Along with Inside Xbox's May presentation came the announcement of another cyberpunk-inspired RPG coming this year. Entitled The Ascent, it's a solo and coop RPG set in a cyberpunk metropolis rife with overpopulation and violence. If that core concept sounds familiar, then Cyberpunk 2077 likely comes to mind. Though at face value it's not a fair comparison to The Ascent, which has its own unique take on the cyberpunk sub-genre.
Obviously CD Projekt Red, the studio responsible for the critically acclaimed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has had its latest Cyberpunk project in the works for a long time. After a few delays, Cyberpunk 2077 will finally be coming out later this year, reigniting the cyberpunk hype train. But The Ascent promises a very different cyberpunk experience in comparison, and could help carry the genre's momentum into next year.
Cyberpunk 2077
For Cyberpunk 2077, a gigantic AAA game from the acclaimed CD Projekt Red studio, this project has been on everyone's mind as long as 2012. Development has changed and evolved several times over the last decade, but with the pedigree of CD Projekt Red's studio, it means there's been tons of content and love being pumped into the game. If the studio's previous project The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is any indication on what to expect from Cyberpunk 2077, the world of Night City is going to be sprawling and full of miniscule details all around. The game very clearly has a near-future, grounded atmosphere in depicting a cyberpunk world that doesn't seem entirely outlandish or impossible for real-life society's future.
Much of that detail also applies to "V," the player's customizable protagonist. Cyberpunk 2077 is primarily an RPG with first-person shooter mechanics spliced into the combat. Players have statistics and attributes that they can spec out and improve over time. Base stats and growths are based on the class the protagonist selects for their character, with unique traits and abilities just like a traditional tabletop RPG. In that vein, players will be left to their own devices and able to freely navigate and explore through Night City as they please. With various different regions to explore and do quests in, Cyberpunk 2077 promises to be a massive experience meant to seem sprawling or overwhelming.
The Ascent
Taking on a more high science fiction version of the cyberpunk genre, The Ascent takes players much farther away from Earth. The world of The Ascent takes players to an even more dystopian city on an alien planet called Veles. Various races of aliens as well as humans commingle in a cramped and rundown city run by a greedy corporate conglomerate known as "The Ascent Group." Suddenly this company's grip of power on the city is lost, and players lead an uprising against The Ascent Group's oppression. It's a genuine cyberpunk adventure with heavy influences of traditional science fiction motifs intertwined with the dystopian atmosphere.
Gameplay seems to take on a more traditional isometric RPG approach with a splash of action. Fast-paced gameplay elements from twin-stick shooters are melded with fantasy RPG abilities akin to that of Divinity: Original Sin. There'll be a focus on finding better loot, exploring various regions of the city, as well as body modifications/enhancements typical of cyberpunk media. Destructible environments will also factor into gameplay as well, meaning players will have to strategize their positioning throughout a firefight just to survive. Most notably, the entire adventure throughout The Ascent can be played with up to four players in coop.
Two Very Different Dystopian Worlds
Between the two games, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Ascent vary greatly despite the similarities of their base dystopian themes. Gameplay-wise the two differ massively; where Cyberpunk 2077 aims for a more simulatory experience focusing on first-person immersion, The Ascent appears to be a more action-oriented experience with elements of traditional RPGs sprinkled throughout. Players take on a more open-ended approach in Cyberpunk 2077, as players can craft their character's abilities and stats to play the game a certain way. V can be a impressive gunslinger or a witty wordsmith, all of which is determined by how the player wants to interact with the world of Cyberpunk 2077. Players in The Ascent are taking part in a more linear rebellion, where exploring regions to fight The Ascent Group will be the game's main draw.
As massive as Cyberpunk is promising to be, the game will be a singleplayer-only experience for the whole story. There has been a confirmed multiplayer mode coming, but at the moment multiplayer is at least a year away for Cyberpunk 2077. On the other hand, gameplay in The Ascent will be simultaneous solo and coop. Scope-wise these games are two different sides of one coin. The Ascent's world will contain more condensed battlefields for players to engage in challenging battle scenarios. Cyberpunk's world is a more open-ended experience that isn't always forcing players to push onward to the next fight, encouraging players to observe and explore the world around them.
Even though Cyberpunk 2077 has brought the titular genre back to mainstream, games like The Ascent are melding traditional elements of the genre with innovative gameplay. Despite their cyberpunk origins, each is a different experience that are both equally enticing.
The Ascent is coming to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2020. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on September 17, 2020.