Astro Bot Review: Bots Unite In A Delightful Platformer

When I finally got my dream PlayStation 5 several years ago, the first game I played was Astro’s Playroom. Out of all the games I had been waiting to play that special day, I decided to give a shot to Astro, and oh boy, it completely blew me away. It was rightly called the PS5’s tech demo and made you feel the new console’s power. After 4 years, Astro, PlayStation’s mascot, has a complete game called “Astro Bot” from the same Team ASOBI.

Thanks to Sony and Team ASOBI for providing us with a copy, I was able to deep dive into the Astro Bot universe early and experience its new adventures. After platforming my way as Astro through the perils of his realm, here is my review of PS5’s newest 3D action platformer, Astro Bot.

A Captain’s Smooth Sailing Tale

If you remember correctly, Astro’s Playroom had players explore several regions based on PS5’s hardware components. This time, we are off to a much grander adventure in the Astro Bot’s universe. In a series of unfortunate events, a space alien bully destroys the mothership, aka PS5, which results in your friendly crew of bots getting scattered across the universe.

As the captain of the bots, you must grab your Dual Speeder to rescue all the 300 bots and the components of the mothership dispersed throughout different galaxies.

Astro Bot features a very straightforward and gleeful tale where you play as the high-spirited robotic hero who seeks to restore things to order, but it isn’t going to be as easy as he thinks. In this heroic journey, you are bound to meet grumpy adversaries along with some bot versions of the PlayStation’s most iconic heroes.

A Ravishing Journey Through Diverse Biomes

Being entrusted with the task of saving your fellow bots, you are set on a journey through a diverse set of galaxies. Each galaxy features a distinct set of vibrant planets inspired by different themes such as Aztec, Haunted Mansion, etc. Now, every one of these planets and their biomes is painstakingly crafted and is remarkably contrasting from it all. Team ASOBI ensured I didn’t face any monotony during my journey.

In an interview, the devs mentioned that they have overhauled their engine and it is evident from the upgraded visuals which is a feast for the eyes. Moreover, many parts of the environment are interactable and it makes the world of Astro full of life. Consequently, all the graphical aspects put together make up an enchanting and immersive experience.

Modernistic Platformer Functioning in Perfect Harmony

If you have played Astro’s Playroom, you will be already familiar with the gameplay loop of Astro Bot. While you collected artifacts previously, this time you have come to the rescue to save all the bots of your crew.

Thus, as you enter each planet, you have to make your way through the danger from tiny to gigantic adversaries and collect all the bots you encounter in expeditions. Along with the bots, the puzzle pieces and secrets are buried and tucked away very well in an attempt to rack our brains.

However, if you are having trouble, you can revisit any area where you struggled to free an obliging bird that can help you find your bot friends and collectibles. This is indeed a great move to push the players with a slight assist to discover on their own instead of making them resort to online guides which may lessen the overall experience for some.

Delightful Power-Ups

In line with the prequel, you get numerous power-ups at each level that will govern the way you play the game. These powerups are not only limited to helping you in combat but greatly assist you while traversing through perilous platforms. All the platforming experiences are carefully designed around each of these powerups and it works flawlessly. For example, the above chicken power-up can propel you up in the sky like a rocket.

Many power-ups such as Twin-Frog Gloves, Barkster the Bulldog booster, etc., elevate your platforming journey to the next level. However, as they are limited, I found myself getting bored reusing the same things repeatedly.

DualSense Controllers Are a Boon

As I mentioned earlier, the power-ups control your gameplay and this is linked with your DualSense Controllers. And I have to say that I found it an extremely immersive experience. Actions such as tilting, and breathing into the mic were looped in perfectly which only served to heighten the experience of platforming and bolstered Astro Bot’s uniqueness.

The input movements to control the character were precise and didn’t impair my gameplay at all. The controller’s haptic feedback, built-in speaker, and adaptive triggers came in handy once again to feel every ting and make the gameplay shine.

Masterfully Crafted Levels

Team ASOBI has simplified the platforming formula to a great extent where anyone can enjoy the experience to the fullest without running into any problems. As I mentioned earlier, each level is constructed based on the powerups and the devs have let loose their creativity as is evident from their incredibly innovative level designs.

