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Xbox Game Pass just got the best Vampire Survivors clone in years
Ascend to Zero, a new isometric roguelike from Flyway Games, has launched on Xbox Series X and Windows PC, and is also available via Xbox Game Pass. Polygon's early impressions single it out as a standout entry in the "auto-battler" genre popularised by Vampire Survivors, praising the inventive twists it brings to a familiar format.
The game centres on a "30 seconds to save the world" premise: players start each run with a 30-second timer that can be extended by defeating enemies, alongside an ability to stop time. Set in a future where humanity is overrun by interdimensional monsters, the player controls a scientist thrust into a time machine by sacrificing colleagues, creating a repeating-loop narrative. The game draws inspiration from Vampire Survivors' automatic combat, Supergiant Games' Hades and Transistor, and Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus, and features randomised weapons, equipment loadouts and a notably complex system of multiple in-game currencies for unlocking avatars, upgrades and stat boosts. It was released on 13 July.
In short
- Ascend to Zero launches on Xbox Series X, PC and Game Pass
- Roguelike blends Vampire Survivors combat with Hades-style visuals
- Features complex multi-currency progression and a 30-second run timer
Explained simply
Vampire Survivors is a hugely popular game that sparked an entire genre of "auto-battlers", where combat happens mostly automatically whilst you navigate and make strategic choices. The simple formula proved so successful that numerous studios have since created their own versions.
Ascend to Zero is a new isometric roguelike by independent developer Flyway Games that enters this increasingly crowded space. It is now available on Xbox Series X, Windows PC and through Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's subscription gaming service, having launched in July.
Early reviews have praised it as an inventive take on the auto-battler formula. The game distinguishes itself through mechanics including a 30-second timer that extends when you defeat enemies and the ability to stop time. It takes inspiration from celebrated games including Vampire Survivors, Hades and Transistor.