Astro Bot levels challenge players to collect all the stranded bots, but there are other things players will want to keep an eye out for as well, like coins and puzzle pieces. Everything players collect goes to Astro Bot’s hub world, the Crash Site. Here, hundreds of rescued bots congregate and can be used within the hub to rescue even more bots. Puzzle pieces are used to create images of objects that then become additional buildings for players to interact with in the hub world. The first one players build is the gacha machine that they will remember from Astro’s Playroom, and that’s where the majority of one’s coins will be spent as well. Items from the gacha machine fill the hub world out further, and it soon becomes an interactive monument to PlayStation history.
On the flipside, speedrunners should enjoy Astro Bot as well, since it offers planets of platforming challenges with incredibly responsive controls. Astro Bot is such a wonderful experience, it makes me question if I’ve ever felt this much pure joy playing other games I’m fond of. From its tight design to its incredible visuals to mechanics that feel carefully tested to generate as much pleasure as possible, Sony has its new standard bearer for platformers. Astro Bot is a franchise of platform video games created and developed by Team Asobi, and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation brand of consoles beginning with the PlayStation 4.
Team Asobi asserted dominance in this area with Playroom, but the range of effects delivered here through haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers outshines it. These conditions do drain the battery, but the implementation is too good to really worry about that. There are even gameplay mechanics that utilise the haptics in ways we haven’t seen before, like feeling particular walls for a rough texture to reveal a secret. It really shows what the DualSense can do like no other game before it.
These are structured in a certain order, so you’ll need to beat each level to unlock the boss battle, something that requires a set number of bots to have been unlocked. Thankfully, should you return to a previously completed level, you can pay a small amount of PlayStation coin currency to have an assist bot show you where the remaining bots and puzzle pieces are. Each star system also has a level that’s specially themed around a popular PlayStation franchise, allowing Astro to make use of unique skills for a short while. Needless to say, Astro Bot keeps you on your toes, and sometimes challenges you to think outside the box in order to solve a problem or find a well-hidden secret.
As for the audiovisual aspect, this is where Team Asobi has truly outdone itself, delivering a somewhat candy-colored but beautiful graphic design, with each planet offering a unique visual style. Familiar pop culture motifs frequently appear in the game, but they never feel repetitive, always introducing something new and fresh. The music, while occasionally repetitive, can also pleasantly surprise at times. One level even features a singing tree, and its song is something I’ll be humming for a long time.
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Astro Bot eventually catches up to and defeats the alien, but is killed in the process. The Bots, with the CPU Kid’s help, repair and revive Astro, and appear in the background of the final planet in the story, Credits Clash. So, it’s a critical smash hit, and we’ll see if it’s a sales one as well.
Our Take: Astro Bot Deserves Its Laurels
The game is simple, and some might think that it’s way too easy to play the game. If anything, the game might be a little too easy to play, as its intended target audience is anyone that’s able to launch the game. As the game will have even more challenges and a new speedrun mode to be included for free, this might not even be a con when it does release eventually. It only really has a few universal mechanics to learn, and most of the game will have you interact with the stage gimmicks for the most part. Where it shines is the game’s level designs, unique gimmicks, and usage of everything the PS5 has to offer.
It’s fun putting them to work when revisiting the crash site, too, calling upon them to help lift heavy objects and create structures like human bridges to help you continue your adventure and rescue yet more robots. I can’t recall the last time I had so much fun jumping on platforms. Every action I performed with the little robot was not only incredibly satisfying but also addictive—almost like a drug.
While he’s pretty fun to fight his design is pretty bland to me and not at all intimidating or interesting. As for Casino win79 having a limited moveset i feel like it’s completely fine for this game which has more similarities to Mario Galaxy (which also has a more limited moveset) than Mario 64 or Odyssey. Adding to his moveset would require them to completely change up the level design.
The machine dispenses new Astro costumes, cosmetic options for the PS5 controller spaceship, and joy for the rescued PS-themed Bots. Each is missing a beloved item that can, once regained, give them a clever new animation to perform in the hub world. However, some long-time players of platformers produced by Sony will be disappointed in Astro Bot’s current endgame offerings. Throughout the hour campaign – around 15 for full completion – Astro encounters power-ups that give them abilities like shrinking, stretchy arms, rocket jump, and more. It’s a highlight of how great Astro Bot’s level design is, which easily ranks high among other action platforming gems with its reasonably hidden secrets and gravity-challenging stages. Still, Astro Bot fails to feel as revolutionary or varied as games that pushed the genre, like Super Mario Odyssey.
On top of that we have pages on cosmetic items like Outfits and Dual Speeder Skins, how to secure all the PS5 Trophies, and lots more. Team up with iconic PlayStation heroes to save the galaxy and experience the game’s immersive world through the DualSense® wireless controller. You’ll dash, swing, and rocket-punch through diverse planets, unlocking 15 new abilities, including using Barkster, the Bulldog Booster, to air-dash and smash enemies. When something that’s meant to united the industry happens, like the Game Awards, some people are so dedicated to the games they love, their immediate reaction to the wider world not sharing the same opinion is to lash out. Or, on the other side, celebrate wildly with validation when the game they like is recognized.
Astro Bot’s not the largest game in the world — you’ll perhaps see the credits roll in hours or so. Those aiming to rescue every robot, complete every challenge, find every jigsaw piece and unlock every trophy, however, will probably end up playing for around 20 hours or more. It’s the type of game that you’re likely to return to as well, simply because of its feel-good nature. It’s a heartwarming and flawless experience, and a 3D platforming masterpiece. While there’s plenty to like about the hub, which we’ll get into later, the main attraction is the game’s range of levels, which are as varied, playful, and fun as you’d hope.