Astro Bot is an upcoming 2024 platform video game developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 console. It is the third installment of the Astro Bot series, and the successor to 2020's Astro's Playroom.
Astro Bot follows the title character as he explores different planets to rescue his crew, which has been scattered after an encounter with his nemesis. Gameplay focuses on various platforming challenges around Astro's capabilities, with Astro Bot introducing new abilities to expand the player's traversal and combat options. As with the previous installment, Astro Bot features various motifs and references to other PlayStation franchises such as God of War, Horizon and Uncharted, with other robots inspired by these games playing an active role in the game.
Development began following the release of the PlayStation 5 and the launch of Astro's Playroom. Team Asobi aimed to make Astro Bot a "PlayStation fiesta", that both celebrates the brand's history and solidifies Astro Bot as his own character. During development the team initially considered an open world approach before deciding on a level-based structure to better control the game's variety. Astro Bot was officially announced in May 2024, and is slated to release the same year, with its launch nearly coinciding with the original PlayStation's 30th anniversary.
Following its announcement, Astro Bot was highly anticipated. It was met with critical acclaim, receiving praise for its presentation, gameplay, level design, controls, utilization of the DualSense controller, celebration of PlayStation's game library and entertainment value.
Gameplay[]
Pre-release footage of Astro Bot, depicting the title character reaching a platform in which a Ratchet & Clank-themed Bot is awaiting rescue. Astro Bot features 150 different robots based on PlayStation properties, which form a large portion of the gameplay as Astro Bot is tasked with rescuing them.
Astro Bot is a platform video game played from a third-person camera. Players take control of the eponymous character and navigate him through various challenges and hostile situations. The game includes six worlds (referred to as "galaxies") that contain over 80 individual levels, with a boss encounter at the end of each galaxy; each galaxy includes its own unique theme, such as forests, deserts and volcanic regions, as well as more unconventional themes. Levels are populated by both allies and enemies, with Astro Bot featuring over 70 different enemy types, as well as bosses originating in 2018's Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Allied characters are based on PlayStation franchises such as God of War, Uncharted, Horizon, Ratchet & Clank, PaRappa the Rapper and Ape Escape, as well as individual titles such as Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and Journey.
The game makes extensive usage of the DualSense controller's various features such as the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Astro Bot is equipped with over 15 different abilities that utilize the DualSense. These abilities include the Barkster, which allows Astro Bot to air-dash and push through enemies and objects; the Twin-Frog Gloves, which grant Astro long-ranged melee attacks and the ability to swing; and the Giant Sponge, which lets Astro Bot absorb liquids to increase his size and weight. Astro Bot features improved controls over Astro's Playroom.
Astro Bot is designed to be accessible, though the game includes "die-and-retry" levels for players desiring additional challenge.
Cameos[]
The game is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Japanese release of the PlaysTation. For the occasion, Asobi Team disguised more than 150 bots as cameo characters from the PlayStation history.
Premise[]
When the PS5® mothership is attacked by ASTRO’s long-standing galactic nemesis, scrambling its wires and scattering the crew throughout space, only ASTRO can make things right! Setting off on his biggest mission yet, he needs your help to rescue the stranded crew and rebuild the mothership.[1]
Development[]
Astro Bot is developed by Japanese game development studio Team Asobi and published by parent company Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 home console. Nicolas Doucet, studio head of Team Asobi and Astro Bot creator, reprises his role as game director. Masayuki Yamada, who previously worked on most Team Asobi titles, is the lead gameplay programmer. Hironori Yatoku is the game's lead game designer, having previously worked on Astro's Playroom. Junko Sano is the audio director, having previously worked on multiple titles at SIE.
Development began following the release of 2020's Astro's Playroom. According to Doucet, the team chose to title the game simply as Astro Bot because they saw it as a "new beginning" for the franchise and the character.[2]
Music[]
Astro Bot's soundtrack is composed by Kenneth C. M. Young, who previous worked with Team Asobi on Astro's Playroom.[3]
Release[]
Astro Bot was officially announced in May 2024, as part of Sony's State of Play presentation. Pre-orders became available on June 7, 2024. The game is slated to released on September 6, 2024.[4] Previews for the game were released on June 12, 2024.[5]
Post-release, Team Asobi plans to support Astro Bot with downloadable content, which will include challenge levels and other content, and will be free of charge.[6]
Editions[]
Astro Bot's launch editions include a standard edition available for both physical and digital purchase, a "deluxe digital edition". Players who pre-ordered any of the editions gain early in-game unlocks of the "Lovestruck Lyricist" outfit, based on PaRappa the Rapper; the "Glorious Graffiti" paint for Astro's Dual Speeder; and two avatars for PlayStation Network (PSN), featuring the standard Astro and the "Lovestruck Lyricist" variation. Purchasers of the physical edition receive an additional pre-order bonus in the form of an Astro Bot-themed poster that doubles as a comic strip.
The digital deluxe edition includes additional early unlocks:
- Two more outfits for Astro in addition to "Lovestruck Lyricist", including a golden variation and the "Yharnam Hunter" outfit, based on Bloodborne
- Two more Dual Speeder paints, the "Neon Dream" and "Champion's Gold"
- The game's official soundtrack
- Digital art gallery
- Ten more PSN avatars, including ones based on God of War, Uncharted, Horizon, Ratchet & Clank, Returnal, Gran Turismo, Journey and Bloodborne
Reception[]
Pre-release[]
In an early preview for the game, GamesRadar's Ali Jones called Astro Bot "nothing short of a delight", deemed it his highlight of Summer Game Fest 2024. He praised its "rich, cartoonish" game worlds, and called them "joyfully immersive"; he further drew favorable comparisons with 2023's Super Mario Bros. Wonder.[7] IGN's Rebekah Valentine praised the controls and the game's early implementation of PlayStation franchises, noting that Astro Bot was "a bit more focused on being an excellent platformer rather than reveling in PlayStation history".[8]
Reviews[]
- Metacritic: 94/100[9]
Astro Bot received critical acclaim. It holds a score of 94/100 on review aggregator site Metacritic, based on 100 reviews and classified as "universal acclaim" by the website.[9]
Future[]
In an interview with VGC, Doucet talked about the possibility of a future Astro Bot game, and entertained the idea of an Astro Bot game that won't include PlayStation motifs like Playroom or the 2024 title, describing the franchise as a "very flexible IP".[10]
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Trailers[]
Behind the Scenes videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Astro Bot PlayStation Store page.
- ↑ https://ew.com/astro-bot-2024-game-playstation-cameos-exclusive-8655347
- ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/05/astros-playroom-composer-kenny-young-returns-for-more-catchy-tunes-in-astro-bot
- ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/05/30/astro-bot-arrives-on-ps5-september-6/
- ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/06/12/astro-bot-hands-on-report/
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/astro-bot-will-get-free-post-launch-dlc
- ↑ https://www.gamesradar.com/games/platformer/astro-bots-joyful-experimentation-turns-it-into-playstations-answer-to-super-mario-wonder/
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/astro-bot-first-hands-on-preview-worlds-of-fun
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://www.metacritic.com/game/astro-bot/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5
- ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/team-asobi-doesnt-think-it-would-be-a-problem-if-a-future-astro-game-wasnt-about-playstation/