Astro Bot Review: A Creative Platformer
Astro Bot Review // Astro Bot is likened to Super Mario Galaxy for its abundance of new ideas, not because it’s derivative. The game features a variety of planetoid-style levels with unique concepts like frog boxing gloves and time-stopping watches. Each level, from bathhouses to jungle temples, showcases the development team’s creativity, making it comparable to Nintendo’s best 3D platformers. Astro Bot offers a fresh and inventive experience that sets it apart in the gaming world.
Astro Bot’s gameplay takes players through a small galaxy of diverse environments, each presenting a brilliant one-shot idea.
From rainy islands to diorama-sized jungle temples, the game offers a range of challenges and surprises. With elements like backpack monkeys and frozen darts, Astro Bot showcases the development team’s creativity and innovation. Players are treated to a delightful and imaginative journey through this unique platformer.
Team Asobi’s Full-Length Astro Bot Game
Team Asobi has created a full-length Astro Bot game, following their short-form versions for PSVR and PS5.
This new game features challenging bonus levels reminiscent of 3D platformers, with electrified skill-check gauntlets. The game is known for its humor and character, especially the chibi blue-and-white robot and his friends dressed as characters from PlayStation’s history, showcasing detailed animation and personality in their movements and interactions.
Personality-filled Bots and Challenging Levels
The game by Team Asobi offers a full-length experience with challenging bonus levels that cater to fans of 3D platformers. The attention to detail in the bots’ animation, mannerisms, and interactions, along with the humor and character displayed, make the game engaging and entertaining for players. The game’s design and characters, including the titular robot and his friends, bring a unique charm to the gameplay experience.
Astro’s Playroom: A New Adventure on the PS5
In Astro’s Playroom, the setting was inside the PlayStation 5 itself, with levels reflecting the SSD’s speed and GPU’s graphics. The visual design featured a tech theme with wire trees and computer-chip patterns. Astro Bot maintains a similar aesthetic but explores beyond those limitations.In the new adventure, the PS5 serves as the bots’ mothership, and players find themselves crash-landed on a desert planet. The mission involves rescuing scattered bots across the galaxy, with players assembling comrades and rebuilding the craft using a PS5-controller-shaped rescue ship.
Astro’s Playroom: A Tactile and Immersive PS5 Experience
At the heart of Astro’s Playroom lies a unique and engaging gameplay experience that fully utilizes the capabilities of the PS5 controller. Players navigate through clusters of planets, each guarded by a boss, using giant robot arms to clean and reassemble the ship. The game’s mechanics involve using the controller’s features like the touchpad and microphone to interact with the environment, creating a fun and tactile experience. Astro Bot’s movements, from feeling along walls to tilting the controller like a steering wheel, add to the immersive gameplay.
Impressive Mastery of PS5 Technology
The developer’s mastery of the PlayStation 5 is evident in the game’s smooth performance and attention to detail. From navigating through intricate scenes with numerous bots to feeling the impact of space dust through controller vibrations, every aspect is finely tuned. The level of care and detail in Astro’s Playroom sets it apart, offering players a lavish and immersive experience that showcases the capabilities of the PS5 controller.
Astro Bot: A Fun Game for Kids
Astro Bot Review // I enjoyed playing Astro Bot with my kids. The game doesn’t have two-player co-op, but it is great for passing the controller around. My seven-year-old enjoyed watching and laughing at the jokes, while my five-year-old would explore the safer parts of the levels and hand me the controller when needed. Astro Bot is a fun and engaging game that allows for interactive gameplay with children, making it a great choice for family entertainment.
Astro Bot: A Tribute to PlayStation History and a Top Platform Game
Astro Bot’s planets feature enclosed playground-like hub areas with various activities like kicking balls, whacking baddies, jumping into pools, and tackling acrobatic challenges. The game captivates players with its cuteness and vibrant design, filled with references to classic PlayStation games that may go over younger players’ heads.Astro Bot expands beyond being just a tech demo, evolving into one of the best platform games in recent years. It pays homage to PlayStation’s history and hardware design, offering a delightful and family-friendly gaming experience reminiscent of titles like LittleBigPlanet. As a child of the 90s, the reviewer considers Astro Bot one of the best platformers ever played, filling a gap in PlayStation’s lineup for a great family-friendly game.
Impressive Gameplay and Nostalgic Homage
Astro Bot Review // Astro Bot stands out as a remarkable platform game that excels in gameplay and design, appealing to players of all ages. With its engaging activities and references to iconic PlayStation titles, the game offers a rich and entertaining experience. It successfully inherits the legacy of playful humor from series like LittleBigPlanet, making it a standout title in the realm of family-friendly gaming. Overall, Astro Bot is praised for its ability to blend nostalgia with innovative gameplay, making it a must-play for fans of platformers and PlayStation enthusiasts alike.
- Astro Bot is out on 6 September; £54.99
