It presents a picture of the past where PlayStation spoke to a more vibrant audience across different ages and tastes. Astro Bot confidently shows us that we don’t need to abandon that thinking just because tech has changed and the industry has grown. There’s still room for an expertly designed collect-a-thon platformer that’s filled with love and wonder.
From its tight design to its incredible visuals to mechanics that feel carefully tested to generate as much pleasure as possible, Sony has its new standard bearer for platformers. Astro Bot received universal acclaim from both critics and players. Game8 rated it 96/100, calling it the best platformer of the year, praising its stunning visuals, great design, and fun, simple controls.
Players can even suck up concrete in a later level to hop around and there might be more that won’t be dived into. The point is, the Elephant is a versatile power-up that looks good on Astro Bot’s back too. Astro Bot has to be one of the most unique platformers in years and that’s saying something since 2023 was all about Super Mario Bros. What makes levels unique can partly be thanked to the power-ups which come in a variety of styles. For example, in boss battles, players can get hearts that act like extra lives.
At the top, you’ll see a train of enemies and another hourglass. Kill the enemy train and pop the hourglass open to get the second puzzle piece. The first puzzle piece in “Trapped In Time” appears before you even land in the hourglass. As you’re flying in on your DualSense ship, you’ll pass some coin containers and then a large sand dune on your left. [newline]On this sand dune, you’ll see a golden snake with a familiar glow emerge as you get close. Hit the snake with your ship and it’ll release the puzzle piece ahead of you. The final bot is near the exit, so proceed forward until you boost into the upper part of the level.
What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Rez – Rhythmic Hacker
Astro Bot contains 430 Collectible Locations (300 Bots, 120 Puzzle Pieces, 10 Lost Galaxy Secret Levels). This walkthrough shows all collectibles in each level for 100% game completion and all trophies. Astro Bot has proved incredibly popular for PlayStation, having sold 1.5 million units in its first two months on sale and earned a 9/10 in IGN’s review. “A fantastically inventive platformer in its own right, Astro Bot is particularly special for anyone with a place in their heart for PlayStation,” we said. “Unlike our last update Winter Wonder, which was a walk through the Xmas park, this new update features harder levels to test your jumping skills,” said director of developer Team Asobi, Nicolas Doucet. Detailed in a PlayStation Blog post, Tick-Tock Shock is the first level available now.
Polygon Man – Marketing Mascot (later: Playstation All-stars Battle Royale)
If you’re in the UK then Boxing Day this Friday should be good. Amazing game, would have been great to have had another Christmas level for this year. However, I have a digital console so not sure how that’ll work. @Oram77 agree, definitely prefer this kind of level over the speed run levels lol that last level almost broke me.
Who Is Playstation’s Best Platforming Mascot?
It was as if the developers asked themselves what typical elements were expected of a platformer, then found a way to organically incorporate them into the game. Sometimes, it’s with fantastic power-ups like the Time Stopper, which beautifully slows down time to let Astro Bot jump on platforms and evade obstacles. Other times, the layout of getting from Points A to B involved a vast spectacle for players to witness and interact with. There are 5 main Nebulas, each with 6-7 main levels, and a few side levels which are unlocked by flying into objects with the spaceship inside the Nebulas. When you hover over a level it shows how many collectibles it has and how many you still need.
There are 91 stages in Astro Bot, making this one of Team Asobi’s biggest and most ambitious games to date. Between them, they boast well over 460 collectibles, including 120 Puzzle Pieces, 10 Lost Galaxy Warps, and 332 stranded Bots that are just waiting to be rescued. “For Astro’s Playroom, there have mainly been two types of audiences,” says Doucet. They’re mostly the type who crave more colorful games and want to go back to 3D platformers. These players are also happy to see how we treat the PlayStation heritage.
It’s inspired by the playful design of ASTRO’s trusty Dual Speeder. Scattered across its intergalactic world are literally hundreds of hidden bots for Astro to find. A good chunk of these are PlayStation/gaming-themed, making them more than just a simple collectible to discover. While 3D platformers are not necessarily considered the most technically demanding genre, Astro Bot takes those sorts of preconceived notions and jettisons them into the vastness of space. Use the balloon to float up, activate the mechanism, and destroy the bamboo blocking a secret area. Once cleared, head to the silver platform and double-jump in the edges and use the laser created to light it.
While more of an extension of its previous titles than something all-new, it sounds like Team Asobi has cooked another stellar game. With over 80 stages and more than 15 power ups, players that wanted more of Astro’s Playroom will unlikely be dissatisfied. It will also be interesting to see what kind of new experiences Team Asobi can deliver with its deep knowledge of the DualSense controller. By paying respect to PlayStation’s heritage in new interactive ways, Astro Bot also seems like the perfect game to mark PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. Sony proves with Astro Bot that the company can still put out charming action platformers, but the love letter to PlayStation fans fails to include features that made previous games of the genre so fun to replay. Even within a level, an ability is used in several different and creative ways, but always stemming from its singular mechanic featured in that level.
If Astro Bot has failed to save enough Bots for a group action, Asobi will have a saddened expression when approached and will be unable to call over Bots. Punching a Bot Wall or Bot Tower knocks Bots out of the structure, causing it to collapse after a few seconds in the case of the wall and causing the stage element to fall slightly in the case of the tower. Additionally, gg88 can be called over without Asobi’s aid to follow Astro and imitate dances that he does. The lowest amount of Bots for a group action is three, and the highest amount is 300.
As fun as the gameplay and nostalgic references are, what really makes Astro Bot’s gameplay so great is the accompanying music. Kenneth C.M. Young returns as the composer and brings the same energy he brought to Astro’s Playroom. From the moment that the first level begins, players will hear that this music has electric energy to it.
Players take on the role of the lovable Astro Bot, embarking on a space-faring adventure through diverse environments, including waves of sandy beaches, lush jungles, and fiery volcanoes. Along the way, Astro gains new powers and transformations to aid in the journey. Released in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, the game pays homage to the brand’s legacy by allowing players to find and reunite with over 150 iconic PlayStation characters.
Team ASOBI is a collective of passionate game creators from various nationalities, ages, genders and backgrounds. They are brought together by our love of “Play” in all its forms. Five new levels with ten new Special Bots for you to rescue began rolling out October 17. Every review comes from a verified owner of this game or item and is evaluated by a team of moderators. In Rising Heat, you will traverse a bubbling hot lava-filled tower.