A diablo-esque top down shoot-em-up, The Ascent is a fun little game, as the main quest takes no more than 10 hours to finish on Medium difficulty.
The game's got polish, it's got style, it's also got good in-game mechanics as far as such games go. What is lacks is the meat, as options for different playstyles are not varied. Storyline is not something to write home about, but it serves it's purpose.
Despite all these little criticism, I enjoyed the overall experience, specifically the fluidity of the combat mechanics, especially during the late game. Watch some gameplay footages or try out the "free demo" prior to purchasing.

Looks absolutely fantastic and the gamplay is solid enough to be more than a kite-and-shoot game. Sound design is also really satisfying and immersive. Everything you'd want from a Sci-berpunk narrative.

Major glaring issue, graphics are painfully unoptimised, takes you more than a few seconds of 1 fps for textures and things to load in. I can't begin to imagine what it is like for people running under the recommended specs, which I think may be inaccurate. This happens when you don't view a certain location or page for a while, which can really kill your mood.

Quality of life could be revamping the map so it doesn't look like a barcode stacked on top of spilled pasta. Make the information navigable, and add those google map direction things where possible.

Huge potential limited by medium design flaws and holes. Current state was worth the few dollars I got it for though.

If you want a cyberpunk style top down shooter, this is the one for you!

The good stuff...
The graphics are gorgeous.
There are enough guns to suit the vast majority of play styles, somewhat limited by the fixed POV so sniping (my usual) isn't really a feature.
The pace is excellent. The main missions are designed to test you so if you fancy a slightly easier ride, get those side missions completed for some sweet augs and all important damage boosts.
By the time you get into the game you'll have enough credits and skills to have a play with different weapons and there are plenty of spaces filled with bag guys to hone your skills.
The city is alive, really. The attention to detail in the background is excellent, you can happily sit and just absorb it. The NPCs have plenty of little conversations to listen into and all react when you start blasting...providing they don't get in the way.

The bad stuff...
The map is woeful. If you want to head to a trader, good luck finding your way amongst the multiple vertical levels as there is no way to plot a course (unlike missions where you can hit a button to show you the way).
The story, meh. I wasn't invested but it kept the pace up so it's not all bad.
A slight ♥♥♥♥♥♥ is the armour system. It can't be upgraded and is all fairly generic. Compared to the weapons (which there are a couple of almost OP choices) it falls a bit flat.

Overall, its a kick ass game and i got it for a fiver. 18 hours sunk into it and the campaign is complete. I play solo so can't comment on any multiplayer.

When The Ascent 2 drops (please tell me it's going too!) i'll drop full retail without a doubt.

Excellent gun blasting, head splitting fun!