Astro Bot will, without a shadow of a doubt, become the Holy Grail for Sony game fans. It serves as both a celebration and an advertisement of the fun that Sony Interactive Entertainment offers. The number of references to games released over the years is overwhelming.

The controller features a white and blue trim that perfectly matches the Dual Speeder in-game, as well as a smiling set of eyes on the touchpad. rr99 seemed to have an answer to Nintendo’s Mario or Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Crash Bandicoot was an iconic character that was exclusive to the PlayStation at the time, but he belonged to a third-party studio. And while Toro from the Doko Demo Issho series reached mascot-like status in Japan, the cute feline character was hardly known outside of PlayStation’s home country.

Astro Bot took what players loved about those tech demos and expanded upon them immensely into a fantastic platforming experience. In this game, players once again have to save Astro’s crew across multiple galaxies. Along with that, they also have to repair their PS5 mothership and experience the history of PlayStation through collectibles, unique levels, fun little robots, and so much more. And now that it has gone on to become one of the best-selling PS5 games, there are likely plenty more adventures on the way. Astro Bot is rolling back the years, not only shining a light on 30 years of PlayStation history through a ton of cameos and level design tributes, but by putting platformers back at gaming’s pinnacle.

As a matter of fact, I sold Elden Ring (which was a horrible experience for me – but I’m glad some people are enjoying it) to buy this little gem. Buying at Full Price for £55 to support more of these kind of games. The fact that it is rated so high for the limited type of game that it is, just tells me that the review scores are unreliable and steers me away from it because it is scored so high. For reference, Baldurs Gate 3 was also given a 10 by Push Square, and there is literally no way this game is of the same calibre of a game that is the best RPG in living memory. If you didn’t buy the game (which I’m guessing is the case) they don’t owe you anything.

Why Ps5’s ‘astro Bot’ Is As Good As You’ve Heard

I hate the level design, totally unbalenced when compared to the rest of the game. Essentially, here, key mechanics from the most recent God of War are put to use – specifically the axe where you can throw, freeze and retrieve the axe. This puts a completely different spin on platforming and combat. But they go even further to the point of referencing those narrow passages you often see in big AAA cinematic titles where the camera pulls in and your character slowly makes their way through it. The game is constantly toying with expectations, introducing ideas and concepts you might never have expected – it’s overflowing with fun. On top of all this, Astro Bot is basically a tribute to PlayStation’s history and, in fact, in some ways, the medium as a whole.

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.

Astro Bot Review Summary

The level sees Astro jumping and dashing through a live construction site atop a bunch of cranes and skyscrapers. Then suddenly the camera rotates and stills, transforming the level into a 2D side-scroller with Mighty Chewy chasing Astro with an open hand, ready to crush. I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between this and the original Donkey Kong arcade game. This comparison is further drawn when you actually clash with the behemoth who starts throwing items in the player’s path, to prevent Astro from reaching him. It’s in this moment that if you realized where the inspiration for this fight came from, you will find yourself breathtakingly admiring just how far video games have come.

What results is a 3D platformer very similar to Rescue Mission (which hardly anyone played because it’s VR-only) and Astro’s Playroom (which everyone owns because it’s free with the console). Although the biggest influence here is Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey. Despite that, Astro Bot is not a typical Sony first party title. There’s practically no story, no real open world elements, and it’s aimed very much at a family audience – even if it has elements that will be of special interest to veteran PlayStation fans.

Because of that success, there are likely plenty more Astro Bot titles in Team Asobi’s future. PlayStation 5 launched four years ago, shipped with a pack-in game known as Astro’s Playroom – a brilliant platform game full of heart and creativity that captured the imagination of new PS5 owners. Many of us dreamt of a full-blown sequel that could expand these ideas into a larger adventure and that dream has finally been fulfilled with Astro Bot. Let me say this up front – Astro Bot is so good, it single handedly reminded me why I enjoy video games in the first place.

Team Asobi releases a new update for Astro Bot, adding the final level and cameo from the previously announced Vicious Void Galaxy DLC. The game’s popularity has continued well into this year, after becoming one of the surprise hits of 2024. Not only has Astro Bot claimed a bunch of industry awards and game of the year titles, but it continues to keep players coming back with new DLC levels as well. “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.

That’s why many studios try to compensate by pouring money into those other areas. These games are a celebration of gaming – specifically PlayStation gaming. @Darude84 I would say, regardless of age, if you have any interest in 3D platformers at all, I can’t recommend this highly enough. As usual, happy to answer any questions about the game and the review Thank you for reading. If you want to collect these yourself in your own game, check out our guide to all bot locations, or the 100% walkthrough.

You can be sure that a game awarded this score has the highest quality presentation and expertly honed gameplay, but also breaks boundaries and pushes the industry forward in a meaningful manner. Maybe because im my late 50s is the reason this doesn’t grab me at all. I don’t have any children to let play it, and I’m pretty sure my wife would be none too happy if spending £60-£70 for gameplay that lasts less than most days I work and then would say why am I playing a kids game. Pre-ordered as I have no idea when or what the next Sony game is I’ll get. Will be playing this next week after getting through the Blops 6 beta this weekend.