Astro Bot – PS5

For several generations, PlayStation has built its brand around gritty anti-heroes, intricate worlds in turmoil, and a trope known as “sad dad”. While I enjoy many of those games and think the praise they receive is well-deserved, Astro Bot highlights a different side of the PlayStation’s identity. Not only does it revive an important part of the brand, but it also shifts the spotlight onto a character who’s been in the background, previously overshadowed by titans like Kratos, Aloy, and Joel. Team Asobi’s Astro Bot joyfully and confidently places its hero among the all-time greats, with a platformer that matches incredible ambition with flawless execution.

After being stranded in space by a googly-eyed alien, Astro embarks on a mission to repair their ship and rescue 300 scattered friends across five planet clusters. Each cluster contains a variety of unique levels. Even though the story takes somewhat of a backseat, Astro Bot is the most immersive game of 2024, and does so without a single line of dialogue. Each level organically tells you where to go next and what to do, all through its engaging and intuitive design.

Levels range from short and sweet to vast & intricate, but with frequent checkpoints you can explore without fear of losing large amounts of progress. Each stage is bursting with personality and whimsy. Robot animals populate the area and everything feels alive, from trees to oceans far below the floating platforms. The visual themes in each level are meticulously crafted, bringing them to life with inspired aesthetic choices and clever design. For example, in a Japan-themed level, Astro absorbs water to become a squishy kaiju, trampling enemies, knocking down bamboo walls, and enjoying hot springs as traditional music plays in the background.

In another level, Astro shrinks to the size of a mouse, opening up new areas that regular-sized Astro couldn’t access. Many levels reference other games, sometimes evoking several at once. A desert stage starts with a nod to Prince of Persia before morphing into a tribute to Journey. Some even drastically change the art style, like a series of voxel-art levels that were a pleasant surprise each time they appeared.

The game’s most impressive trait is its willingness to present dazzling visuals and then move on without hesitation. Some of the most stunning levels, like a casino stage filled with vibrant lights, or a spooky haunted graveyard, only appear once, but Astro Bot constantly impresses with new ideas. It cycles through unique aesthetics and mechanics with a confidence that suggests it has even more up its sleeve.

Team Asobi knows how players think, placing secrets and rewards exactly where curiosity might lead you. Whenever you wander off track, you’ll always found something valuable, whether it;s coins, hidden caves, or puzzle pieces that unlock new shops in the hub world.

Complementing the stellar level design are the diverse and exciting mechanics. Almost every level introduces a new ability for Astro. In one, you’ll wear spring-loaded boxing gloves. In another, you’ll use a rocket-boosting robo-dog to smash walls. There’s even a time-freezing tool for navigating fast-moving sections. These abilities, often introduced and retired within a single level, are always engaging and thoughtfully implemented. While some mechanics are more fun than others, they’re all intuitive, and many return in fresh contexts throughout the adventure.

Even when Astro isn’t equipped with a new ability, the game continues to innovate. A mid-game level introduces a day-and-night-switching mechanic that allows Astro to solve puzzles by flipping the world on its side. This mechanic, like many others, only appears once, but it leaves a lasting impression.

Each galaxy contains hidden secrets, including bonus levels and collectible bots dressed as iconic PlayStation characters. With 300 bots to find, including references to characters from Tomb Raider, Persona, and Journey, hunting down these secrets is a constant joy. Returning bots to the hub world adds a charming layer to the game’s homage to PlayStation history.

Astro Bot’s hidden secrets and collectibles are made even more enjoyable by the inclusion of a robot bird companion, who helps you locate missing bots, secret exits and puzzle pieces during replayed levels. This makes achieving 100% completion a rewarding, rather than tedious, experience.

There’s a sense of wonder in every corner of Astro Bot, from the way it pays tribute to PlayStation’s past to how it constantly reinvents itself. With brilliant level design, inventive mechanics, and a playful attitude, the game feels like a celebration of creativity. Even its use of the DualSense controller, though sometimes gimmicky, enhances the immersion in ways that feel fresh and fun.

Astro Bot has endless charm and is a grand reintroduction for its titular hero, marking the beginning of a series destined for greatness.