crashing my plane some more. 🤣

My thumbs want to walk and shoot in the same damn direction! No! Shoot at the bad guys while walking away from the bad guys.

Season 3 Idiot GIF by The Simpsons
 

Topher

Gold Member
Because there are more well received scores on the PC version. As I said above, the Metro score is a knock but it isn't a huge knock that somehow turns that yellow into a green.

Well yeah....I did some math on it and it isn't entirely because of that one review so I was wrong about that, but that one review is having an impact and the lack of reviews on the Xbox side is helping to dampen it.
 
"Thank god for gamepass or I wouldn't have played this..." we hear for the hundredth time. Maybe one day those constantly repeating that sentence will realise that it's actually a negative as more time is wasted on mediocrity and games you "otherwise wouldn't have touched" than actual quality.

But that goes both ways. There are tons of games that ARE quality that I can literally say I would have never touched if not for GamePass. Games like Flight Sim, Void Bastards, Yakuza LaD, Slay the Spire, Cyber Shadow, Children of Morta, Mutant Year Zero, Headlander, among others, not counting the tons of games I would have bought but didn’t need to because of GamePass 👍
 
But that goes both ways. There are tons of games that ARE quality that I can literally say I would have never touched if not for GamePass. Games like Flight Sim, Void Bastards, Yakuza LaD, Slay the Spire, Cyber Shadow, Children of Morta, Mutant Year Zero, Headlander, among others, not counting the tons of games I would have bought but didn’t need to because of GamePass 👍
Children of Morta is definitely a major sleeper hit. Been playing it non-stop - FYI for anyone with Gamepass who hasn't put a good chunk of time into the game to get used to the combat.
 

nemiroff

Gold Member
I played it couch coop for an hour or so, definitely had fun, it's worth trying. The shooting feels nice and it looks great. But I can kinda see how it can turn boring after some time. Perhaps it'll help to not think of it as an rpg. That will help keep expectations lower.

Edit: disappointing to see the sharks trying to turn this into a negative GP thing.
 
Last edited:
Hmm, it didn't really look like anything special but still sort of interested in it. Hardly a necessary purchase but sometimes a simple pick up and play game is what you want for a short time.
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
My thumbs want to walk and shoot in the same damn direction! No! Shoot at the bad guys while walking away from the bad guys.

Season 3 Idiot GIF by The Simpsons
Thank you for that tip. I still suck but not nearly as bad.
 
Last edited:

Topher

Gold Member
It is a fun game. I'm looking forward to leveling up and getting some better weapons and some of the fire fights behind cover we saw. So far, it is exactly what I wanted. Cyberpunk Diablo.

I think the PC metacritic is dead on. A solid 7.5 game. But that's just an early impression. My scoffing at the 3/10 score is slowly turning into a bemused snicker.

Manny Montana Nbc GIF by Good Girls
 
Last edited:
Taking a little break from it. I got as far as the first hub area. Seems pretty cool so far. Don't see this gaming having the narrative depth I was hoping for but that's okay. An amazing looking twin stick shooter set in a beautiful cyberpunk universe is okay with me. A solid Game Pass pick. Impressive from such a small studio. A 7/10 from me so far. Anyone else playing this on an OLED with Series X? Pretty as fuck.
 

Jaysen

Banned
I just played the opening level... It's cool: nice graphics, solid gameplay and interesting world.

I honestly won't go back to it, since I am not a fan of twin-stick shooters, but it seems fine... It is basically Dead Nation(Housemarque ps3 game) gameplay with a little twist of Diablo in a cyberpunk setting.
That was my impression too. Dead Nation is one of the few Housemarque games I hated.
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
Now that I kind of understand how to play, aim and actually kill enemies aim in a twinstick shooter, the game is totally fun so far.
 

anthony2690

Banned
People seem super mixed on this, seen loads of glowing reviews and then a review as low 3/10.
I might just wait for some updates to fix issues before starting as the game looks right up my alley tbh. :)
 
I expected 70-80 so it right in the middle there is no way this game is gone to get 85-90 so is expected i don't know why people are disappointed for lol
 

Derktron

Banned
Nobody would have spent $70 on this. That's likely why it was launched on GamePass.

