Rising High: Multiplayer Action-RPG The Ascent Coming
As a new console generation dawns, Curve Digital is excited to announce it has an Xbox Series X title in the works, courtesy of brand new Swedish studio Neon Giant - an 11-person development team formed by individuals with considerable Triple-A experience on titles such as the Bulletstorm, Gears of War and Wolfenstein franchises.
Also launching on Xbox One and PC, The Ascent will offer players the chance to step into an action-orientated sci-fi RPG powered by Unreal Engine 4 that takes the genre to new levels, available to play in both single-player and up to four-player co-op.
“We wanted to create a sci-fi RPG where players can play in the way they like, building up their character with cyberwear, augmentations and looting in a story-driven environment,” says Tor Frick, Art Director and co-founder of Neon Giant.
Arcade Berg, fellow co-founder and the studio’s Game Director adds - “For us, creating The Ascent has been about us all taking what we’ve learned from working on Triple-A titles and bringing it to a highly focused project like this, redefining what gamers might have come to expect from a title developed by a small and flexible team.”
The Ascent will feature:
A free-roam play style in a cyberpunk inspired dystopian world
Classic RPG mechanics to enable players to build up their character including cyberwear, augmentations and looting
An unprecedented sense of verticality within its world, with different levels and platforms discernible within play
Double-aim mechanic enables players to utilise the full screen and choose between multiple targets anywhere in the environment
A narrative-led adventure playable in single and up to four-player co-op modes
“It was obvious from the moment we met that Tor, Arcade and the whole Neon Giant team that they were doing something very special,” says Simon Byron, Publishing Director, Curve Digital. “They know how to make games where combat feels right, and even in its very early stages, The Ascent has been enormously playable. Everyone at the studio is determined to show how a tightly-focussed, passionate team can create something which will stand shoulder to shoulder with games whose credits run into the hundreds, and The Ascent truly is an audacious debut.
“The fact that Microsoft has seen enough behind the scenes in the early stages of development to very publicly give The Ascent such overwhelming backing should give you an idea of its promise. I’m relieved we are finally able to start showing it publicly.”
The Ascent will launch on the Xbox Family of devices, including Xbox Series X, and PC in 2020. Look out for further details on the game’s launch in the months ahead.