Astro Bot Review: Team Asobi’s Nintendo-Style Platformer Is an Instant PS5 Classic

DA Gadgets October 7, 2024 gaming

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For
the
past
few
years,
first-party

Sony
games
have
been
marked
by
their
singular
preoccupation
with
graphical
fidelity.
Uncharted
4,
The
Last
of
Us
Part
2,
Ghost
of
Tsushima,
Horizon
Forbidden
West,
God
of
War,
and
Spider-Man
—
all
good
games
—
are
bound
by
their
vanity.
However,
in
their
drive
to
achieve
near-realistic
visuals
––
that
dour,
grimy
look
––
they
leave
behind
the
throwback
vibrant
video
game
aesthetic,
now
found
only
in

Nintendo
titles
or
indie
games.

And
that’s
why

Astro
Bot
is
an
anomaly.
As
a
cute,
colourful,
candy-like
3D
platformer,
it
sits
distinctly
in
the

PlayStation
catalogue
of
games.
There’s
nothing
quite
like
it
in
Sony’s
roster
right
now;
even
Ratchet
and
Clank,
with
its
shiny,
new
ray-tracing
coat,
wasn’t
spared.
And
beyond
the
charms
of
its
lively
visual
presentation,
Astro
Bot
is
an
incredible
and
unmissable
adventure
that
leaves
your
heart
singing.
Its
childlike
authenticity,
undeniable
earnestness,
and
endearing
simplicity
stand
out
amid
glum,
self-serious
PlayStation
exclusives
that
seem
to
be
straining
to
be
more
than
just
a
video
game.

And
it’s
not
a
surprise
at
all!
Afterall,

Team
Asobi
delivered
the
same
experience
in
a
bite-sized
package
with
Astro’s
Playroom
when
the

PS5
launched
in
2020.
From
a
cute
mascot
that
served
as
a
free-to-play
tech
demo
for
the
DualSense
controller,
Astro
has
evolved
into
a
bonafide
PlayStation
icon
with
a
carefully
crafted
and
lovingly
realised
full-fledged
game.
Yes,
Astro
Bot
is
mechanically
a
bit
shallow
—
it
does
not
have
as
many
moving
parts
as

Super
Mario
Odyssey.
But
the
experience
it
offers
is
by
no
means
thin
—
to
see
all
its
secrets
and
easter
eggs
and
collect
all
bots,
you
could
spend
15-20
hours
hopping
around
its
bouquet
of
planets.
And
it
is
not
completely
lacking
a
challenge
either;
it’s
a
simple
adventure,
but
there
are
levels
that
will
test
your
patience
and
skill.
Most
importantly,
in
a
glut
of
games
obsessed
with
looking
good,
Astro
Bot
stands
out
with
its
obsession
with
being
fun.

Star
Wars
Outlaws
Review:
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Galactic
Adventure
Comes
With
Rough
Edges

There
is
a
Saturday-morning
cartoon-style
story
in
Astro
Bot
that
frames
the
galactic
journey
you
go
on.
Astro
and
his
bots
are
spacefaring
on
their
mothership
—
the
PS5
—
before
his
nemesis
Nebulax
attacks
the
merry
crew
and
steals
the
CPU
powering
the
console.
The
PS5
sputters
and
blows
up,
spitting
out
its
core
parts
across
several
galaxies.
The
cute
bots
are
bucked
off
the
ship,
too,
which
crash
lands
on
a
desert
planet
with
Astro
onboard.
Our
titular
robotic
hero
then
goes
on
an
intergalactic
adventure,
very
much
in
the
vein
of

Super
Mario
Galaxy
games,
to
rescue
his
scattered
crewmates
and
recover
the
lost
parts
of
the
ship
before
a
final
confrontation
with
Nebulax.

With
PS5
mothership
out
of
commission,
Astro
gets
a
new
ride
––
the
Dual
Speeder,
a
smaller
craft
that’s
basically
the

DualSense
controller.
This
is
where
the
game
essentially
begins,
with
six
galaxies
and
over
70
levels
spread
across
distinctly
themed
planets
waiting
to
be
explored.
At
the
heart
of
it
all
is
the
crash
site,
which
becomes
your
home
base.
As
you
bring
back
stranded
bots
from
other
planets
and
fix
up
your
PS5
by
collecting
its
lost
parts,
the
desert
blossoms
into
an
oasis.
Over
time,
Astro’s
crewmates
populate
the
crash
site
and
help
him
craft
new
experiences
and
accomplish
tasks
that
were
previously
locked
away.
The
site
also
becomes
a
museum
of
PlayStation
memorabilia
as
you
rescue
and
bring
back
VIP
bots
based
on
iconic
video
game
characters.

