Astro Bot Review — Joy Personified (In Robot Form)

Some of my most cherished childhood memories involve me sitting in front of the television with the absurd Nintendo 64 controller in hand, enjoying incredible 3D platformers like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Those two games in particular helped shape my love of the video game industry and to appreciate the magical experiences that video games can deliver. So, when I say to you that Astro Bot was not only able to rekindle those meaningful memories, but also create its own profound moments of joy and wonder, it truly means a lot. Astro Bot is one of the best 3D platformers ever developed and it’s also a beautiful love letter to the PlayStation brand, as well as the gaming industry as a whole.

The game begins with Astro Bot and his Bot buddies flying around space inside the PlayStation 5 console, before abruptly being attacked by a massive green alien known as Nebulax. With the console mutilated, the important parts of the spaceship stolen and all of Astro’s friends scattered, the ship crash lands onto a desolate sandy planet (not Tatooine). As with most 3D platformers, the story never takes center stage and is instead used to quickly establish Astro’s motivation and encourage players to start exploring the multiple galaxies on offer.

There are six different galaxies that players will visit across the 15-hour adventure, with each galaxy offering a handful of longer levels, a selection of shorter (but more challenging) levels, and some mini-game-esque stages, which all culminate into an epic boss encounter. But that’s not all, upon your successful victory against each boss, players will also unlock a PlayStation franchise-inspired level. These levels are a brilliant love letter to each individual franchise, and while some of these levels are inspired by massive PlayStation franchises, there are also a few dedicated to beloved franchises with cult followings. These levels are best experienced with no prior knowledge, but I can assure you they are fantastic and incredibly memorable.

One of Astro Bot’s best features is the level design, which feels fresh, inventive, and fun across each of its 80 levels. Astro Bot rockets into each location on their Dual Speeder (in-game name for the DualSense), and this is where the magic begins. There are surprises around every turn, there are new and interesting abilities constantly introduced, and a plethora of different locations, all of which look absolutely stunning. Tutorials are an afterthought because every new ability or feature introduced works intuitively in both fun and innovative ways. While I won’t discuss my favourite abilities (I’ll leave you to experience them for yourself), I will mention how fun it is to rocket across the level with a dog on your back, and utilise slow motion to vanquish multiple enemies in a flurry of punches. The same joy can be found from each and every ability, and Astro Bot does a fantastic job of introducing these aspects throughout each level, before emphasising those abilities within each boss encounter.

I personally feel any player could make their way through the main Astro Bot adventure due to the frequent checkpoints on offer, but this is also due to the well-designed levels. However, players wanting to find each and every hidden Bot as well as the 150 V.I.P Bots (which are references to other PlayStation characters) will definitely find themselves challenged. Some hidden PlayStation Bots within the main levels can be quite difficult to reach, but the real challenge comes from the side levels, which are themed after the PlayStation symbols: triangle, circle, cross and square. These levels are short, but ridiculously challenging, so much so I formed a callous on my thumb, a wound I was proud to have when I earned the Astro Bot Platinum Trophy. Each time you fail within these levels, there is nobody to blame but yourself, as Astro Bot features precision platforming with rapid responsiveness. These levels require patience as you trial and error your way to victory, but they are incredibly satisfying to clear and will reward you with additional hidden PlayStation-themed Bots.

Astro’s Playroom, the DualSense tech demo pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 console, set the bar when it comes to utilising the features found within the DualSense controller, but Astro Bot has now surpassed its initial high standard. Developer Team Asobi wanted players to see, feel, and hear everything within Astro Bot, and they have completely delivered. Most video games are detached from the controller, with the controller simply used as a way to interact with the video game world. This is where Astro Bot greatly differs. The DualSense controller is an extension of the gaming world, creating a sensory experience that makes you feel completely immersed in the events unfolding on your television. From the expertly used haptic feedback, which allows you to feel every leaf, acorn or item Astro interacts with, to the minute sounds that emanate from the DualSense speaker to the adaptive triggers that make you feel each and every boost from the Dual Speeder, the DualSense is utilised flawlessly. Astro Bot left me wanting more developers to truly capitalise on the amazing features found within the DualSense, because Astro Bot has truly shown how immersive those features can be when they are well implemented.

