It was November 12, 2020, when I first played Astro’s Playroom. A simple tech demo for the DualSense became one of my favourite games of 2020. It’s now 2024, and a full-fledged game has been released named after the little bot we’ve grown to love, Astro Bot. No one would’ve thought that a character that was originally used as a tech demo for the PlayStation VR and the eventual DualSense controller would’ve gained so much love from players that he would spin off into a full AAA single-player experience. After 19 hours of playing Astro Bot and grinding to get 100% completion and the platinum trophy, I can say that this is the first PlayStation game that truly feels like it’s for the players.
Astro’s Playroom started with just a mere 4 levels, paying homage to the recently released PlayStation 5 console with Easter eggs of various PlayStation properties. It also showcased incredibly what the DualSense was capable of with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Take all of that, times it by 10, and Astro Bot is what you receive. The game starts with Astro flying in the mothership (shaped after the PS5 console) with all his friends, but it isn’t until a rude alien attacks the ship, taking the core components and causing Astro Bot to crash land in a deserted area. It’s up to him to find all 305 of his friends, with half of them being PlayStation characters. While I can confidently say that I’m a PlayStation fan, some of these characters were unrecognisable even to me, showing how much care and love Team Asobi put into the game.
What shines most about Astro Bot is how easily accessible it is for everyone to play and have fun. The controls are kept relatively simple, with the square button used to attack and the cross button used to jump. By holding the square button, Astro does a spinning attack, which you’ll need for some puzzles. By holding the jump button, Astro uses his jet boots to hover for a short while. That’s all there is to controlling Astro, and Team Asobi uses those very simplistic controls to create creative ways of beating each level. That being said, not everything in the game is that simple.
It’s safe to say that a child would be able to complete this game, but when going for 100% completion, finding all the bots, and tackling all the hidden levels, I found myself getting frustrated at how long it was taking me to complete a single level. There was still a sense of euphoria once I had completed the levels and collected all the bots and jigsaw pieces, but it came to my attention that a kid wouldn’t be able to complete these without the assistance of an adult. As accessible as the game is for everyone to play when it comes to the main content within the game, I do like that there’s a sense of difficulty when tackling the side content; it brings a new edge of fun to the game.
What makes Astro Bot so comparable to some of my favourite games, such as Super Mario Odyssey, is the platforming, and if it weren’t for the immaculate level design and the ingenuity that Team Asobi has demonstrated, this game would’ve been a bore to play. There are five nebulas that you explore in Astro Bot, with there being 6 to 7 main levels and some hidden side levels sprinkled throughout. There wasn’t a single moment during my 19 hours with the game where I thought to myself, “Oh, this is getting a bit repetitive.” Not a single level looks identical to another, and the astonishing developers at Team Asobi found out the perfect timing when to let us try out a new ability and when to take it away from us, making sure that we never found ourselves bored at any given time.
You could be playing the ‘Bathhouse Battle’ level in the Serpent Starway Nebula, where you get access to the sponge level, my personal favourite, but unfortunately, it’s linked to just that one level in the game. It’s nice that the game switches it up for us every level, and thankfully because main levels don’t take more than 10 minutes to complete, we get to go through a lot of the power-ups in quick succession, but it does mean I have to suffer from not getting to use the sponge in other levels. It’s a hard predicament because I don’t want to use the Monkey Climb ability due to its gimmick, and I’m thankful it’s locked to one level, but at the same time, I do want to play with my favourites more than once without having to replay the level.
The Monkey Climb power-up might feel too gimmicky as you’re made to tilt the DualSense and use its gyro controls to navigate its arms, but there’s more to the DualSense than just gyro controls. Team Asobi seems to have thought of everything when it comes to how to utilise the haptic feedback. You’re walking on grass; feel that motion from the controller, the feel of water splashing on you, rain hitting Astro’s cute little umbrella.
They do a lot that I never knew was possible and somehow have elevated themselves from what they showcased in Astro’s Playroom. When closing Astro Bot, I’m hit with a wave of sadness as I come to the realisation that no other game puts as much effort into the features of the DualSense. The speaker is also used in such an innovative way that helps make the game feel more immersive, with the sounds clashing with the sounds coming from my TV, making it feel like I’m in the same destination as Astro.
It’s PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, and Astro Bot felt like the perfect way to celebrate everything PlayStation stands for. Half the fun of this game came from running into characters that you recognised from other video games; some would be from first-party games such as Kratos, Killzone Mutants, or Ellie. Astro Bot doesn’t stay exclusive to first-party games and also involves characters that have had a special history with PlayStation over the years, such as Alucard from Castlevania or even our favourite Marsupial, Crash Bandicoot. Old forgotten mascots even make an appearance, such as Polygon Man. This is a love letter to PlayStation, even more so than Astro’s Playroom, which celebrated all the consoles.
A few of these respected licenses also got their own dedicated level in the game that played like the respective IP. There are only four of these levels seen in the game, but they’re some of the best, two of them being God of War themed and Uncharted theme, and it just brought back a rush of memories. The level design is made to fit the game, and the gameplay mechanics are also made to be similar, forcing you to transform into the main character of the IP. Come on, who doesn’t want to play Astro? It’s hard not to be lost in these worlds when you finally come across them. Who unleashes his rage mode anytime he respawns? It’s hard not to be lost in these worlds when you finally come across them. With future DLC on the way, it’s only right that they make more levels like this.
With Astro Bot, it’s safe to say that Astro has made the seamless transition from a tech demo character to a well-respected character that will forever be a part of PlayStation’s history. It’s hard not to see him as the future mascot going forward and would be a missed opportunity. Astro Bot has solidified itself as one of the best games that I’ve had the joy of playing this year, one of the best platformers I’ve ever played, and one of the best PlayStation games that I’ve ever played.
It’s innovative, creative, and even challenging at times, but it’s still a blast to play. The game’s replayability might not be there, especially if you’re replaying a level with your least favourite power-up, but with future DLC on the way, that’ll change just like it did for its predecessor. Team Asobi created something special for PlayStation that came from the heart, and I never want to stop seeing games that involve Astro.
Astro Bot is out now exclusively on PlayStation 5.
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