Games like Ender Lilies and Death's Door show more faith. I bought Ender Lilies full price on Series X and have no regrets. I may do the same for Death's Door. This game doesn't even look worth my time to download although I'm already paying for GP.
This is what happens when fanboys get the opportunity to be free with their thoughts and make assumptions without doing any sort of research. Ouch
 

Optimus Lime

(L3) + (R3) | Spartan rage activated
Meh. Played it. Mediocre. I always suspected it would be, and I was right. If it wasn't on Gamepass I would have already refunded it. Glad people are enjoying it, but it feels like an absolutely mediocre, unremarkable, uninteresting twin stick shooter with indie jank. I get that the 2020-2021 drought is real, but I think I'd rather just stare out of the window of a plane in FS for hours. And, why is the character perfectly calibrated to the tastes of Resetera/game journos? Is it REALLY too much to want to make a traditionally attractive female character without a fucking side cut or dreadlocks?
 
Just played for an hour, it looks great and also plays well but yes, it needed more time. The German translation is incomplete for example. Devs already said they're working on patches though.
 
Last edited:
Bit weird to rant about reviews, while then admitting you haven't played either of those games and are going off how this looks to you.....

But of a weird rant, when you don't know what games I've played. FYI, I have cyberpunk and played enough of it to know what score that game truly deserved.
 

Calverz

Member
Lmao at all the coping in this thread, i agree review scores shouldnt be the be all end all for a game especially if its one youre interested in but you dont need a subscription service to find that out, whatever happened to devs releasing demos? Can we get back to those days? This is just enabling mediocrity
Here we go. Resident Sony fan comes into Xbox thread and likes all the anti gamepass comments. Gamepass is better than a demo. I get the whole game. Effectively free. If I pay £60 for a gamepass sub, regardless for how long, and I complete 1 game in that time, everything else is effectively bonus/free.
So go back and play ur demos on ur ps5.
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
Come on man...... :-/
There is 100% an Xbox bias in the games media. That is starting to turn around, but it’s been super obvious for years. If you think these “journalists” are immune to bias and fanboyism, that is a ignorant take.
 

kyoji

Member
Here we go. Resident Sony fan comes into Xbox thread and likes all the anti gamepass comments. Gamepass is better than a demo. I get the whole game. Effectively free. If I pay £60 for a gamepass sub, regardless for how long, and I complete 1 game in that time, everything else is effectively bonus/free.
So go back and play ur demos on ur ps5.
So sensitive please look in the mirror next time before casting stones, projection is a mf’er. Funny thing is you are oblivious to your ownself.
 
Last edited:

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Metro: ”so mr outsourced reviewer is the ascent review ready to go live, I know your reputation holds you as a pretty harsh reviewer…….what are you giving the game?”

Reviewer: “yeah, it’s not too bad the review is ready….I’ll email it over now”

metro: ” so what did you give it for its score”

reviewer:” it’s a 3”

metro: “3, wow….ok I’ve got your email posted it live now….thanks for the work…it’s true you are harsh…..well catch ya later….didn’t think you would go 3 out of 10”………..…..

reviewer:”…..wait up I thought it was out of 5…it’s a 3 out of 5………hello…..

……


….ahhh fuck it I got my cheque”
 

mckmas8808

Banned
There is 100% an Xbox bias in the games media. That is starting to turn around, but it’s been super obvious for years. If you think these “journalists” are immune to bias and fanboyism, that is a ignorant take.

You mean all the "journalists" that constantly say Gamepass™ is the best deal in gaming? And can't stop advertising it non stop?
 

Greggy

Member
If this game is a 3, then I want someone to point me to a 10 because obviously I've been gaming wrong all these years. Does the 10 give me blowjobs? do my taxes? go to work for me?

I need to know.
The art direction alone should have guaranteed this game more than a 3. That reviewer for an unknown reason decided to do damage beyond just giving his opinion. I hope the developers are not too disappointed by the reception. I agree with Skillup that they deserve to be scooped up and work on more projects.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
You mean all the "journalists" that constantly say Gamepass™ is the best deal in gaming? And can't stop advertising it non stop?
They can’t stand Xbox but there’s no denying gamepass…due to it factually being the best deal in gaming tm…..just ask them.
 

Derift

Member
The only review that matters -





John from DF loved it too.

We consistently give 'professional reviewers' shit all the time for their silly politics, awful gaming ability, crying about games being too hard, not finishing games they review, etc, etc.
Yet we seem to give them so much credit in these threads.

User reviews, and reviews from people like ACG, are the ones we should listen to. Thats all i listen to anyway.

so we should only listen to reviews that give good scores??? its all subjective anyway so why even bother with reviewers...
 
Top Bottom