The
crash
site
populates
as
you
rescue
more
bots

Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul

If
the
rest
of
the
game
represents
the
challenge,
the
crash
site
becomes
a
haven
for
leisure.
Here,
you
run
around
with
your
bots,
find
hidden
trinkets
and
unlock
prizes.
Once
you’ve
rescued
enough
bots,
they’ll
help
you
fix
up
the
site
and
reach
previously
inaccessible
areas
that
bring
more
things
to
discover.
You
can
interact
with
VIP
bots
––
there
are
over
150
of
them!
––
just
go
up
to
them
and
smack
‘em
in
the
head
and
a
cute
animation,
specific
to
the
game
the
bot
is
from,
plays
out.
My
favourite
was
the
bot
representing
the
Hunter
from
Bloodborne.
When
you
try
and
hit
him,
he
gun
parries
you!

The
six
other
galaxies
that
surround
the
crash
site
come
with
a
collection
of
uniquely
crafted
planets
that
each
follow
a
specific
visual
theme.
One
is
made
up
of
candies
and
confectionary;
another
is
a
volcano
planet,
spitting
fire
and
ash.
There
are
tropical
levels,
with
the
sun
shining
and
the
sea
glistening;
One
planet
is
rendered
in
Minecraft-style
pixel
art
graphics,
and
another
is
a
casino
level
fashioned
out
of
gambling
paraphernalia.
There
are,
of
course,
some
levels
that
feel
repurposed,
with
recurring
assets
and
repeating
motifs,
but
sheer
volume
of
experiences
on
offer
here
makes
the
occasional
déjà
vu
planet
forgivable.

Bloodborne
remaster
when?

Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul

Some
special
planets
are
fashioned
out
of
other
PlayStation
franchises
like
God
of
War,
Uncharted,
and
Horizon.
Here,
Astro
dons
a
unique
avatar
and
acquires
special
abilities
tied
to
those
games
themselves.
For
instance,
in
the

God
of
War
level,
cheekily
dubbed
“Bot
of
War”,
Astro
becomes
a
cute,
robotic
Kratos
and
takes
up
his
Leviathan
axe
that
he
can
throw
and
call
back,
like
Thor’s
hammer.
And
in
the
“Dude
Raider”

Uncharted
level,
you
become
Nathan
Drake
and
shoot
your
way
through
an
action-packed
maze
with
ambushes
waiting
at
every
corner.
These
worlds,
that
also
house
the
missing
pieces
of
the
PS5
ship,
unlock
after
you
beat
the
main
boss
of
the
galaxy.
They’re
not
a
massive
departure
from
what
you
experience
on
regular
planets
in
terms
of
exploration,
but
the
new
abilities
bring
a
fresh
way
to
navigate
the
space.

The
standard
planets
are
full
of
surprises,
too.
They
hide
subterranean
secrets,
portals
to
altogether
new
levels,
and
they
sometimes
transform
completely,
unfolding
into
unseen
spaces
hiding
unabashed
wonders
––
like
unwrapping
a
candy
and
finding
two
inside.
In
one
planet,
that
begins
as
a
pleasant
garden
space,
you
see
an
unassuming
sapling,
you
water
it,
and
a
colossal
tree
burst
out,
its
canopy
piercing
the
clouds
and
kissing
the
sky
like
you’re
in
Jack
and
the
Beanstalk.
Now,
the
whole
level
is
played
out
on
the
branches
of
the
towering
tree
as
you
climb
upwards
and
onwards
on
your
rescue
mission.
These
tricks
of
transfiguration,
the
finer
details
within
levels,
and
the
surprises
fashioned
out
of
thin
air
make
Astro
Bot
feel
routinely
magical,
committed
to
beguile
you
at
every
turn.

BOY!

Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul

Exploring
every
corner
of
these
wonderous
worlds
is
the
true
treat
of
Astro
Bot.
In
fact,
exploration
is
not
something
you
do
on
the
way
to
your
goal
here;
exploration
is
the
goal.
In
addition
to
the
collection
of
bots
that
you
must
rescue
to
progress
the
story,
each
level
hides
optional
puzzle
pieces
that
unlock
the
gift
shop
and
special
customisation
options
for
Astro
and
his
Dual
Speeder
back
at
the
crash
site.
Some
planets
also
come
with
hidden
gateways
to
secret
levels
tucked
away
in
the
Lost
Galaxy
––
these
planets
are
more
eclectic
in
their
visual
style
and
themes,
embracing
a
more
colourful,
zany
aesthetic.

There
are
over
300
bots
and
120
puzzle
pieces
to
find,
and
while
you
don’t
need
them
all
to
finish
the
game’s
story,
doing
so
is
more
than
worth
the
effort.
Astro
Bot
is,
in
essence,
a
museum
of
cool
things.
And
to
see
all
its
cool
exhibits,
you
must
indulge
in
the
collectathon.
And
frankly,
you
don’t
have
to
strain
too
much
to
uncover
every
prize
in
the
game;
it’s
not
as
rigorous
an
exercise
as
collecting
all
the
Power
Moons
in
Super
Mario
Odyssey
(believe
me,
I’ve
tried).

