Welcome to the dystopian world of The Ascent, a gritty cyberpunk action RPG set in the neon-drenched depths of planet Veles. Whether you’re exploring solo or blasting through hordes with friends, this tips and tricks guide will help you survive hostile enemies, optimize your build, and make the most of every firefight. From combat mechanics to loot strategies, these top 10 tips will give you the edge in one of the most chaotic twin-stick shooters out there.

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1. Use the Cover System—But Don’t Rely on It

Unlike most twin-stick shooters, The Ascent features a fully usable cover system. You can duck behind almost anything—junk piles, counters, crates—but remember, cover is destructible. Use it to reload, catch your breath, or set up ambushes, but don’t stay put too long. Enemies will flank and overwhelm you quickly. Use blind fire to take out exposed foes while staying protected, and move between cover zones as fights evolve.

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2. Watch for Environmental Hazards and Use Them

Explosive canisters and abandoned vehicles aren’t just eye candy. They’re warning signs—enemies are likely to swarm soon. You can lure them near hazards, fall back, and detonate the area for massive damage. Just don’t stand too close or you’ll go up in flames too. Proximity-based chain kills are key to clearing waves quickly.

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3. Master Evading and Boosting Your Mobility

You can evade twice in quick succession (indicated by two forward arrows), but cooldowns apply. Combine dodging with running to escape swarms or reposition in combat. Invest skill points into Evasion to shorten cooldowns and keep yourself mobile. It’s a survival essential, especially in higher difficulties.

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4. Use Tactical Gear and Augmentations Together

Your basic guns won’t always be enough. Equip Tactical Gear (like grenades) and Augmentations to crowd control and obliterate groups. Try pairing crowd-control drones like Stasis with explosive augments or pushbacks for powerful combo effects. Tactical energy regenerates over time, so don’t hoard—use them to control the chaos.

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5. Understand Fast Travel (and Its Limits)

To quickly move around the multi-tiered metropolis, use:

• Train Stations (free)
• Cabs (paid, but convenient)

However, both options only allow fast travel within a single tier, not between city levels. Plan routes around elevators to move between districts like The Warrens and High Street. Efficient mission planning means less backtracking and more looting.

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6. Loot Everything (Especially Hidden Items)

You’ll find loot in:

• Glowing chests (weapons, components, money)
• Grey suitcases (easy to miss, walk or roll over them)
• Enemy corpses (bounties, weapons, armor)

YouCreds (currency) are essential for upgrading gear, buying augments, and respecs. Special enemies marked with unique names drop bounty tokens you can sell for 1,000 YouCreds each. Also, sell duplicate gear for hefty profits.

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7. Hack Everything You Can

Only players with Cyberdeck upgrades can hack doors, chests, ATMs, and more. You’ll find Cyberdeck components in many regions or purchase them from cyber vendors. Hacking:

• Unlocks new areas
• Summons turret allies
• Bypasses expensive healing machines

Yellow highlights mark hackable objects. Unlock turrets using yellow ground circles to thin out tough encounters.

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8. Upgrade Weapons Strategically

Visit a Gunsmith to upgrade weapons using Basic and Advanced Components. Don’t hoard them—use components early to stay competitive as enemy strength scales. Focus on upgrading one or two key weapons instead of spreading resources thin.

• MK1–MK5: Basic Components
• MK6+: Advanced Components (rare, not sold in shops)

Prioritize weapons with unique effects or that match your build. Stick with high-damage tools you loot—not just what vendors sell.

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9. Learn Damage Types and Enemy Weaknesses

Each weapon has one of four damage types:

• Physical
• Digital
• Energy
• Fire

Use the shot color indicator:

• Red = Highly effective
• White = Moderately effective
• Grey = Ineffective

Ferals and thugs are weak to physical, while mechs and tech units fall to energy. Always bring two different damage types in your weapon loadout to handle varied threats.

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10. Embrace the Classless System and Customize Wisely

You aren’t stuck in a class—build your identity with skill points, augmentations, and modules. At low levels, invest in:

• Vital Signs (boost HP)
• Evasion (shorten dodge cooldown)

Each skill point improves one of four core attributes:

• Cybernetics
• Biometrics
• Motorics
• Frame

These impact your augmentations’ effectiveness. Want to cause massive explosions with Volatile? Boost Cybernetics. Healing faster? Biometrics.

You can respec with the Grafter NPC—but it gets more expensive the higher your level. Try different builds under level 10 for flexibility.

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Final Thoughts

Learning the systems in The Ascent will take time, but mastering them will make you unstoppable in battle. Manage your loadout for different damage types, keep a tight loop of mobility and cover use, and don’t forget to upgrade strategically. Augmentations and tactical gear are more than flashy—they’re your lifeline.

Build your perfect cyber-merc, dominate the tiers of Veles, and unravel the mysteries behind the corporate collapse.

See you on the battlefield, Indent.