The Ascent has so much world-building and unique characters that I’m surprised it isn’t based on an existing book series, anime, or TTRPG. Yet it’s the debut game from a studio with 12 people. That’s crazy to me.

There are complaints about the game being buggy or the gameplay being repetitive, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the cyberpunk visuals and the world they created. I would love to have more content from this universe (books, anime, whatever).

Just check out the official synopsis:

The Ascent takes place within an arcology in a futuristic dystopian world known as Veles, controlled by a powerful megacorporation called “The Ascent Group”. Players assume control of a worker enslaved by the company. After the mysterious collapse of The Ascent Group, the arcology descends into a chaotic free-for-all pitting districts, syndicates and rival corporations against each other for control. The player’s role is to stop other factions from seizing control and uncover the mystery behind the demise of The Ascent Group.

Totally cyberpunk.

The game is a top-down twin-stick shooter (not FPS) and has a lot of RPG elements. It’s available on Steam, Xbox, and Playstation but not on GOG or Switch for some reason.