If I have one complaint about the game it is that the record keeping system that keeps track of the bots collected, does not break down who the special bots are and the game(s) they are from. Making your way through one star system after another, you might find your progress blocked unless you scour every level for the robots lost within them. There are 300 to find overall, with many of them depicting classic videogame characters. In that regard, Astro Bot can be seen as a celebration of not only Sony’s hardware and impressive catalogue of software over the years, but also video games in general. It’s fun putting them to work when revisiting the crash site, too, calling upon them to help lift heavy objects and create structures like human bridges to help you continue your adventure and rescue yet more robots. I can’t recall the last time I had so much fun jumping on platforms.
Stellar Speedway (10 Bots)
Astro Bot embraces that by turning each of its levels into playgrounds that give players plenty of space to poke around in the name of fun. 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. Another level drops me in a casino and puts a time-slowing PSVR on Astro’s head. I use that ability to freeze a giant slot machine as it rains down chips, turning them into platforms.
While a lot of them are based on first-party properties, like The Last of Us, Shadow of the Colossus, and Ape Escape, there are many more based on third-party titles — some of which are amazingly obscure. There are one or two surprising absentees, but on the whole it’s a remarkable selection that had us grinning with every character we recognised. It’s all delivered with so much affection that it’s hard not to love it. Speaking of w188 com -ups, our robo-hero makes use of numerous new toys throughout the game. 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.
The tiny vibrations when he runs, the way different objects cause the controller to rumble is immaculate and feels genuinely different to each obstacle. Tilting the controller to navigate your ship or hammer in nails, to the adaptive triggers and their use for a variety of his abilities is second to none. Where this becomes frustrating is that it shows how many teams, Sony’s included, are flat-out ignoring this tech, making Astro Bot yet again feel like a tech demo for controller features that have been out for four years now.
Super Mario Bros. was a formative gaming experience that changed my life. Astro Bot is beautiful, and not just in a cartoony kind of way. Its landscapes are sharp and alive with interactive details, and it seems like every pixel has been polished to perfection. All I hope now is that Team Asobo is given quite literally anything it wants to make its next game because I’m already there for it.
There’s nothing beyond familiar forms and frameworks, yet it still manages to bring a smile to our faces. There’s not much to say about Astro Bot’s plot; it serves as a simple introduction, giving the player a reason to rescue bots in need and search for console-ship components to continue the journey through the vast cosmos. What truly sets Astro Bot apart from the competition, however, is the gameplay. In 2024, Astro Bot not only comes to Sony’s rescue but also in a big way reminds us why we play video games at all. None of that affects Astro Bot’s quality as a game but it does limit its successfulness as a nostalgia piece.
The series is a spin-off of The Playroom series, and began with the 2013 launch title for the PlayStation 4, and its later entries have won numerous awards. Find release dates and scores for every major upcoming and recent video game release for all platforms, updated several times per week. Outside of bosses and minibosses, there initially doesn’t appear to be a great range in enemy types.
The levels in Astro Bot feature a staggering amount of interactive elements from jump pads, blocks, and platforms through to what appear to be decorative objects like plants, trees, and even animals. You’ll want to try and hit, nudge, press, and jump on absolutely everything. Not only is this often key it to progressing through a level, but can also lead to secrets and Easter eggs, fun interactions, and hidden collectibles. In that spirit, we’ve pulled together 7 tips and tricks we think will prove helpful for those diving into Astro’s irresistibly charming universe for the first time. When you’re ready to move on, check out our guide to all the collectibles in the starting two levels, Sky Garden and Creamy Canyon. Developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, “Astro Bot” is set on 80 levels in six galaxies across 50 planets.
What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Pipo Monkey – Greedy Ape
And it has an approachable, nonspecific universality that can easily cross cultural barriers to reach every corner of the international TGA jury. As we predicted, Astro Bot won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024. This was a relatively open race, with no runaway front-runner, which gave the 2024 awards a little extra frisson of excitement.
Astro Bot’s world is filled with detailed animations and responsive environments that react to the player’s movements. The game features smooth controls and a variety of gameplay mechanics that keep the experience engaging. Whether rescuing lost bots, defeating enemies, or interacting with the surroundings, every action contributes to the sense of discovery.
However, the way it presents itself and the way it integrates its older titles into the game make it a unique experience. That overall format is deceptively simple for one of the most creative games I’ve ever played in my entire life — and Astro Bot makes that abundantly clear in just a handful of hours. There are more than 80 levels in Astro Bot, and what’s remarkable to me is that I can’t think of a single one that felt too similar to another or was a disappointment in any way.
That was followed up with the PSVR-exclusive game Astro Bot Rescue Mission. And then everyone who buys a PS5 gets a free digital copy of Astro’s Playroom, a short game that lasts between three and five hours, depending on how many of the collectibles you want to get. Once you completed a level for the first time, returning back to said level will have a little birdcage right where you land. What the Bird Bot will do is follow Astro around and, when a collectible is nearby, it will blink a bright light that’ll get even faster the closer you get.
The game combines classic platforming elements with modern gameplay innovations, making every stage feel fresh and engaging. There are 5 main Nebulas, each with 6-7 main levels, and a few side levels which are unlocked by flying into objects with the spaceship inside the Nebulas. When you hover over a level it shows how many collectibles it has and how many you still need.
