Review – Astro Bot

Have you ever felt nostalgic for something you did not grow up with? Ever heard an older song for the first time in your 30s, with it almost feeling like part of your childhood? I think this has just happened with me after playing (and completing) Astro Bot. I have played both previous iterations of the adorable franchise made by Team Asobi in the past, but even though I loved playing them, the brand new Astro Bot game was something else. Not only was it a fantastic game, possibly THE best game available on the Playstation 5, as well as a top candidate for best platformer of all time, but it made me feel nostalgic for the entire history of the Playstation brand… even though I did not grow up with it.

As a kid, like just anyone else with an infantile brain (looking at you, adult fanboys), I defended the one console I had with all my strength. I was a die-hard, borderline lunatic defender of the Nintendo 64. To me, the PS1 was the villain. It made Nintendo irrelevant, it had the “unfun” games, it just didn’t have Zelda or Mario. My first Playstation system would only be the PSP, and my first Playstation console would only be the PS4.

As such, I did not grow up with Sony’s brands, nor did I have an emotional connection towards them. Yet, the way Astro Bot pays homage to the entirety of the history of the Playstation brand just made me feel happy, engaged, like a kid again. As if I had grown up playing Crash, Spyro, Klonoa, and every other PS classic. Stuff I would only experiment with way into my late teens, early twenties.

But let’s talk about nostalgia later down the line. First of all, let’s rejoice about how Astro Bot is just a downright fantastic platformer, one of the best in the history of the genre, without ever trying to reinvent the wheel that much. Gameplay-wise, it follows the premise set by its PSVR predecessor, as well as Astro’s Playroom. It’s a straightforward 3D platformer, with each level having a beginning and an end; it’s not a collectathon by any means.

It’s more like Super Mario Galaxy, less like Mario Sunshine or 64, if you get what I mean. What differs it from other games with a similar structure is the quality of its level design. There is no other way to label it other than perfect. It’s pristine. Each level had its own theme, a banger of a soundtrack, and a neat usage of a specific gimmick or usage of the Dualsense.

One level might make use of a bulldog-shaped rocket boost, whilst another level might use the Dualsense’s gyro as a means to aim a shuriken launcher at a wall. Even if there was some repetition in the gimmick department, it was always smartly integrated into the level in an intelligent way. Very rarely did a gimmick disappoint, the exceptions being one or two specific gimmicks which focused specifically on the Dualsense’s occasionally faulty motion capabilities, or one specific side level with a stupendously obnoxious lava-centered gimmick. Yes, the one in the Square galaxy. If you know, you know.

You may be wondering, why even bother simply getting to the end of the level? What’s in it for me? Sure, Astro Bot may be very linear, but that doesn’t mean each level isn’t packed with collectibles. There are two main collectibles in the game: puzzle pieces and robots. The former are simple jigsaw pieces you collect in order to unlock a brand new quality of life enhancement in the main hub world, such as a way to change your outfits, or a hangar which lets you customize your Dualsense-shaped starship.

Robots, on the other hand, might actually be considered to be Astro Bot‘s equivalent to Super Mario 64‘s Power Stars. Each level has either five or six of them to collect, divided in two categories: normal bots and VIP bots. Normal bots are plain white robots, ones you won’t be paying attention to. VIP bots are the star of the show, being little Astro Bots dressed as either a first-party Sony character, or any character whose videogame has been an integral part of the history of the Playstation brand.

There are tons of those VIP bots to collect, and you bet almost every single franchise you can imagine is represented in Astro Bot. You have your typical Jak, Horizon, Ratchet & Clank and Ghost of Tsushima-themed robots, as expected, but tons of those are dressed as characters from third-party titles. Resident Evil, Yakuza, Onimusha, Metal Gear Solid, Suikoden, Guilty Gear, even some bottom of the barrel stuff like Mr. Mosquito, Alundra and Legacy of Kain make an appearance. You may also unlock an additional prop for each character, giving them a truly adorable animation you can’t help but look at and smile like an idiot. It’s simply joyful.

