Team Asobi has finally delivered the Astro’s Playroom sequel, and it’s simply named Astro Bot. This game has a much bigger scale than Astro’s Playroom (which is basically a fun extended tech demo), meaning it’s a proper 3D platformer with a wider array of levels.
The PS5 is nearly four years old now, and based on the game releases over the past couple of years, the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom still features arguably the best implementation of the console’s haptic feedback and 3D audio features.
With this new release, Team Asobi promises to take advantage of the PS5’s unique feedback and audio features again, all while providing a bigger and better overall experience. From the looks of it, Astro Bot has the makings of a must-play platformer.
So, does this game succeed? To be honest, I wasn’t sure if turning Astro’s Playroom into a full game was going to work as there’s a danger that its gimmicks would get old after hours of playtime. I was wrong as Astro Bot blew me away with just how fun its 3D platforming mechanics and levels are.
Inventive Platforming Fun
Technically, Astro Bot is the third game in the series, with the first being the lesser-known Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, a VR-exclusive title. You don’t need to have played this game or even Astro’s Playroom to enjoy the latest series entry.
Sure, Astro Bot’s story takes place after Playroom, but it’s far from a story-driven game. You only need to know that the Astro and the rest of the bots are attacked by aliens who wreck their PS5 spaceship. Thus, Astro gets stranded on a remote planet, and his goal is to explore various star systems to gather the scattered crew and the PS5 parts. Thankfully, Astro can travel through space with his DualSense controller ship.
This game’s levels are laid out in the same way as most platforming games. Five main star systems house the game’s levels in planets. Each star system typically features four main levels, one boss level, and one special “hero” level (which we’ll try our best not to spoil). Along with these main levels, there are also bonus planets that you can discover by exploring the star system on the map. In some ways, Astro Bot is reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy given they both have a space theme. Of course, Astro Bot is far from a Mario clone.
If you’ve already played Astro’s Playroom, you’ll feel right at home in this new game. That’s because the core gameplay is the same. Traversing the levels still requires you to jump and hover at the right times, all while punching enemies who get in the way.
The core gameplay is simple, but what makes the game shine is the introduction of various mechanics traversal mechanics. Each ability is accessible only in certain levels, giving the game better variety.
These abilities include the Twin-Frog Gloves which let Astro punch opponents from afar and stick to pillars for traversal. There’s also the Bulldog Booster which gives Astro a rocket-propelled doggo backpack to get through big gaps and even knock enemies out.
Astro’s level-specific powers add variety, but what helps the game feel fresh and engaging throughout is the level design. Sure, Team Asobi used Astro’s Playroom as a template, but they knocked it out of the park with how great the levels are. Aside from looking cute and colorful, these levels are a joy to traverse, so much so that I found myself beaming throughout my journey collecting the bots and PS5 parts.
Personally, this is one of the few 3D platformers that comes close to a mainline Super Mario game. At least in terms of just how many times I smiled and laughed while making my way to the end of a level. What helped the experience I think is just how immersive the game is thanks to the DualSense feedback.
As I mentioned above, I was worried that the DualSense features may feel too gimmicky with a full release; this wasn’t an issue with Astro’s Playroom given that it’s a short game. After playing Astro Bot though, my fears were unfounded as the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers did help a lot in maintaining my immersion into what was happening on screen. On top of this, the game’s 3D audio implementation is still great. If you don’t like playing with headphones on though, you’ll still get a great experience thanks to the inventive use of the DualSense controller’s speakers.
Feedback and audio aren’t the only technical features that Team Asobi focused on as the game also features some welcome accessibility options. These include options to turn off gyro controls (a welcome option as gyro controls can be annoying for some), along with a setting to make the game playable with just one analog stick. Plus, for users with a PlayStation Access controller, this game features full support for it.
Accessible but Offers Plenty of Challenges
Aside from a these accessibility features, Astro Bot is also very much an accessible game even for younger players or more casual gamers. That’s because there are no lives in this game (except for some encounters), not to mention that the levels have generous checkpoints. As such, there’s no pressure when retrying certain parts or even entire levels.
This was actually a concern for me as I thought the game’s earlier levels were a bit too easy; that’s saying a lot given that I’m not great at platforming games. The more I played though, the more challenges that the game threw at me.
Of course, the main story levels shouldn’t be too difficult for most players, though the later levels do present enjoyable encounters that are balanced by the generous checkpoints each level has.
Speaking of challenges, the game’s boss fights can be tough if you don’t get your timing right, but their level of difficulty never veered into frustrating territory. Of course, if you’re good at platforming games, you’ll likely breeze through the main story bosses.
What will make you sweat a bit (or a lot in my case) are the bonus levels that can be found in the game’s star systems. These are short levels, but I would classify them as being incredibly challenging, especially as most of them don’t have any mid-level checkpoints. As such, more hardcore platforming fans should still have fun here.
Even if your goal is to complete all the difficult levels though, Astro Bot is not the longest game. Its story should take around 8-10 hours to complete, and getting all collectibles may take 20-30 hours, depending on your pace. Thus, players who only want to experience the main story will find this to be a short game.
On the flip side, even non-completionists may be motivated to replay levels as each level features various secrets and hidden areas that many will no doubt miss during their first run. Fittingly, most of these hidden locations are full of PlayStation references.
A Fun Tribute to PlayStation
Astro’s Playroom is already a tribute to the history of PlayStation, but Astro Bot is more of a celebration of characters that should be familiar to anyone who grew up with a PlayStation console.
Specifically, some of the bots that you can rescue are VIP bots. These are basically bot versions of iconic PlayStation characters, including notable names like Kratos, Aloy, Nathan Drake, Ratchet, and many more.
Each level has at least two VIP bots that you can rescue. Thus, if you grew up with PlayStation consoles like me, chances are that you’d want to explore every nook and cranny of the levels to look for these special bots.
If you ask me, finding these bots is a major highlight. For instance, I was delighted to see Kat and Raven in one of the later levels as I think Gravity Rush is an underrated series. I also found it cool to see many references to third-party IP as I saw several Persona and Resident Evil characters.
Looking for these VIP bots was already lots of fun, but the tribute to PlayStation isn’t limited to what are essentially collectibles. Astro Bot also features “hero” levels which feature gameplay inspired by specific PlayStation games.
I won’t spoil the other ones, though I will mention the first special level which is patterned after Ape Escape. In the level, Astro transforms into Ape Escape’s Spike, and his goal is to get to the end of the level while capturing the devious apes.
Essentially, this level combines Ape Escape with Astro Bot’s platforming action gameplay, making for a memorable time (especially if you grew up playing the series). I found it incredibly fun, but the other hero levels are even better, especially given that they’re inspired by games that more players should be familiar with.
Astro Bot Final Verdict – 9/10
Using Astro’s Playroom as a template, Team Asobi delivered a bigger and better 3D platformer with Astro Bot. This latest series entry features creative levels and mechanics that are a joy to play. And while it’s accessible to players of all skill levels, it has enough challenges to satisfy platforming experts. To top it all off, it’s an excellent tribute to PlayStation’s various iconic and lesser-known characters.
Even if Astro Bot doesn’t seem like the type of game that you’d play, it’s very much worth playing given the sheer fun that you can have with its creative platforming gameplay. As such, Astro Bot has the makings of PlayStation’s next big franchise.
[This review was made with a game code provided by the publisher]