The Ascent: First patch for more performance, stability and ray tracing
The Swedish indie developer Neon Giant has delivered the first patch for its graphically impressive action role-playing game The Ascent (test) via the game distribution platform Steam, which has a special mode for weak CPUs and brings a working implementation of ray tracing.
Raytracing for the version from the Microsoft Store
In addition to the Steam version, the patch also improves the UWP version from the Microsoft Store, which now also masters ray tracing, as well as the offshoots for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S (test) in terms of performance, stability, gameplay and localization . For the time being, however, the patch will only be distributed via Steam, while the Windows Store and Xbox will also be supplied “as quickly” as possible.
Extensive release notes
The official release notes are quite extensive and would have looked very good on the action game as a Day 1 patch. At this point, the editorial team is limited to the particularly important areas of performance, stability and gameplay.
Performance ( PC Steam & Win10 only)
Fixes to improve performance in DX12, also with Ray Tracing.
Note to Players: on first running of the update, there will be a 20-25 second ‘stall’ on loading to Main Menu to allow some caching to happen before you play. This is a one time event.
Ray Tracing is now available to Players on the Windows Store.
Improved loading in of NPCs
CPU performance mode for lower -end PCs
Stability (all platforms)
Numerous instances of 'one time' crashes have been fixed in both Single Player & amp; Coop on ALL Platforms. (some other instances remain, we are working hard to resolve these for the next update).
Local Coop fixes where Player 1 and Player 2 have controller focus issues on certain menus.
Numerous other crash fixes have been made to improve the stability of both local and online Coop, including fixes when disconnecting controllers, issues when 3 Players start a new game, and fixes when the internet connection becomes unstable.
Fixed an issue where in certain circumstances a black screen would appear at the end of Mission 12.
Fixed an issue where sometimes it takes too long to return to the Main Menu after gameplay.
Fixed issues where Area loading is slower for the Client joining the game after the Host is using the Taxi.
Fixed some Weapon replication issues in Online Coop.
Fixed some issues around cross Platform hotjoining where Clients had trouble connecting to the Host.
Gameplay (all platforms)
Fixed an Achievement issue where you could unlock Main Mission and Side Mission under incorrect conditions.
Fixed an issue where the mission objective during ‘Go To Grinder’ in Mission 2 would not update.
The issue where multiple bosses could spawn has been fixed. e.g. Papa Feral, Megarachnoid (Spider Boss), Gun-Dolph.
Fixed the Casino Courier Side Missions 1 – 5 where you could sometimes be unable to proceed due to missing NPCs.
Fixed the custom camera for 'Dark Horse' Side Mission.
Fixed the custom camera for Bartender in Stimtown.
Fixed the situation where sometimes 'Dark Horse' could not be completed due to the NPC remaining in a frightened state.
Fixed an issue where the Volatile Augmentation when used on neutrals had no effect.
< li> Fixed an issue where the Siege Mech in the Prison could despawn after a Player died.
Fixed the issue where the Snooze Dealer's Journal map icon was a white square.
Fixed damage scaling on the Pocket Mech minigun to make it more powerful as you level up.
Allows the use of certain augmentations while rolling.
Balanced cost/cooldown/efficiency of Life Transfer, Neutron Beam and Overclock
Fixed issues with PLUG Cyberdeck not cracking ICE 1.
In addition, the localization and the scores were worked on and an extensive general bugfix was carried out.
Further patches should follow soon and bring optimizations for the criticisms addressed to the developer in the game.
The patches will also appear shortly after the release on Steam for Windows and Xbox.
Jerks tarnish the many good approaches
In particular, the stuttering in the game, which occurred regardless of the resolution, the level of detail, active or inactive ray tracing and the graphics card, had to be criticized in The Ascent's ComputerBase test and addressed by players to the studio.
There are stutters every now and then, sometimes in a weaker and sometimes in a stronger form. Obviously it happens quite often when new areas are loaded into the memory, because then the game gets stuck in places.
This is quite annoying, if not a really big problem. Nevertheless, the developers should take countermeasures as quickly as possible here, as well as with the performance costs of the ray tracing reflections.
Computer base on the subject of “Stuttering in The Ascent”
However, it was already positive the DLSS implementation in the game at the time of release. Especially in Ultra HD the feature performs excellently and is ultimately even preferable to the native resolution.
The editorial team thanks community member” FLCL “for pointing this out.