Odyssey
is
far
more
consuming,
complex
and
cavernous,
its
depths
seemingly
unplumbed.
Astro
Bot,
on
the
other
hand,
is
relatively
simple.
And
while
the
simplicity
is
intentional
and
part
of
the
game’s
charm,
I
wouldn’t
have
minded
a
slightly
more
challenging
experience.

Astro
and
the
Beanstalk

Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul

The
same
plainness
is
found
in
Astro
Bot’s
gameplay
––
the
focus
is
firmly
on
fun,
instead
of
something
layered
and
robust.
Astro
can
jump
and
hover,
smack
enemies,
and
execute
a
spin
attack
that
also
helps
in
exploration.
Beyond
his
repertoire
of
standard
moves,
it’s
the
various
special
abilities
he
acquires
across
levels
that
add
flavour
to
the
gameplay.
Some
of
these
abilities
were
seen
in
Astro’s
Playroom,
but
a
bulk
of
them
are
ingeniously
new.
In
one
planet,
Astro
picks
up
the
ability
to
shrink
down
to
the
size
of
a
mouse.
And
the
moment
you
do
that,
you
begin
to
see
the
entire
level
from
a
completely
different
perspective,
finding
new
ways
to
explore
and
engage
with
the
same
space.
In
another,
he
turns
into
a
sponge,
soaking
up
water
and
spraying
it
out
to
forge
new
pathways.
Some
might
find
the
gameplay
here
rudimentary,
but
I
didn’t
mind
it
at
all.
In
fact,
the
straightforward
mechanics
bring
a
leisure
to
Astro
Bot
that
goes
perfectly
with
what
it’s
trying
to
achieve.
It’s
a
game
you
sit
back
and
enjoy,
not
lean
in
and
take
on.

It
would
be
remiss
of
me
to
not
mention
the
game’s
excellent
soundtrack
and
the
character
it
adds
to
every
level.
The
music
in
Astro
Bot
doesn’t
just
underscore
the
experience;
it
goes
as
far
as
to
breathe
life
into
your
actions.
And
all
your
actions
become
physical
and
real
with
the
feedback
on
the
DualSense
controller.
Like
Astro’s
Playroom,
Astro
Bot
utilises
the
haptics
and
resistive
triggers
on
the
PS5
controller
to
its
fullest.
The
soft
rustle
of
walking
on
fallen
leaves,
the
sharp
friction
of
metal
on
ice,
the
gentle
thrum
of
your
spaceship
––
all
of
it
plays
out
on
your
hands.
It’s
subtle
and
never
intrusive,
and
I
wish
more
games
on
PlayStation
took
a
similar
approach
to
designing
controller
feedback.

Concord
Review:
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Sony
Dug
Its
Grave

Riding
the
Dual
Speeder
comes
with
immersive
controller
feedback

Photo
Credit:
Sony/
Screenshot
–
Manas
Mitul

If
you
look
at
some
of
PlayStation’s
recent
releases,
you
can
clearly
see
a
swelling
rut
pervading
the
platform.
A
slate
of
unnecessary
remakes
and
remasters,
misfiring
live
service
bets,
and
a
lack
of
tentpole
exclusives
have
backed
the
PS5
in
a
bit
of
a
tricky
corner.
Four
years
on
since
the
console
launched,
it
feels
like
the
current
generation
has
yet
to
kick
off.
Maybe
2025
will
change
that,
but
for
now,
Sony
should
look
no
further
than
Astro
Bot
for
inspiration.

Big-budget
triple-A
titles,
with
eye-watering
visuals
and
interminable
development
cycles
aren’t
the
only
way
forward.
And
smaller
games
aren’t
just
an
option,
they
are
a
necessity.
With
Astro
Bot,
Team
Asobi
has
crafted
one
of
the
best
3D
platformers
since
Super
Mario
Odyssey.
It’s
a
game
that
is
committed
to
being
a
game,
to
being
fun
and
joyous
and
playful.
It’s
hard
to
find
a
more
vibrant
title
in
PlayStation’s
stable,
and
Sony
must
invest
in
similar
smaller
games
going
forward.
Because
right
now,
it
seems
PS5
owners
are
stuck
playing
remakes
and
remasters
while
waiting
for
the
next
God
of
War
and
the
next
Spider-Man.
Sony
is
sitting
on
multiple
beloved
IPs
of
yore,
and
the
PlayStation
parent
surely
must
realise
that
people
like
all
kinds
of
games,
not
just
triple-A
open-world,
action-adventures. And
Astro
Bot
is
living
proof
of
that.