This mechanic is key to the game's cover system, allowing the player to aim at enemies over the top of the props in the environment.

[5] The game features a destructible environment that reacts to the player's actions, such as bullet impacts, skill powers and explosions.

The game takes place within an arcology in a futuristic dystopian world known as Veles, controlled by a powerful megacorporation called "The Ascent Group".

After the mysterious collapse of The Ascent Group, the arcology descends into a chaotic free-for-all pitting districts, syndicates and rival corporations against each other for control.

[8][9] On 28 June 2018, it was announced that Epic Games had awarded Neon Giant one of 37 developers grants based on their work on an unannounced title set in a "brand new cyberpunk world".

[12] The release of Cyberpunk 2077 around the same time proved somewhat frustrating for the team as the two game's world feature several similarities although Neon Giant was unaware of these until late into development.

"[26] IGN rated it 7/10, summarizing with: "The Ascent's satisfying gun-tastic action-RPG gameplay loop mixes with its beautiful cyberpunk aesthetic to create an overall enjoyable experience.

Neither its story nor its characters are all that memorable, and its enemy encounters can stumble toward the end, but its gunplay and ultra-violence in a neon-soaked world combine to craft a co-op-friendly game you don't see every day.

"[27] uVeJuegos.com gave the game 8/10, praising the game's soundtrack, stating that "it meets the requirements that every cyberpunk work needs, with its synthesizer sounds, futuristic feel and synthwave rhythm" and that "the work of composer Paweł Błaszczak and licensed songs by artists such as Maximum Love and Extra Terra were remarkable and pleasant to listen to".

[40] After the release, developer Neon Giant stated that The Ascent was a "monumental effort" for a team of 12 people and that they had been overwhelmed by the positive response from the player base.