This game’s secrets have secrets, with more hidden levels being revealed at a steady clip whenever you inch closer to polishing off each galaxy’s to-do list. There are 300 in total, though you only need 200 to face the final boss, and over half of them are dressed up as iconic characters from video game history. With the basics on lock, Team Asobi lets players focus on Astro Bot’s wildly inventive level design. In one level, I get a power-up that lets me shrink Astro down to the size of an ant on command. That leads me through a fantastic puzzle-platformer gauntlet where I need to shrink down to climb into a lock or hop up a tree’s leaves.
Four of the levels are titled Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, High Inflation, with Team Asobi keeping the name of the fifth as a surprise. The addition of the new levels brings Astro Bot’s total level count to over 90. “A must-play for anyone who loves creative platformers. The worlds are beautifully crafted.” Outside of bosses and minibosses, there initially doesn’t appear to be a great range in enemy types.
The worst sin that a game like this can commit is repetition, and Team Asobi firmly understands that. Platformers like Kirby and the Forgotten Land are at their best when they’re introducing new ideas that consistently surprise players. They tend to lag in their back halves when they’ve played all their cards, but have more levels to go. Even https://f168.direct/ into that in its final world as it begins repeating power-ups and enemy types.
Astro Bot from TeamASOBI took the most important round of applause of the night, and with the most precious award of the event, the Game of the Year. Arriving September 6, 2024, Astro Bot is a direct sequel to Astro’s Playroom and looks to bring all its colorful platforming and more to a full-fledged game. Astro Bot is only confirmed for PS5 so far but so were a hoard of other PlayStation exclusives now available on PC. Sony has made a point of expanding its player base and sales by bringing franchises such as The Last of Us, God of War, Spider-Man, and more to the platform. Astro Bot’s Digital Deluxe edition also has several exclusive items, including 10 more PSN avatars, a digital art gallery, and a digital soundtrack. It also lets you unlock Astro’s Yharnam Tourist outfit, Golden outfit, and two more Dual Speeder paint colors early (all the outfits and paint colors are available in the base game, too).
Platformers have so long followed in the footsteps of Mario, with so many titles trying to emulate what the mustachioed plumber has achieved. Astro Bot’s utterly overflowing creativity and ingenuity make it one of the first platformers that feels like it can stand outside the long shadow cast by Mario. It’s a grand celebration of PlayStation’s legacy and a sign of what its future can become.
Astro Bot-themed Dualsense Wireless Controller Announced
It’s a thrilling adventure that takes you on a journey through different planets, filled with exciting challenges and unique abilities. It even pays homage to some of PlayStation’s most beloved characters, bringing back a sense of nostalgia and joy for both new and seasoned players. Over 150 of them in fact, as characters from PlayStation’s vast library of games have made their way into Astro’s world in the form of other bots. There are the ones you’d expect like Lombaxes, tomb raiders, and a certain rapping dog but, delightfully, some are plucked from the more obscure end of the scale.
Reviews
I arrived at the end credits after nine hours but had only collected 206 out of a possible 301 bots on my journey. There’s plenty to do after the main levels are done, including finding the remainder of the crew, building out the rest of the hub base, and unearthing new secrets among the stars. There’s so much, in fact, that it took me another nine hours (so, 18 in total) to 100% Astro Bot and acquire the platinum trophy that comes with it. While I’d never say any of its main worlds ever approach being truly “difficult” in the pursuit of that 100% completion goal, some enemies or obstacles did take a few tries. Thankfully, checkpoints are often generously and frequently located, meaning you’re only ever moments away from the spot of your previous demise.
Incredibly smooth performance means I’m never taken out of the flow by frame hiccups. Vibrant colors make me feel like I’m in a cartoon, but Team Asobi doesn’t flatten its environments or skimp on detail. In one level, I start by walking across swaths of bright green foliage. I feel the crunch of the grass between my metal feet and hear the sound from my DualSense’s speakers. Then I move on to a metallic checkerboard floor, where I hear my legs lightly click-clacking on the tiles. At some point during your playthrough, I recommend muting your TV and leaving your controller audio on.
Everything constantly moves around you, imbuing every level with life beyond the scraps you’ll engage in with the game’s enemies. Each level’s theme is brought to life with aesthetic assets and design ideas that strengthen their themes. In each level, the main objective is to rescue Astro’s crew, scattered throughout the game’s five worlds and twenty levels. Players also face bosses at the end of each world, which require a certain number of rescued bots to challenge. It looks absolutely stunning and perfect for a family-friendly platformer.
