BinaryMessiah Astro Bot Review

When you think of revolutionary games that utilize a game system's specific features, you think of Nintendo. That was what I was thinking the entire time I played Astro Bot. It feels as though Miyamoto personally created it. Is it possible that after three decades we finally have a platformer on Sony platforms to call its own. I'm not referring to an exclusive game from a third-party studio that could potentially be available on any other platform. . The PS5 exclusively offers a unique experience. Playing Astro Bot gave me the same giddy feeling as when I played Super Mario Galaxy for the first time. This killer app is a game changer for Sony's PS5, but why did it take four years to release? I went into this game with low expectations. Just another cutesy platformer. I didn't anticipate that this would match or even surpass the quality of LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. I was unable to put the game down, and Astro Bot brought a smile to my face for an unhealthy period of time. You don't seem to understand just how enjoyable and addictive this game is. In just three days, I completed nearly 100% of the game. I haven't sat down with a game like this in years. I can't remember the last game I did this for outside of the recent release of Silent Hill 2. The game is just pure, raw fun. First off, let's get the Sony branding out of the way. This is a PlayStation fan service specifically designed for those who have grown up with the PlayStation brand. While you can find all the modern games from the last two generations here, Team Asobi has dedicated their efforts to nearly every franchise that Sony has released or was known to be exclusive, helping to shape the PlayStation identity. Each level features a variety of bots, puzzle pieces, and occasionally a secret level. The bots that make cameos from other franchises are identified by gold face button logos on their icons. There's usually 2-3 per level, but each "galaxy" has an exclusive PlayStation-themed level. G(o)d of War: Ragnarok, Uncharted, and even Horizon are obvious choices. However, the Loco Roco and Ape Escape stage almost brought me to tears. This could have been a whole new Loco Roco game on its own. I was so stunned and shocked when there was a whole world dedicated to such a forgotten Sony IP. One of my favorite things about the cameos is that Team Asobi didn't outright tell you who they are. For obvious reasons, they cannot reveal the identities of third-party-owned names, but part of the fun lies in identifying the character based on the description they provide. There are 300 bots in the game, and at least a third of those are cameos. When I saw bots for Vib Ribbon, Intelligent Cube, Klonoa, Journey, Strider, and various other popular and more obscure characters, I was shocked and cheered with joy. However, what helps here is that the Astro Bot characters are charming, cute, and full of emotion and expression without any voice acting outside of grunts and shouts. The blue LED displays on their faces and their white bodies may appear generic and plain, but these two simple elements, along with some slapstick humor, effectively recreate the personalities of other video game characters. Astro Bot's storyline isn't particularly noteworthy. Astro Bot, like most Nintendo IPs, is primarily about the experience. A green bully alien has stolen the parts of your PS5 mothership, and it's up to you to defeat him. The Sony branding is on point with PlayStation logo gold coins, face button shapes littered everywhere, the Astro Bots riding on PlayStation consoles, and so many Easter eggs. By adopting Nintendo's strategy of not requiring a deep and involved story with voice acting, the game is unrestricted by a mythos or timeline. The story was adorable and fun, and the end credits stage was a blast to play. When it comes to playing Asto Bot it's an absolute treat and the game just feels so good to play. The momentum, physics, weight, gravity, and all of those things that make platformers like Mario as iconic as it is are fantastic and feel like no other platform out there. Your Bot will start out at a walking pace and slowly pick up speed. You get a spin attack, a punch attack, and your rocket boots can be used to as laser cutters to attack enemies as you jump over which is vital to master as some enemies can only be defeated this way. Bouncing around levels on various environmental objects such as jelly, inflated balloons, and other items just feel so good. Part of this is due to the DualSense's amazing sound based vibration function and the haptic triggers. No other game has used the controller this well. Playing this game reminds me of the E3 2006 demo of Sony stating that the PS3 graphics are so good you can tell textures apart. Well, here you can feel textures. It's insanely good and accurate. The jaggedness of a zipper pull, the sloppy jelly, various floor textures like grass, water, metal, cement, etc. It all has a unique feeling and the audio textures play through the controller speaker. The speaker is always going and it adds a sense of depth to the game I have never experienced before. Astro Bot places significant emphasis on texture in the game, with each world offering unique features. There are enemies that repeat, but they are usually dressed to match the theme of the world, and these enemies are well tuned and adjusted for the speed and momentum of the game just like a Mario title. When you spot a specific enemy and are able to gauge their speed and how you move around the world with them, you know that something magical is happening. This is crucial for the significantly more complex special stages, which demand incredibly precise platforming and present immense challenges. There are also a few speed run stages available. I can't express just how well tuned this formula is. Team Asobi has this nailed down and has literally made the next best 3D platformer since Super Mario Galaxy. I would never say that statement lightly. Bosses are unique, fun, and multi-staged, with their size filling up the entire screen. Various accessories, such as the bulldog horizontal boost, the chicken vertical boost, the dual-arm punching springs, the monkey tambarines, and even an elephant backpack that sucks up various fluids to create platforms, are available in certain stages. You use these during boss fights, timing their attacks, learning their patterns, and reacting accordingly. Mini-bosses are present in some of the bonus stages, and they are all thrilling to battle against, possessing a unique and intimidating presence. I will say that my only complaint about the game is the one-hit kills. This is a stark difference from an easier and more forgiving game like Super Mario Galaxy. Boss fights permit two hits, while the frequent checkpoints facilitate easier navigation. However, during the hardest challenge levels, there are no checkpoints. These levels can be extremely lengthy, and repeatedly restarting the same level can become frustrating. Only the most skilled players will have a slim chance of completing them. Sadly, once you've collected everything in the game, there's nothing else left to do. You can easily achieve a 100% completion rate and platinum status in less than a week, which is a positive development. I never wanted the game to end. I wanted more, and hopefully this is a series that will stay and continue to innovate. The finely tuned and perfected platforming, mixed with PlayStation branding, a new cute Bot character that can show a ton of emotion and expression with no voice acting, and the best use of the DualSense controller to date make for a fantastic package. This is a unique and rare type of game that comes only once every decade. Great platformers are extremely rare due to the precise nature of the genre's formula, which is difficult to get right. With Team Asobi's flawless execution and impressive artistic and technical visuals, this game is an obvious choice. If you love platformers, this game is for both kids and adults.