I grudged having to play through my most anticipated game of the year before getting to play more Astro Bot – that’s how good this game is. Like Stephen has mentioned, this is an endlessly inventive title that joyously plays around with the level design, the mechanics, and the themes of every level. There are luck8 in Astro Bot to fill a dozen regular games. The power-ups flesh out Astro’s move set which, on its own, is fairly simplistic. However, while his range of moves isn’t particularly deep, they’re executed excellently.

It feels like Sony is trying to channel its whole spirit into this game. Astro Bot is a glimpse of what Sony wants you to understand that it believes that it is. It has the boundless cheer of a group of people coming together and trying to be their best selves. All in all, Astro Bot is definitely one of 2024’s best games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were considered to be the year’s best. If there were anything to criticize about the game, it may just be the game’s difficulty and its exclusivity.

You can probably imagine what these are already, with the God Of War one giving you Kratos’ ice axe and the Uncharted one having Nate shooting what looks like foam balls at enemies. What results is a 3D platformer very similar to Rescue Mission (which hardly anyone played because it’s VR-only) and Astro’s Playroom (which everyone owns because it’s free with the console). Although the biggest influence here is Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey. Despite that, Astro Bot is not a typical Sony first party title. There’s practically no story, no real open world elements, and it’s aimed very much at a family audience – even if it has elements that will be of special interest to veteran PlayStation fans. It also looks and plays very much like a Nintendo game, which is the highest praise you could give any 3D platformer.

No Rayman heli mouse ears in that level I bet or wind for puzzles/attacks. @kcarnes9051 The main levels I would say are fairly straightforward to get through without much difficulty. However, as you play through the game, many smaller challenge levels will become available and these amp things up, testing your platforming and combat skills with short gauntlets. Generally speaking, it’s pretty easy breezy, but there are tougher challenges to find if that’s what you want. We need to give a shout-out to the DualSense support here, because as you might expect, it’s best in class.

Bodies of water are another thing I absolutely love – the fake caustics and underwater atmospherics really lend it proper depth and the colours are just gorgeous. Where it gets more interesting is when you start looking at the way in which technology is leveraged throughout the game to create something even more playful and fun. On top of the rendering, the team has instead prioritised interactivity such as physics and fluid simulation, even finding ways to directly implement them into the gameplay loop. Jump into the first pools of water and marvel as the leaves realistically move across the surface of the water which, in turn, ripples with every movement. Things like leaves are a minor detail but as you play, you’ll find them sprinkled across the game world, heightening that sense of interactivity as individually shadowed leaves gently tumble through the air.

What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Chop Chop Master Onion – Lyrical Master

Many platformers have done a lot over the years in abilities/level design/marketing not reaching people, more dialogue/combat/other crap & level design/movesets taking a hit. @Bluetrain7 Nearly every level has at least one Bot to rescue, including the challenge levels and secret levels. In order to get the Platinum, you need to rescue every Bot and get every Puzzle Piece. @rjejr I personally wouldn’t describe any of it as gimmicky; if I could compare it to anything, think of Super Mario Galaxy. Mario gets various power-ups throughout the game and often they only feature a couple of times — it’s like that.

Astro Bot Review

@MrMeeeseeeks Many of them are from the defunct Japan Studio that was shut down by Sony in 2021. Those devs are also real gamers with passion and vision who made tons of classic and unique games back then. I am very happy to see Astro Bot is such a polished 3D platformer.

What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Octodad – Secret Octopus

While the team’s focus was on creating a collection of short multiplayer experiences, there was one exception. For Nintendo, however, platformers and mascot characters continue to be an essential part of its business and identity. While fans feared that Nintendo could no longer compete during the GameCube era and later the Wii U era, the house of Mario’s inventive spirit allowed it to make multiple comebacks. The combination of beloved characters and playful technology set it apart. A follow-up to the PS5 pack-in game Astro’s Playroom, it’s a colorful platformer starring an adorable robot named Astro.

Each of the 11 levels can be found by finding a secret exit in various other levels throughout the universe. Not to mention the challenges and speed runs they will be adding in the next few months. I have bought £70 games which have bored me within 3 hours and £15 games that I play for years. Price point is fine and if not it will be on sale within 6 months…no one is forcing you to buy it day one or at all for that matter.

Some appear more than others — the frog gloves, which let you hit enemies from afar and swing from poles, come back a few times, while some one-off mechanics are our favourites. One allows Astro to shrink in size, while another turns him into a sponge, able to soak up and then eject water. All these power-ups combined with the varied level design make for a game that never runs short of ideas, and it’s brilliant. PS5 pack-in Astro’s Playroom was a taster dish, teasing players with a short but sweet experience; Astro Bot, then, is the full three-course meal. Developer Team Asobi has been delivering brilliant 3D platformers since PSVR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission, so it should come as little surprise that this latest entry in the young series is among the best games PS5 has to offer.

But now that players have been treated to a fully-fledged platformer, it could feel reductive to go back to those smaller adventures. And while there are many routes that platformers can take, the way Astro Bot celebrated the brand really helped prop it up as something special. The game includes hidden levels that can pose a challenge even for veteran platformers, which makes it even more appealing in my eyes. For most of the gameplay, however, the difficulty is more balanced and generally easy, but this doesn’t detract from the almost childlike joy of completing each level. There’s plenty to do in the galaxies haunted by the green alien. I can’t wait to buy my own copy and work toward earning all the achievements in this charming game.

It’s great that Sony has chosen to develop this humble brand, as it has the potential to become one of the Japanese giant’s flagship exclusives. The goal of each level is merely to get to the end but secreted within each stage is around half a dozen different bots, at least two or three of which are cosplaying as other characters. Sometimes these are hard to miss but most of the time they’re at least somewhat hidden and, along with jigsaw pieces that unlock things like a gatcha shop and changing room for Astro, are the main rewards for exploration. Astro Bot may be the best-timed video game release there’s ever been.

After winning the GOTY award, many more players will join Astro Bot on his difficult and joyous platforming journey. I hope everyone reading this gets to play this comfort game and experience the heartwarming and serene adventure it offers. And Team ASOBI, please keep coming with more Astro Bot adventures. Having said that, what do you think about Astro Bot winning the Game of the Year 2024 award? Developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, “Astro Bot” is set on 80 levels in six galaxies across 50 planets.