It’s that every inch of Astro Bot is designed to offer a fresh experience. It all fits together perfectly, with levels unfurling with surprising secrets that encourage exploration and always have an answer for a curious mind. Astro Bot might also be the most ASMR game ever with pitch perfect sound design that reacts to every single surface like no other game before. If you thought Playroom was a showcase for the DualSense, you haven’t seen anything yet. It comes with a plethora of powers, but they never feel overused.

Across the game’s dozens of levels, you’ll see many abilities like these, and in nearly every case, they are a resounding success. Hardcore PlayStation fans will likely be both pleasantly surprised and disappointed to uncover what characters are included and how much love their franchises receive in Astro Bot. After rescuing Bot crewmembers, half of whom resemble beloved characters from PlayStation games, they return to the game’s hub world, and as more are uncovered, it grows into a playground for the rescued to occupy. As G28 progresses, they’ll unlock new pathways and cosmetics not just for Astro but for the PS-themed Bots.

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. Although it does rally at the end, with a wonderful on-rails section that is more reminiscent of the tone in Astro’s Playroom.

Players take on the role of the lovable Astro Bot, embarking on a space-faring adventure through diverse environments, including waves of sandy beaches, lush jungles, and fiery volcanoes. Along the way, Astro gains new powers and transformations to aid in the journey. Released in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, the game pays homage to the brand’s legacy by allowing players to find and reunite with over 150 iconic PlayStation characters. The PS5® mothership has been wrecked, leaving ASTRO and the bot crew scattered all over the galaxies. Time to ride your trusty Dual Speeder across more than 50 planets full of fun, danger and surprises.

Unlike our last update Winter Wonder, which was a walk through the Xmas park, this new update features harder levels to test your jumping skills. Each level comes with a brand-new Special Bot to rescue and, once that’s done, can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings. Astro Bot is an action and platformer game for the PlayStation 5 which features Astro. Jump on your Dual Speeder and explore tons of planets, and meet up with iconic PlayStation characters across the game.

Part of that Nintendo feel is also shown across the game’s bosses. Astro Bot crams in nearly two dozen boss encounters, some that repeat in certain ways, but all of them are truly special events. From flying atop a bird as you smash away at its helmet, to a Djinn or a Gorilla, these fights are simple in their design, but due to the wondrous abilities and the slick controls, are engaging and often magical. That said, the final battle is likely the weakest, coming across as the less creative design of the entire bunch, which is a shame since the game goes to great lengths to show us Nebulax between each world. [newline]Still, the other fights are very impressive and constantly shine.

Mario Kart World Guides

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 power-ups, our robo-hero makes use of numerous new toys throughout the game.

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Not only are all of the aspects amazing, from its catchy music and great sound effects, the game actually uses the controller’s speakers perfectly as well. There’s not much else to say about it except that it’s pretty much perfect for the game’s vibe and presentation. Got the plat shortly after release (couldnt stop playing it) and flipped it to a friend. I will be asking for a loan in a few months when a couple more of the speed run levels drop. @2huwman Just let people be lolPushSquare has the guide out on Day 1 because they compete with other organizations who do the same thing and their guides will be out on Day 1 so it’s kinda like a little competition. If people want to “ruin their experience” as you say, then let them.

But even when Astro Bot leans into this side of the series, it’s genius. One level has you transform into Kratos, Leviathan Axe and all, solving puzzles and freeing the likes of Thor and Freya from their snowy perils. When you become Drake, you get a pop gun for a completely fresh style of level that sees you finding hidden relics and climbing trees or shooting pirate skeletons to save Sully and Sam. Astro Bot also does some things I’ve never seen other games use well, or even at all. The blending of gyro to control your rocket ship as you blast into levels before seamlessly switching to traditional play is a far cry from the clunkiness of early PS4 titles using the trackpad out of extremely obvious obligation.

Aside from a lack of Final Fantasy representation, Astro Bot pays its respects to several generations of formative games. A handful of excellent stages even go one step further by paying tribute to some key games themselves — expect gaming history nerds to go positively feral over them. What elevates that beyond a bit of throwback nostalgia is that developer Team Asobi may be the most skilled studio working today when it comes down to game feel.