Astro Bot Review

One of the surprise standouts of the PS5 launch for more was going through Astro’s Playroom. At a time when there were very few next-generation games available, that title stood out to me. It was a fun platformer with many unique abilities and things to explore. At the time, I wondered what a full-fledged game with these little characters would look like and if it would translate well to a more complete experience. I no longer have to wonder, as Team Asobi has knocked it out of the park with a nostalgia-fueled platformer that keeps you on your toes from beginning to end in Astro Bot.

Story

Astro’s Playroom was an exploration in a museum-like form of a PS5 console. Astro Bot takes things to a whole new level by giving you five central galaxies and a secret galaxy to explore. The story begins with an alien spacecraft removing all the components from the bots’ PS5 ship. This causes the bots to crash land, and it’s up to you as Astro Bot to travel to each galaxy to rescue all 301 bots and get all the ship’s components back so you can continue your journey. The entire story is told via short cutscenes without any dialogue. I find it refreshing to see how easily Team Asobi can convey the story’s message in such a simple way. 

Gameplay

Astro Bot brings back a lot of his basic movement and combat mechanics. He can still punch, jump, and double jump with a hover that shoots beams out of his feet that can kill enemies. It’s the temporary abilities that you can find in most of the levels that make things much more fun. I had a great time with the power-up that turns Astro into a little metal ball. This was implemented well, allowing you to withstand hits while in ball form. It even keeps things from crushing you. The frog hands were equally fun, giving you the power to use each trigger to punch and send projectiles back toward an enemy. They also have a sticky tongue that can grapple onto rollers to swing your character forward. If I had one criticism, it would be that some are used much more than others. This comes to mind with the monkey with cymbals changing the orientation of platforms, which was only used a few times. 

Power-Ups

I was delighted to see that even if some of the powers were reused from Astro’s Playroom, they have been expanded upon or repurposed. The monkey climbing power-up from Playroom appears in Astro Bot, but the climbing aspect is only one piece of the power-up. There is a robotic ape on your back with giant hands that can toss rocks and ground pound. Some powers get reused as the game continues, but I never felt I was using something too much. There was always an extra wrinkle added or a different method in which that power was used, keeping it fresh. The rocket chicken power came to mind. It was used more for pulling up chains earlier in the game. Later, it was more for getting up to higher places and taking out enemies in the sky. 

Enemies and Bosses

The enemy types in Astro Bot seem a bit lacking, which isn’t a negative since they cover a broad spectrum, but it’s something to note. You’ll see a lot of walking balls with spikes that come out when they’re in danger, and little creatures that walk towards you. One of the more notable enemies is the playing card that tosses cards at you that you have to stop time to jump onto to defeat it. There’s also an incredible cat-like creature in a spaceship that shoots lightning out of a guitar down upon you. Awesome! The variety is saved for bosses and mini-bosses, of which there are plenty. One of my favorites was Wako Tako, an octopus with goggles and boxing gloves. Mecha Leon (the gecko) was also a standout with the time-bending mechanics. The boss battles were all fun, and I could tell the team put a lot of love into them. 

Level Design

The level design in the game is as good as any platformer I have ever played. I enjoyed that Team Asobi created these levels with the idea that you should explore every nook and cranny. There were many times when I thought something might be in this little area, and it would be a puzzle piece or a bot to rescue. There were other times when I couldn’t believe they put something there. That happened with a secret-level exit in a smokestack that you had to extinguish with water. I had so much fun navigating these different spaces, whether as a penguin in water, a mouse running around, or even a sponge soaking up water to bring it to a different area. There are a few levels where a light bulb reveals hidden platforms, adding a new dynamic. I even had to roll a giant snowball to get to a new area in another level. It’s an endless set of unique places to explore that will keep a smile on your face throughout your playthrough.

Audio

Astro Bot has an inconspicuous soundtrack that you’ll probably be humming randomly long after you’re done playing. The game looks great and uses different materials and surfaces in ways I haven’t seen since LittleBigPlanet. Each different material has a unique feel. You can hear and feel the tink of projectiles hitting you when you’re a metal ball. Bots can rip through a cloth. Raindrops can fall around you, and you’ll feel the slight drips through your controller. There’s haptic feedback for everything you do in Astro Bot, making you feel like you’re in the world. I don’t think any other studio uses the DualSense quite as well as Team Asobi, and that’s on full display here. 

Nostalgia

This game is a love letter to PlayStation’s past and present. It features over 150 faces from the PlayStation library as other bots in your colony. I couldn’t believe the different types of characters on display, including the obvious ones like Crash Bandicoot and the not-so-obvious ones like Mister Mosquito. I was happy to see them sprinkled throughout the game, right up until the end, and scattered randomly. It was never obvious what character would show up next, leading to surprise after surprise in PlayStation history. Most of these characters are just quick cameos, but some star in their own levels. The only example of this I’ll note is Kratos. You can wield his Leviathan Axe and go through a full God of War level. There is a level like this with a new character in each galaxy, and they never get old. 

Crash Site

The crash site acts as the game’s hub world, allowing you to find more bots and interact with the ones you have found. The gacha machine gives you a place to spend all your coins, while the safari allows you to take some pictures. You can customize your character and your ship in this area, too. It’s a nice space to take in all the PlayStation history you’ve accumulated during your playthrough. It’s more incredible once you’ve found all the bots and parts. Astro Bot doesn’t take much time to complete, but there is a lot to do after the main story, which takes about 9 hours. There is a whole galaxy of secret levels to complete, as well as semi-secret levels, in each galaxy. It took me another 9 hours to finish the activities and unlock the platinum trophy. 

Conclusion

Astro Bot is one of the best games of the year. It’s a fun game that doesn’t overstay its welcome from start to finish, unlike many games we’ve seen recently. Sometimes, less is more, and Astro Bot illustrates that point beautifully. This game will keep a smile on your face the entire time.