You’ll laugh, smile, cheer, and have some of the best time with any video game in 2024 with Astro Bot. There’s no point teasing it out: this is an exceptional game that will bring a smile to players of all ages. The pure joy and excitement of playing Astro Bot can only be compared to a Mario title, and this is by far the best platformer we’ve had since the release of Super Mario Odyssey.
Team Asobi is the remaining divergent of the now-defunct Japan Studio. What they’ve managed to do with the little robots in their little robotic universe has all culminated in Astro Bot. From their first appearances in The Playroom games, and then the stellar Astro Bot Rescue Mission, which showed how Astro could be the star of their own platforming game, teased out in Astro’s Playroom – which comes pre-installed on all PS5s – it does all feel like it’s been a long time coming when you boot up Astro Bot. It feels like the first big game from Sony all year. The build-up with a countdown in Astro’s Playroom, the additional bots added into that game, and carrying into this one it’s all made Astro’s Playroom feel like an event game, something most publishers just don’t do anymore.
This is Astro’s Playroom, built upon and expanded in its simplest form. And there’s not a single bit of negativity you could take from that, especially considering that Astro’s Playroom remains one of the best games for the PS5, and it’s free. It’s been four years since the console was released.
Asto must explore six galaxies to rescue the bots that have been scattered after the Alien Bully attacks the flying PlayStation 5 spaceship. This also sends parts of the console/ship scattering under the bosses’ protection in each of those galaxies. It’s a straightforward platforming set-up here, without the fluff and, again, very much an expansion of Astro’s Playroom.
The amount of personality at each and every level of Astro Bot is unmatched by most games released. There’s also an exciting exploration of ideas and mechanics that never overstay their welcome here, constantly having you wondering what could happen next. And although you may think I’m hinting at some PlayStation-themed crossovers, I’m not, which is what makes this game so special. I was most excited when I entered a new level and was introduced to ideas like zipping between the size of a house mouse or another level where Astro becomes a sponge and grows in size to be like a Kaju monster.
For the most part, the core levels are ten minutes or less to playthrough, though you’ll most likely be going through them all twice to find some bots or other secrets you may have missed. And each level rewards those with the nose to sniff out where oddities may be hidden. Don’t worry; Team Asobi has you covered, and you’ll find a secret in any place you think you’ve just tricked your way into. If you’re looking for a challenge, the optional levels, which hold just one bot, are where you’ll be spending most of your time, and these levels will require some replaying to master the timing of jumps and understanding of certain abilities under Astro’s control. These will also draw you some of the more unique and exciting video game references for the true die-hards.
Of course, there are memorable PlayStation cross-overs here, as they have been teased throughout the marketing and are part of the franchise at this point. Each of the galaxies features a special stage built around a specific PlayStation franchise, but I wouldn’t want to spoil them more than the images you may have seen in the trailers. But each of these stages is more than just a plot on nostalgia or playing for the love of the hardcover PlayStation-loving audiences. The remixed music, the inside jokes for each franchise, and the overall admiration for these games show how much they mean to the PlayStation-loving world. But two in particular will hit harder for the European/Sony Japan-loving crowd.
Much like Astro’s Playroom, how Astro Bot uses the DualSense controller is like a master at work. It uses all of the features, including the gyro-controls, and all of it feels fantastic and not at all like a weird gimmick seen in the early PS4 days. The game is also utterly stunning, with some of the most vibrant worlds, unique character designs, and a soundtrack that is, once again, stellar and going to be on repeat for a lot of fans following release.
Among the 300 bots to find in Astro Bot are VIP-bots from a plethora of video game franchises that are both unique and not to the PlayStation home. All of these gatherings are at the ‘crash site,’ where you can interact with them. This means you can both enjoy spinning with a Crash Bandicoot bot and spamming screenshots of ‘The Hunter’ from Bloodborne to get us the remake we all deserve.
(Review code provided to Explosion Network.
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