Aug. 3, 2021, 8 a.m.

(The Guardian) PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X; Neon Giant/Curve DigitalThis high-octane, low-intelligence arcade sci-fi shooter is set in a neon-lit city whose upper levels house the wealthy while the impoverished live in sewers When I was a kid, nothing beat our family’s weekly pilgrimage to the local video store Vidbiz. While my parents pondered which thriller to digest with their takeaway, I’d gawp at the colourful PlayStation games on the corner shelf. Game rentals let me embark on interactive adventures I could otherwise never have afforded – while consuming an entire share-size pack of Sour Skittles in the process. Xbox’s Game Pass subscription gives me a similar buzz, offering a library of games to choose from and giving players the chance to try out odd or middling games that they’d never actually buy.Sci-fi shooter The Ascent is a good example, the equivalent of a high-octane but intellectually bereft action flick. It is flawed but fun and atmospheric, set in a predictably bleak urban dystopia full of indentured wo…

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