Are these VIP robots a marketing plot, as well as some cheap fanservice? Yes. I won’t deny that. But considering the fact that Astro Bot is a game meant to pay homage to the 30th anniversary of the Playstation brand, I didn’t mind at all. It might be self-indulgent, but it was made in the most respectful and joyful way you could possibly imagine. Again, as previously mentioned, I did not grow up playing or supporting Playstation, so I shouldn’t have smiled when unlocking a VIP robot dressed as the protagonist of Dark Cloud 2 or freaking Arc the Lad. Yet, I did. It’s the kind of respect towards your past not even Nintendo does in Super Smash Bros. The only glaring exception is the complete absence of Square Enix characters, because that company can’t help but always do the absolute worst marketing decisions for its brands.

The fanservice doesn’t end there, by the way. Unlocking VIP robots is cool and all, but Astro Bot is a bigger love letter to Playstation than just a bunch of references and cameos. At the end of each galaxy, after beating a boss in a very creative manner, you can also unlock a legacy level. Legacy levels are basically a homage to a famous Playstation franchise, be it modern or old, in gaming form.

These are the absolute highlights of the entire game. Not only do you dress yourself as the protagonist of a famous game, but the level itself usually mixes the gameplay loop of said franchise with Astro Bot‘s already pristine platforming. Furthermore, every single VIP robot you can unlock in this level stems from said franchise, and the music being played on the back will be a fantastic remix of its original theme song. I ended up replaying them over and over again. I couldn’t stop smiling. They were beautiful homages to important moments in the history of Playstation, a perfect way to give veterans a bit of nostalgic delight, as well as a perfect way to introduce younger audiences to brand new franchises they may have never heard of before. Truly genius marketing.

Finally, what made me respect Astro Bot even more is the fact that it goes against the now-tiresome business model explored by Playstation and its studios. This doesn’t try to push the PS5’s hardware to its graphical limits, yet it is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen in a console. Everything is colorful, vibrant, shiny, adorable. It’s not a cinematic blockbuster, nor is it trying to tell a complex story. Astro Bot is a damn video game, meant to be fun, meant to entertain, meant to be played.

I don’t remember the last time a video game just made me smile from ear to ear, making me hope it could never end. In fact, this may be Astro Bot‘s biggest issue: it doesn’t last forever. I simply want more of it. Astro Bot is serotonin in digital form. It’s a damn near perfect platformer, with phenomenal visuals, music, level design, and much more. It made me feel nostalgic for an entire brand I didn’t even grow up with back in my childhood. Even for someone whose entire childhood was spent with Mario and Master Chief, I embraced each and every reference included in this masterpiece as if they were speaking directly to my inner eight year old. I just loved this game so damn much. Thank you, Team Asobi. You guys have simply crafted what’s possibly the PS5’s magnum opus. Nay, the generation’s magnum opus.

Graphics: 10 It’s not just the fact Astro Bot looks great in terms of textures and lighting. Its vibrant art design and animations were also phenomenal. It’s one of the damn cutest things I have ever seen.	Gameplay: 9.5 Top-notch platforming and level design taken to the absolute pinnacle of the genre. Each level explored a different gimmick or puzzle. Controls were responsive, and the usage of the Dualsense’s motion gimmicks worked well, for the most part.
Sound: 10 One of the best soundtracks in recent memory. It smartly mixes songs from previous Astro Bot games with brand new compositions, as well as astonishing remixes of classic Playstation franchises.	Fun Factor: 10 I don’t remember the last time a video game just made me smile from ear to ear, making me hope it could never end. It’s serotonin in digital form, a game that made me feel nostalgic for something I didn’t even grow up with.
Final Verdict: 10

Astro Bot is available now on PS5.

Reviewed on PS5.