The Ascent is a new sci-fi RPG set in a cyberpunk world where mega corporations own everyone

The Ascent, a new solo and co-op cyberpunk RPG, was announced during the Inside Xbox stream today.

One of the latest upcoming Xbox Series X games, The Ascent - from developer Neon Giant and publisher Curve Digital - is set in a cyberpunk world where a mega corporation called the Ascent, which owns pretty much everything, has just collapsed. This causes a lot of confusion and chaos, security and order are in disarray, and with no one to offer protection or safety, everyone is left to fend for themselves. You'll have to, according to an Xbox Wire post, "stop gangs and hostile corporations from taking over" while aiming to discover what really happened in this sci-fi shooter. 

Sweden-based developer Neon Giant is formed of a small team of experienced games industry veterans with a history of working on action game franchises. The reveal trailer gave us a good look at this new sci-fi shooter and its distinctive cyberpunk vibes, and even among the cyberpunk-packed year of 2020, The Ascent's vibrant world and attention to detail stand out.  

The Ascent will also feature Smart Delivery support, which is a new technology coming alongside the Xbox Series X. It enables you to purchase one copy of a game and play across console generations, and it will be able to identify which Xbox console you're on to deliver the best version of the game for the hardware it's running. The Inside Xbox Stream has been showcasing our first look at gameplay footage on Xbox's next-generation console, which is still set to release Holiday 2020. 

Don't forget to check out our own event, the Future Games Show, this June. 

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at 12DOVE. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good. 

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