Been checking some reviews.
Looks like the code reviewers played went through a lot of bug fixing before release.
Maybe I was lucky again but thinking back I've seen 4 bugs in total (minus the audio looping glitch in shops) and had one crash to OS. No game-breaking bugs, no progression stoppers, 2 cases of side missions failing to complete fixed by reloading the area...
But then something like you read on
Trueachievements:
the majority of The Ascent's issues are just infuriating. My workaround for the major roadblocks was the same each time: exploit the game's awful co-op checkpointing to pick up an early story mission checkpoint from a second save file, then rush through the main missions again (and again...) with my massively OP character. You see, The Ascent only offers a single auto-save slot, and joining another player's co-op session overwrites your progress (everything bar your character and inventory, basically) with that of the host. You'll want to be wary of this if you plan on playing with others, as skipping any major story mission will lock you out of the related achievement until/unless you play through the campaign again.
WTF? Absolutely nothing of this sort happens, co-op can overwrite progress due to apparent glitch only when the host starts a brand new game but never as described.
Also, he literally can't handle the difficulty and OP's the character by replaying campaign missions and that's somehow the issue of the game.
Gamespot review is downright embarrassing, not sure where is that "hopeless grind" they speak of. Also "the bad: The tone is extremely, unnecessarily hostile and dour". GTFO.
I played the whole thing solo with zero farming. Did side missions without major issues they were 2-3 levels above mine and adapted. No problems using cover which is KEY as soon as you get enemies armed with guns.
No problem reading the map either or following the marker - which actually rather than pointing you at the final destination - leads you through the quickest path through the level to get there together with the d-pad up arrow.
There are some tough moments, got killed a lot but I don't see how that's an issue with balance per se, it's just a hard game at times.
The game re-uses some ideas like the "horde mode boss on a timer" was a bit eye-rolling the third time around but it easily makes up for all that with everything it does right and then some.
I HATE the fact game trades off physics for static gfx detail which sucks if you imagine what it could have been with REAL destructibility and something like the Euphoria engine controlling character movement.
Also, the ending was shit.
Other than that it's a very competent twin-stick ARPG-lite at the very least with amazing vibes and looks. Gonna go play some more co-op now.
♂
