As a game set in a cyberpunk world, players can expect harsh and dehumanizing treatment inThe Ascent. True to its theme, the player character is nothing but a small cog in the corrupted and corporate scheme of Veles. The players are quickly chucked into the gutters, where they’re expected to rise above the challenge in a disheartening dystopia.
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The Ascentdoesn’t exactly hold the players' hands, as some tutorials are brief and vague. In a true Kafkaesquecyberpunk spirit, it’s as if they handed players a brochure on the first day of work and expect them to perform employee-of-the-month duties. Not to worry — these tips can help players survive the crushing corporate clout of theAscent group.
Updated June 10, 2025 by Jason Collins:The Ascent’s dystopian world of Veles is cruel and fierce. Corruption is the currency, and it’s every man for himself (or woman) as the districts and rival corporations fight for rulership. It’s the player’s goal to keep the factions under control and find out why The Ascent Group fell. Much like the setting of the game, The Ascent may not be the easiest game to succeed at. Perhaps the developers added the difficulty as a special effect, feeling the struggle that roams the gutters and alleys of Veles. A few moreThe Ascent tipshave been added to this article.
15Prepare To Die Often… Learn From It
This is more of a friendly word of advice than a tip. Before focusing on suggestions for gameplay and fighting, players should be warned and accept this likely outcome – they are going to die a lot. However, it is totally okay. One of the best ways to learn the ropes is to fail.
By dying a lot in the beginning,players still earn valuable XP. Once they play (and die) for a while, they will eventually learn how to dodge the shots that previously hit them.
14Talk To More NPCs
As players walk around the city, they will see many NPCs. They will offer side quests and small missions to complete. Do as many of these missions as possible to gain experience for thebigger quests.
This tip is especially handy if someone is in the process of completing a mission and finds themselves ill-equipped. Players can do a few of these small side quests to gain enough XP to move on in the game and buy better gear. Despite how it may feel, these quests aren’t a waste of time.
13Experiment With Gear
While in the early phases, it might be a good idea to use this time to try different gear. When the player has some free time, or when they are not fighting for their lives, they should swap their gear around and try some smaller quests to see what works best.
Whenbuying or swapping armor, look for stats that mostly provide protection fromphysical, fire, and digital damage. This sort of armor will benefit the user in the beginning. Not only will the armor protect players from damage, but it can also boost their skills.
12Create a Good Build
As they go through the game and complete missions, players will earn points to add toward the skills they can upgrade. These skills will enhancethe character and make them stronger. One skill that is particularly good to upgrade isWeapon Handling. This skill speeds up reloading and swapping weapons.
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It is also wise to increase theAimingskill as this will improve accuracy and extend shooting range. These skills boost the Motorics attribute, which will increase the damage of Hydraulic Slam, the first upgrade players unlock.This augmentation is helpfulfor beginners.
11Sell Bounties & Weapons
If players spot an enemy with ared skullabove his head, they should kill and loot them.This is a bounty that can be sold to a bartender to earn some extra money. If players find weapons that they already have in their inventory or gear of a lower level, they should sell these and earn more Ucreds. There is no point in keeping them.
The money from the bounties and loot can be used to buy weapons and armor that are better suited to the player’s level.
10Shoot Vending Machines To Save uCreds
PlayingThe Ascentis all about rebelling against Veles' oppressive and rotting system. Hence, using cash or uCreds to grab the innards of vending machines is an un-thematic way to do it. Instead, players will want toconserve their uCreds by shooting or destroying the vending machines.
This will yield some free rewards, usually somehealth packs— which are a godsend in prolonged exploration runs. In the late game, uCreds don’t really matter much since players will be swimming in them; however, it pays to be frugal with the money early on so players can afford some advantageous items.
9Players Can Hack Anything Electronic
In addition to conserving some uCreds, players can also resort to something less loud and less violent byhacking stuff. The hacker tool they’re given is basic and un-interactive, but it gets the job done. The tutorial lets players hack and open doors with them.
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However, the applications go a bit beyond that. The hacking tool and function can also be utilized toget free stuff from vending machines. Other times, players can get resourceful by tampering with other electronics. Some enemies, particularly therobots, also have a disadvantage against hacking.
8Walk Around Or Near The Stations To Unlock Them
Despite the enemies that impede exploration inThe Ascent, the game gets generous later on with a fast travel system. This makes traversal especially easy, though players will have to keep in mind thatfast travel can only be done in stations.
Unlocking stations, for that matter, is something that players need to keep on their checklist when entering a new area. Otherwise, they won’t be able to fast travel to the area. When in doubt, simplytreat these stations asDiablo-stylewaypointsthat need attention before they reward players.
7Take Note Of Color-Coded Damage Numbers
When it comes to combat, the game oftenpits players against enemies that are of higher levels. Apart from the level number indicating that players shouldn’t be in that area yet, another cue involves the damage number colors. These can indicate whether the damage players are doing to enemies is going to waste or not.
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6Keep All Kinds Of Guns & Armor
In addition to being mindful of the damage number color, players would also do well to ensure they have at least one copy of every weapon. This is becausecertain enemies are more resistant against other damage types.Organic enemies gate ballistics weapons, while mechanical ones don’t fare well against energy weapons.
Consequently, players might also want to keep themselves insulated from the same enemy tactic bybringing at least one copy of every armor. Difficult enemy encounters or boss fights will be easier if players switch out armor pieces, to make themselves more resistant to certain weapons.