Lighting your way through invisible platforms with a special bulb, day and night switching areas, ultra-fast moving platforms that can be slowed down to travel and so much more awaited me. And this was just the tip of the iceberg as tons of ingeniously designed levels with effortless puzzles changed my perception of platformers.

Furthermore, the addition of PlayStation’s iconic heroes along with many more wonderful surprises (which I don’t want to spoil) boosted my enjoyment significantly. Without a doubt, I can say Astro Bot is 3D action platforming done right!

Difficulty Done Right

Did I find Astro Bot too difficult to finish? No! Then, is the game too easy to wrap up? again No! The developers have struck the right balance when it comes to difficulty as it remains challenging and extremely enjoyable at once. Astro Bot follows a linear design where you have to fight against sizable enemies and make your way through the platform to rescue everyone.

The checkpoints are evenly spaced 99% of the time except few places where I found it odd and slightly frustrating. You die after taking a single hit so these adequate checkpoint placements are a savior to lessen the annoyance of replaying an area.

Astro Bot retains some of the prequel’s old enemies including a few fresh faces. However, most of them are just reskinned versions to suit different themes which was a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, the quirky boss fights overshadow this minor flaw and are a quiet test of your might as well. Thankfully, you get additional lives during boss battles that can also save you from frustration.

Recreational Centre

Additionally, as you progress through the game, you will find yourself turning the empty land into a base for the rescued bots. You are given the chance to turn this vacant base into a recreational center sparking full of joy. By collecting the puzzle pieces, you can unlock more options, such as a Gatcha store, Fashion store, etc. You can spend the coins you collect to get valuable things such as special items for bots, costumes for you, controller skins, etc.

This was a great move by the devs to encourage the players to make 100% completion to extend the celebration to newer heights. I absolutely loved my time unlocking these things and you will without a doubt too.

Euphonic Soundtrack to Jazz Up Our Expeditions

After impressing us with its astonishing visual fidelity, Team ASOBI presented us with an immaculate soundstage that works flawlessly in tandem with the visuals. Kenneth C. M. Young (the composer for previous works such as Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot Rescue Mission) has returned home to deliver a mellifluous soundtrack that entirely livens up your platforming experience.

He has come up with a variety of tracks suiting different galaxies that you set your foot on, especially the remixes, which hit me right in the feels. As you are aware, Astro Bot has only a fair share of voice-acting, and it is as pleasing as ever. On the other hand, the production team also did a fantastic job with the sound effects, which also further amplified the lively quality of the game as they are well synced with your dual sense controller’s effects.

Performance

As amazing as this game is, if you are worried about how it is going to perform in your PS5, you don’t have to! The game runs like a charm and I didn’t run into any bugs or glitches throughout my entire run. Unlike the other PS5 games, there is no option to select performance or fidelity mode.

Thus as mentioned on the official page, the game runs smoothly at 4K. I kept switching between my 4K TV and 2K monitor during my playthroughs and it ran perfectly fine without any hiccups. The only option you have is the setting to adjust the HDR quality which you can make use of. Therefore, I recommend you play in your component with the highest resolution to witness Astro Bot’s eye-catching beauty.

Verdict: Team ASOBI’s Love Letter to PlayStation

When Astro Bot was first announced, I thought, does the PlayStation’s mascot need a complete standalone game for himself? Isn’t Astro’s Playroom enough already? But it turns out I was completely wrong. I was playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Bloodborne, and Black Myth: Wukong before I started Astro Bot. After playing back-to-back Souls games, Astro Bot turned out to be what I needed.

It is a lighthearted game that is jam-packed with loads of fun as you make your way through various perils and surprises. Team ASOBI has defined a modern 3D platforming game that will appeal to everyone who seeks a colorful adventure to just relax and have the utmost fun. Astro Bot kept me grinning throughout my playtime and kudos to Team ASOBI for paying homage to the incredible history of Sony’s PlayStation in an outstanding manner.

While it does come with a hefty price tag that is difficult to justify and a fair share of shortcomings, I believe long-time PS fans and anyone will be overloaded with joy as they play Team ASOBI’s exuberant love letter to the PlayStation franchise.

PS: It’s been days yet I still can’t get over the exceptional final act and the amusing credit sequences. So for all intents and purposes, get Astro Bot right now!