<s>
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
is	O
a	O
cyberpunk-themed	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Swedish	O
indie	O
game	O
studio	O
Neon	O
Giant	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Curve	O
Digital	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
29	O
July	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
using	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Engine	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
by	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
12	O
people	O
and	O
is	O
Neon	O
Giant	O
's	O
debut	O
in	O
the	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
with	O
praise	O
for	O
its	O
visuals	O
,	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
but	O
criticism	O
for	O
the	O
emphasis	O
on	O
grinding	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
is	O
presented	O
from	O
an	O
isometric	B-Application
view	O
overlooking	O
the	O
character(s )	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
within	O
an	O
arcology	O
in	O
a	O
futuristic	O
dystopian	O
world	O
known	O
as	O
Veles	O
,	O
controlled	O
by	O
a	O
powerful	O
megacorporation	O
called	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
Group	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
mysterious	O
collapse	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
Group	O
,	O
the	O
arcology	O
descends	O
into	O
a	O
chaotic	O
free-for-all	O
pitting	O
districts	O
,	O
syndicates	O
and	O
rival	O
corporations	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
for	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
's	O
role	O
is	O
to	O
stop	O
other	O
factions	O
from	O
seizing	O
control	O
and	O
uncover	O
the	O
mystery	O
behind	O
the	O
demise	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
Group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
is	O
developed	O
by	O
Neon	O
Giant	O
,	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
12	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
using	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Engine	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
of	O
Cyberpunk	B-Application
2077	I-Application
around	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
proved	O
somewhat	O
frustrating	O
for	O
the	O
team	O
as	O
the	O
two	O
game	O
's	O
world	O
feature	O
several	O
similarities	O
although	O
Neon	O
Giant	O
was	O
unaware	O
of	O
these	O
until	O
late	O
into	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Witcher	I-Application
and	O
Dying	B-Device
Light	I-Device
composer	O
Paweł	O
Błaszczak	O
wrote	O
the	O
score	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
on	O
7	O
May	O
2020	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
reveal	O
trailer	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
launch	O
title	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
delayed	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
29	O
July	O
2021	O
on	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
10	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
subscription	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
24	O
February	O
2022	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
would	O
be	O
releasing	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
with	O
a	O
reveal	O
trailer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
;	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
version	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
7.25/10	O
,	O
writing	O
,	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
delivers	O
mindless	O
co-op	O
fun	O
in	O
a	O
beautiful	O
cyberpunk	O
world	O
that	O
ends	O
up	O
emphasizing	O
style	O
over	O
substance.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
rated	O
it	O
7/10	O
,	O
summarizing	O
with	O
:	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Ascents	I-Application
satisfying	O
gun-tastic	O
action-RPG	B-Application
gameplay	O
loop	O
mixes	O
with	O
its	O
beautiful	O
cyberpunk	O
aesthetic	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
overall	O
enjoyable	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
6/10	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
Even	O
if	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
was	O
fully	O
functional	O
and	O
balanced	O
in	O
a	O
way	O
where	O
building	O
up	O
a	O
character	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
ultimate	O
Indent	O
warrior	O
felt	O
great	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
so	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
feel	O
like	O
servitude	O
...	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
so	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
play	O
time	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
feels	O
like	O
,	O
well	O
,	O
an	O
uphill	O
battle.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
4	O
August	O
2021	O
,	O
publisher	O
Curve	O
Digital	O
announced	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
set	O
its	O
largest-ever	O
opening	O
weekend	O
sales	O
revenue	O
,	O
generating	O
over	O
$5	O
million	O
in	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
became	O
the	O
number	O
one	O
top-selling	O
game	O
worldwide	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
's	O
global	O
charts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
release	O
,	O
developer	O
Neon	O
Giant	O
stated	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Ascent	I-Application
was	O
a	O
"	O
monumental	O
effort	O
"	O
for	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
12	O
people	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
been	O
overwhelmed	O
by	O
the	O
positive	O
response	O
from	O
the	O
player	O
base	O
.	O
</s>
