In spring 2020 Xbox revealed the development of indie game The Ascent. The ARPG showed a mix of Diablo-inspired action and cyberpunk aesthetics, immediately capturing Xbox fans' attention. In the year since, however, the biggest news about The Ascent was its unfortunate delay. Now The Ascent is back as part of Friday's ID@Xbox broadcast. The latest trailer showcases The Ascent's most-important feature, which is the ability to play cooperatively.
As with any great ARPG, being able to play with friends so that you can mix and match your character classes and playstyles is very important. The new trailer for The Ascent shows exactly how co-op APRG action works. Players are shown playing as very creative and unique characters, using synergistic abilities to enhance combat for other players, and otherwise just looking like total badasses in a dozen different The Ascent scenarios.
This new trailer for The Ascent also shows a much more polished setting for the ARPG. Earlier footage of The Ascent mostly shared somewhat generic and perhaps algorithmically-created levels. The new trailer features a much more diverse tileset for levels, sections of levels that appear much more authored, and levels that are more alive and inhabited in general. Planet Veles is coming to life.
For the time being, the one detail that interested gamers want remains out of reach. The new trailer for The Ascent does show development is progressing, but a release date is not yet in the cards. As after the delay, The Ascent remains tentatively planned to launch in 2021, but a more specific release date will have to wait until later this year.
The Ascent releases in 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.