Astro Bot is one of the most anticipated games for PlayStation fans. Astro's Playroom, a game that came with the PS5, is known as one of the best games on the console. Astro Playroom was initially considered a glorified tech demo for the PS5, and the Dual Sense controller became much more than that as you played the game. Team Asboi made gamers fall in love with platformers again on a PlayStation console. How they used the Dual Sense to immerse you in the gaming experience made the game feel alive. Astro Bot was initially announced in May 2024 and instantly became my most anticipated game of the year. I had so many fond memories of playing Astro's Playroom with my daughter, and she was elated when I showed her the trailer for Astro Bot.
When PlayStation Canada sent the code for review of Astro Bot, the plans for the weekend changed to family game night. Astro Bot is a PlayStation All-Stars platformer, you could say. It has over 80 levels and 6 galaxies to explore. Your favourite PlayStation Characters, like Kratos, are in the game.
The game's story is simple but fun, and your goal is to retrieve the parts of your PS5-themed ship to save the galaxy. The story is truly about taking a journey through the PlayStation universe and having fun along the way. As you explore more galaxies, you unlock more levels, bots, and adventures. You can get lost in Astro Bot's world and not realize you have been playing for hours. I say it will take you anywhere from 9-11 hours to mainline the story of Astro Bot.
The graphics on Astro Bot are some of the best I have seen on the PS5. They don't miss, and everything looks so good. The draw distance between the game and the enemy's design is so well done, from bright colours to gloomy designs that bring the role to life in Astro Bot. So many levels look so different from one another but feel alive. The sound in the game must be nominated at the Game Awards as it is done well. You hear it from your speakers and Dual Sense, which adds much more to the game. Walking through levels, you can almost feel what Astro is doing through the sound. One level has rain and the ability to stop time; when you do so, it slows down. You can noticeably hear the difference between the raindrops.
With over 70 enemies in the game and bosses, there is always someone to defeat and learn to outsmart to vanquish. With it being a platformer, you need to learn patience, and I would suggest finishing each level and then going back to replay to collect Bots and Puzzle pieces.
I would love to tell you what bots and surprises are in the game after boss fights, but I don't want to spoil it for you. The number of times I said, "This is amazing" while playing it was endless. There are many callbacks to PlayStation classic games; you will also spot them in the levels.
The boss fights, and mini-boss fights posed a challenge, but my 8-year-old was able to figure out the patterns and defeat them. At each level, you get to use one of the 15 unique abilities in the game. None are the same as Astros Playroom; all add to the game's enjoyment. I don't want to give all of them away, but I will mention the ones already shown in the trailers, like the Monkey Paws, Bull Dog Blaster, and Sponge Astro.
The abilities add many dimensions and problem-solving to each level. The level design is some of the best I have seen in a platformer since Super Mario Odyssey. Not only do you need to defeat enemies in each level, but you will also need to find bots and puzzle pieces, and you will need to solve various puzzles to do so. After you finish a level, though, you can replay it and spend 200 coins to have a bird show you where everything is.
You will be able to mingle with your rescued bot at the crash site and be able to unlock outfits, items, and animals there as well. I would show you, but I feel it would let you know all the characters you can unlock in the game, and I don't want to ruin the surprise.
Astro Bot is one of the best games on the PS5 and could rival some of the best platformers ever. Sharing this game with my daughter and watching the enjoyment from her eyes was a sight. She played the game in wonder and got a sense of accomplishment when she passed what she perceived to be a difficult level. I wonder if she will look back on this game like I did with Super Mario Bros 3 when I was her age.
Astro Bot should be a day-one purchase for anyone who owns a PS5, and I can promise you that you will love the challenge, the world-building, and the walk down memory lane. It made me feel like a kid again, and PlayStation has hit a home run here. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins Game of the Year at the Game Awards this year. I have never done this before, but Astro is a 10 out of 10 and the best game I have played in recent memory. It will go down as one of my all-time favourite games.
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