Not a lot of games to compete with in that field, but I’m sure it’s great. @MrMeeeseeeks Many of them are from the defunct Japan Studio that was shut down by Sony in 2021. Those devs are also real gamers with passion and vision who made tons of classic and unique games back then.
Astro Bot (ps
Team Asobi has shipped the kind of polished product you expect from the best developers – refined to a fine sheen, excellent performance and clever solutions for every possible rough edge. Loading between levels never robs you of control and is super fast. It feels finely tuned from top to bottom and I think that’s something to commend.
When something that’s meant to united the industry happens, like the Game Awards, some people are so dedicated to the games they love, their immediate reaction to the wider world not sharing the same opinion is to lash out. Or, on the other side, celebrate wildly with validation when the game they like is recognized. So thoughtful and it pays such an awesome homage to PlayStation consoles and games over the years.
You can soak up water then spray it on flaming objects to put them out, similar to Kirby and the Forgotten Land. However, in giant sponge form, Astro Bot can smash through obstacles in a glorious display of destruction. You’ll see this throughout the game and smashing up the world is always a joy. Let’s get the traditional Digital Foundry bullet point specs out of the way. Astro Bot uses dynamic resolution scaling and I noticed a 1440p to 2160p rendering window (though of course, this could change according to content).
This is one of the only PS5 games that really feels like it was built around the DualSense, and it shows. At one time, this was a fundamental video game experience; a 3D platformer was just about the coolest game you could have. These were tightly designed adventures that understood the ways that digital play could activate creativity, even through a silly little cartoon with nothing to say.
There are only a handful of baddies to bash aside from the bosses, and while they get a little tougher with tweaks to their attacks, this is the one area where it risks growing stale. Still, Team Asobi may argue its smaller complement of baddies that grow in complexity are what keep it consistent. It’s a play straight out of Mario’s book, and in the platforming world, the plumber is still the king even as a new pretender climbs higher to the summit. Players will be able to find a Puzzle Piece floating around in space in the Tentacle System, Serpent Starway, Camo Cosmos, and Feather Cluster galaxies. Crash Site serves as a kind of hub world, in which players can find 35 Bots and 11 Puzzle Pieces. Like many of PlayStation’s limited edition DualSense controllers, the Astro Bot DualSense is based on one of its many franchises, specifically 2024’s Game of the Year, Astro Bot.
Astro Bot – Behind The Scenes Series Playlistopens An External Website
On top of that are numerous shorter challenges — tougher platforming or combat trials to test your skills — and a selection of secret stages to discover. It’s a generous package, and what’s most impressive is the sheer variety it offers. Some distinctive PlayStation-themed bots — think one wearing Aloy’s red hair or Kratos’ beard — serve a more special purpose.
Five new levels are already planned to be added to Astro But starting on July 10th, further expanding the number of courses and bots in the game. These include Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, and high Inflation. The fifth level remains a mystery, but Team Asobi did tease a new bot for Ghost of Yotei. It even teased a new feature upon completing these new Vicious Void levels. One power-up — which I won’t describe beyond saying it’s really cute since figuring it out is a big part of the fun here — truly captures the essence of Astro Bot.
It’s fine as a resource, but I don’t think it makes “all the sense in the world” to have it ready on day one. We never used to have guides like these from day one, and had lots of fun figuring things out. So I disagree – these kind of guides on day one should be discouraged and not commended. Not just one of the best games this year, but one of the best playstation titles. Amazing family game as well that shows off all of the PS5 abilities.
Yet, the whimsical playfulness and cute charm was still there dancing perfectly in tune with another game without stepping on any toes. A PlayStation fiesta of characters and hodgepodge of borrowed game mechanics blend seamlessly. While it may sound as if the game just copies the homework of all the games that came before it, that is simply not the case.
Astro Bot won multiple awards including Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2024, the 21st British Academy Games Awards, and the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Astro Bot is a joyful platforming experience that soars thanks to inventive level design and countless loving nods to PlayStation’s rich history. It also takes full advantage of the PS5 and its use of the DualSense controller remains novel. If you’d like to take a peek at the secret character bots specifically, we’ve arranged a gallery of all the Astro Bot hidden cameo bots. For more on Astro Bot, don’t miss our guide on how to unlock the secret photo mode and read our review for this strong Game of the Year contender. That’s not to say its win has no element of surprise to it at all.
While the protagonist may seem plain in design compared to a mustached plumber or chilidog eating hedgehog, Astro is memorable in his own rights. I have said a lot of words, but none truly capture the emotions of curiosity and bliss felt while playing. Gameplay Programmer, Akira Ishii speaks on this better than I ever could. https://vz88.org/ explains, “This ASTRO BOT is a love letter to our game fans…We created this game with love, and we hope the love letter reaches everyone”.
Beyond that, the DualSense controller gets a significant work-out. I think many would agree that the haptics featured in Astro’s Playroom are still among the best on the system – after all, it was made to show off the controller in the first place. The sheer variation in terms of haptics feeding through the DualSense reminded me that, yes, this controller has some great features – it’s just that nobody is really using it.