The list of games that I’ve completed this year just got a new addition, and it’s one title that I started playing mid-last year. The Ascent is an isometric action-RPG in an amazingly cyberpunk-setting but also suffers from see-sawing difficulty. One minute you might be mowing down enemies like papier-mâché, the next you’ll be hitting a wall of enemies that seem impenetrable. Here are some of my tips to kind of like survive and succeed in The Ascent.
Tip 1: Pathfinding
Part of the problem with the game would be the pathfinding system that leads you to your quest location, but not before occasionally bringing you through the wringer of really tough opponents along the way. A solution to this would be to use public transportation (e.g. the metro, or taxis), to get from zone to zone quickly while avoiding problem spots.
Tip 2: Weapons
The weapons in The Ascent are differentiated by damage type and the game has a rock-paper-scissors take on what damage type will do well against certain types of enemies. While weapons are upgradeable, you may end up doing the mistake of spending too many components to upgrade early weapons, only to have a few components for the later weapon options.
Weapons that dish out digital damage take precedence for the end-game as you’ll be facing up against some really tough mechs, so be sure to save some of your components for the late-game.
Tip 3: Components
Speaking of components, players should take care to get their hands on every component they can find. Components are categorized by type (basic, advanced, superior), and are handily marked on the mini-map. Components are also dropped by enemies that are marked as bounties, so you’d do well to hunt them down.
Tip 4: Side Missions
Unlike Diablo III, The Ascent isn’t that generous in rewarding players with experience points (XP) just by moving down enemies. Key to moving the XP ticker would be completing missions, and side missions do give you a nice boost. These missions range the gamut of money laundering, drug trafficking, some corporate espionage, etc, etc, and they have an added benefit of bringing you around the massive arcology which the game takes place in. Heck, some of the best weapons and augmentations can be found in the later game side missions, so please don’t skip out on them.
Tip 5: Augmentations and Tacticals
IMHO, augmentations are your best friends in a firefight, and I tend to go with the more offensive types, such as spider-bots and homing missiles. Augmentations like Joyrun Dragon are pretty cool as well, but I prefer having a posse around in battle, hence the spider-bots. I use the rejuv field as my tactical of choice, and it’s useful in the endgame battle when HP packs are in short supply with dispensers no where to be seen.
Tip 6: Armor Up + Lock and Load
Should you survive the late-game surge in difficulty, you’ll find yourself decked in plenty of really decent armor AND weaponry, so it goes without saying that you should dress your best, pick your choice augmentations and tactical, and upgrade your weaponry before attempting the final main mission as it is a SLOG.
