By Ryan Leon, Sept. 24, 2024
Before the initial playthrough of Astro Bot on PlayStation 5, it was expected the game would be packed with fun. By the end, the experience not only confirmed those expectations but exceeded them greatly.
Developed by Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PS5, Astro Bot is a platform game with over 50 levels, tons of collectables and the sequel to 2020’s Astro’s Playroom. It was released worldwide Sept. 6.
The game starts with Astro and his robot companions crash-landing on a desert planet, sending ship parts made out of actual PS5 components flying through space. It’s up to Astro to find the parts and repair the ship, but not without rescuing stranded bots along the way.
Since the mothership is out of order, Astro must use his trusty DualSense speeder to traverse six different galaxies, all of which contain parts and allies in need of rescuing.
In Astro Bot, players control a robot named Astro. This ultra-friendly droid has many abilities he must use to save other bots and get them back home.
Inflation/deflation, shrinking, absorbing and expelling various liquids are a few powers Astro obtains throughout this space odyssey. These can only be used in certain levels, however.
Each one of these abilities is satisfying to use, activated by a simple press of either L2 or R2 on the DualSense wireless controller. In addition to Astro’s basic abilities — punching, spinning, jumping and laser beams — special attacks open up gameplay immensely, providing players a smorgasbord of options to take foes down.
Astro’s special powers act like attachments and are always found near the beginning of a level, usually guarded by a group of enemies. Astro’s enemies consist of other robots; some have powers of their own, typically of the electric nature.
Enemy variety is one of the game’s best strengths. There are basic enemies that go down in one hit, and then there are flying enemies, ones that burrow underground, ones that require wires to be pulled and, of course, bosses.
Boss battles in Astro Bot are epic. Each one continuously finds ways to surpass the other with varying levels of scale and difficulty always at the forefront. Bosses are unlocked after all the main levels in a galaxy are completed. Boss encounters also require a certain number of bots be collected before they’re unlocked.
Every level in the game is designed to pay homage to PlayStation and its iconic characters. While maintaining a visually stunning and engaging world, Team ASOBI is able to provide players with fun and addicting gameplay experiences.
After defeating a boss, a special level will be unlocked. These are franchise-themed levels, which are ripped straight out of worlds created by some of PlayStation’s most popular first-party studios. Each one of these levels contains special bots based on characters from a specific franchise.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Astro Bot is discovering these special bots while making progress through a level. They can be easily identified by gold PlayStation symbols atop their head when looking at a level’s details. Each level provides players with a list of collectable items in a silhouette.
Of these silhouettes, bots are the main focus. They are always located in plain sight and somewhat hard-to-reach areas. Some may even need a secret entrance to be opened before being found.
Once found, each special bot is meant to be a representation of an iconic character from various franchises since PlayStation’s inception in 1994. While I won’t be spoiling all of them here, standouts such as Kratos from God of War and Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us make an appearance.
Team ASOBI wastes no time making every character reveal feel special, either. Each time a regular or special bot is found, they are stored in Astro’s DualSense speeder — smiling, chirping and waving back at the player. These moments are so charming and adorable that players will find it difficult to move on.
The DualSense’s haptic feedback capabilities immerse the player even further during these cute scenes. With a shake of the controller, players will be able to feel the recovered bots moving around. A swift upward motion of the DualSense will force the speeder to open, reveal the bots once more and allow players to keep viewing them until they’re ready to move on.
Team ASOBI completely utilizes the DualSense wireless controller by incorporating countless haptic vibrations and sounds that engulf players’ senses. From the pitter patter of rain and Astro’s footsteps to the feeling of metal, sand, water, ice, snow, wood, grass and leaves. All of this can be felt by the DualSense, and it has never felt better.
While not a difficult game by any stretch of the imagination, Astro Bot does contain challenges by way of challenge levels. No spoilers here on how they’re unlocked, but they do require a certain level of skill and add a nice change of pace from the main, less-challenging platforming levels.
The game’s music is also a detrimental part of the experience. Catchy tunes can be heard on a loop in every level, and the main theme will get stuck in your head for days.
Astro Bot is the ultimate love letter to PlayStation. Team ASOBI has crafted a world with gorgeous visuals, fun and addicting gameplay and a character in Astro who has become the next PlayStation phenom. A masterpiece in every sense of the word, this is a must-play title every PlayStation owner needs to experience.
Feature image courtesy of Sony