Combat within Astro Bot is fairly standard, especially to those who have played previous Astro Bot entries. However, once the various abilities acquired across the adventure are implemented within combat, dispatching enemies continues to feel fresh and never outstays its welcome. The numerous boss and mini-boss encounters within Astro Bot are perfect representations of the inventive combat mechanics at work. As mentioned, main boss encounters test each player’s ability to effectively utilise certain skills, within a grand encounter which is epic in scale. These multi-stage encounters against towering creatures are thrilling to experience and satisfying to complete. These encounters never intend to rival the difficulty of an Elden Ring boss battle (thankfully); instead, these battles focus on ensuring players have the most fun possible, and in that sense, they succeed with flying colours.

As you progress through the game, the initial Crash Site will evolve, as finding hidden jigsaw pieces will unlock new features, and each and every single V.I.P Bot found can be found just hanging around. Early on, players will unlock access to the Gatcha Lab, which is essentially a capsule machine where players can spend their hard-earned coins to unlock themed items for V.I.P Bots, as well as Astro Bot and Dual Speeder skins. Whilst you can go and visit all the PlayStation themed Bots you have rescued, visiting them after you have unlocked their corresponding themed item will see them interacting with it. It’s also worth noting that almost every single one of these themed Bots has their own unique animation with the items you unlock, which in itself, offers a lovely additional feature to enjoy at the Crash Site. These are charming animations, and most players might completely miss them, but the added detail is appreciated. I also really love the deep-cut cameos found across Astro Bot. While the main PlayStation icons are represented well, Astro Bot sends a lot of love to smaller titles or games that simply haven’t been relevant for a long time. There are so many cameos I want to talk about, but it’s best to go in fresh and enjoy the history lesson on your own.

The main Astro Bot theme song is fantastic, but that same quality is found across every single level. Whether exploring the ghost-filled level of Spooky Time while bopping your head to the ridiculously catchy beats, or enjoying the upbeat soundtrack of Slo-Mo Casino, Astro Bot constantly provides quality tunes that will perk up your ears and leave you with a smile on your face. From digitally distorted tracks, whimsical fantasy-inspired tunes, or some adrenaline-pumping audio during frantic moments, Astro Bot’s soundtrack is phenomenal. Also, be prepared to fall in love with some iconic PlayStation-themed tracks all over again, as some well-known tracks get an Astro Bot-inspired reimagining. The same audio quality can be found in the sound design, with the attention to detail genuinely leaving me with endless amounts of joy. For example, I will never get tired of hearing Astro Bot’s footsteps pitter-pattering on different surfaces as the sound resonates from the DualSense controllers, and the minor audio additions across each level support the immersive experience that Team Asobi has managed to accomplish.

Visually, Astro Bot looks fantastic, with crisp graphics, gorgeous lighting and a delightful use of colours, adding vibrancy and charm to each level. Seeing the light peek through the trees of jungle levels, the reflections from small bodies of water, and the dimly lit areas of spooky levels is a treat. I also appreciated that some vertically traversable levels allow the player to look back upon the area they have just explored, without any drop in the visual fidelity, which creates some truly jaw-dropping vistas. But it’s not just the grand scale visuals; the attention to minor details is also appreciated. For example, when the controller is put down, Astro Bot will engage in different animations, ranging from waving at the camera, looking around the environment, laying down for a rest, or even holding their hand out in the rain. These small animations exude charm and make all the difference.

Astro Bot performs immaculately. With almost 20 hours of gameplay to my name, I have never experienced a single performance, visual, or audio issue, and the loading times are almost instantaneous.