For fans of platformers, the next hit with a nostalgic feel is on the horizon after the various Mario remakes. I played Astro Bot for PlayStation 5 and immediately felt transported back to a golden era
After no one has seriously tried to snatch the genre crown for good platformers from Super Mario since the PS2 days, now comesAstro Bot!
The little robo made his PlayStation 5 debut back in 2020 at the launch of the new console generation in the elaborate tech demoAstro’s Playroom to showcase the console’s new features. Now his first full-price adventure for PS5 is out. I’ve played it and tell you whether it lives up to expectations or whether Sony’s attempt to bring the Mario charm to the PlayStation could fail
Over 80 levels!
Astro Bot embarks on a rescue mission that takes him through six galaxies and over 80 levels to find his crew and collect parts for the broken PlayStation mothership. As you could already see in the trailer, the DualSense controller serves as a small spaceship with which you fly through the galaxies and navigate to individual planets (levels)
The levels usually begin with a landing approach, which not only gives you a preview of the level’s theme, but also lets you pick up the first collectibles on the way to the actual starting point.
Even the first demo level captivates me with its colorful design. Team Asobi not only brings Astro to life with lots of charm and funny character traits, but the environments are also lovingly filled with plants, animals and allusions to PlayStation classics.
According to the developers, the aim is to make the many small objects interactive. Grass, water, plants and the animal world react to the bot. Astro, for example, can sit on a sun lounger and even fall asleep while his sunglasses slip off. I discover this attention to detail in every corner of the levels I play and am constantly amazed by it.
Astro tries not to get too dirty in the mud by walking slowly and on his toes. However, his success is limited and he still leaves muddy footprints after leaving the pool
How does Astro Bot play now?
Every action and every surface is accompanied by appropriate vibrations in the controller, which convey their nature to me as a player. I can clearly feel the differences between soft grass, clinking glass or dull metal, while interactions such as the new swinging and boxing or the familiar pulling of cable strands also trigger a wide variety of controller feedback.
The levels are bursting with gameplay mechanics that involve more than just the genre-typical jumping from platform to platform or knocking down enemies. Special abilities such as Barkster, the dog backpack, can always be found in crates, which open up new interaction possibilities.
There is also good news for the collectors among you: You may be on a rescue mission to collect the other bots, but you can also find bonus characters, some well-hidden, inspired by figures from PlayStation’s long history. I came across Kratos, Atreus, Ratchet, Rivet and also well-known mascots that were mainly around on the first PlayStation – all in cute bot designs.
Despite its constantly changing mechanics, Astro Bot is not supposed to be too difficult. I was able to master the levels with ease, but always had to stay alert to adjust to new game mechanics.
Those looking for a challenge should not be disappointed either. As a bot collector, you have to pay close attention to find all the bots that are well hidden. There are also 20 challenge levels. I have already played two of them and my Astro has died many deaths.
For the collectors among you, there is also good news: You may be on a rescue mission to collect the other bots, but you can also find bonus characters, some well-hidden, inspired by figures from PlayStation’s long history. I came across Kratos, Atreus, Ratchet, Rivet and also well-known mascots that were mainly around on the first PlayStation – all in cute bot designs.
Despite its constantly changing mechanics, Astro Bot is not supposed to be too difficult. I was able to master the levels with ease, but always had to stay alert to adjust to new game mechanics.
Those looking for a challenge should not be disappointed either. As a bot collector, you have to pay close attention to find all the bots that are well hidden. There are also 20 challenge levels. I have already played two of them and my Astro has died many deaths.
With a little practice, the levels can be completed in less than a minute, but each one has its own twist, so you can still fail the last jump and then be sent back to the start of the level. In the normal levels, on the other hand, there are always checkpoints, whereby found bots and parts are retained.
The challenges can be frustrating if you don’t get the timing right and just run and jump. I hung on the two levels for almost 15 minutes before I mastered them and sat back in satisfaction. I was done and at the same time sad that I have to wait until September 6, 2024 to continue playing the adventure and discover the many secrets and allusions.
Conclusion of the editorial team
Although I was already late for my turn, I didn’t want to hand over the controller just yet and asked PlayStation if that was it. Of course it was. After all, it was only a trial version, but it left me wanting more and I would have liked to spend more time with it.
If Team Asobi can maintain the same level of attention to detail, difficulty and technical cleanliness throughout the entire game, we’re in for a real hit that has nothing to hide from the Nintendo competition.
If you want to shorten the waiting time, you can not only download Astro’s Playroom for free on your PS5, but you can also look forward to four new special bots that are hidden in the four worlds and will be unlocked until the release of Astro Bot.
