1. Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (PC)(Action Adventure)2. The Citadel (PC)(FPS)3. Gothic 3 (PC)(RPG)4. Witchaven (PC)(FPS)5. Unpacking (PC)(Puzzle)6. Firewatch (PC)(Adventure)
7. Perilous Warp (PC)(FPS)8. The Ascent (PC)(RPG)The Ascent is a hybrid game in a variety of ways. It mixes various science fiction ideas with diverse game genres to create something which feels unique and fun. It's sometimes fast and frantic, but it's always looking cool, and it knows it. Most importantly for an RPG, it tells an interesting story, though it falls apart in the system category as gear choices far outweigh character development. Ultimately, the most important thing is firepower and knowing when to use what gun and whether to stay in cover.
But first, what is it? Well, it's far future...but it's also cyberpunk in its style. Body mods, megacorporate scheming, slick hackers, violent street gangs, if you can name a fixture of cyberpunk aesthetic, it's here. Only it also has a sleep of alien races because we are far future with interstellar travel. You are an indent, basically a corporate slave who sold his or her life away for a chance to work on a different planet for The Ascent Group, a massive interstellar conglomerate. That is, until suddenly the corporation defaults and effectively ceases to exist. So now you're running errands for your former boss, trying to avoid the corporate grab teams coming in to snatch up resources (ie. people), and doing what you can to keep the lights on. And you're doing it under the barrel of a gun.
Did I say this game is an RPG? Well, it is, sort of, as you gain levels and assign stats to direct how your character develops. But in combat, it's a twin stick shooter. Imagine this: you need a few bucks to choose a bitching new style for your character, so you head into a nearby slum to mow down some punk gang trash. Do you: A) duck into cover and blast over the top of a hedge with your explosive-ammo assault rifle, B) pull a flamethrower, dodge roll towards the nearest foe, and show him what toast feels like, or C) minigun?
Hell, and that's just the start. Add in powers based on stats, additional throwable gear with a variety of effects (like EMP grenades, a drone that phazes people in a quasi-quantum state, or the mech suit), and the ability to even swiftly hack your opponents' gear, and you have some options for mayhem. And with the bullets flying, and the bass pumping, you're in the zone...at least until some big heavy robot with a hammer decides to rearrange your face with some free dental.
Combat is pretty awesome in The Ascent, though certain enemy types can feel samey after a while. But it's unfortunately not a perfect game. First, even with an array of fast travel options, there is a lot of downtown spent simply going from point A to B, to an elevator up to C, across to Metro D, you get the idea. And second, the leveling system is pretty limited on where you can throw your points. By the end of my playthrough, I had min/maxed and capped out the stuff based around the gear I used, max health, CRIT rate, and so forth. Sure, of 8 categories, 3 weren't maxed out. That's how many points I had picked up.
And then there is New Game +, for once you have beaten the game...but it appears to only increase enemy level and change some of their attacks, not upgrade anything else, so there seems to be little reason to go for it unless you really, really want to max stats and gun upgrades. Also, the gun upgrades are straight damage boosts, and even maxed out, later guns simply outshine early guns. Eventually you just can't put out enough firepower to handle everything you face. The NG+ heightens this issue, even with end game guns as enemy health outpaces maxes out damage.
In other words, it's a stylistic and cool game, but once you're through, there is little reason to go back. But man, when it's gotten its stride, and you're putting down corporate mercs with a gun shooting freaking lightning, it's a lot of fun. I enjoyed The Ascent immensely, even if it lacks staying power.
