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. I’ve only spent an hour with it, so far, but I can already say there’s a good chance this will be my GotY. I was smiling like an idiot the entire time and loving every second of it and its charm. The dev that was interviewed even said specifically “I only make kids games” which is confirmed by the age rating of 7.
Let’s get the traditional Digital Foundry bullet point specs out of the way. Astro Bot uses dynamic resolution scaling and I noticed a 1440p to 2160p rendering window (though of course, this could change according to content). Thanks to its simple, clean design and effective anti-aliasing, the game’s image quality is really never an issue and it holds up well without any ghosting reconstruction or other image stability issues. It presents very cleanly, which is so important for legibility in a platform game – and Team Asobi got it right. The irony that Astro Bot is launching on the same day that Concord is being shut down will not be lost on anyone, even though that is essentially a coincidence. But in actuality Astro Bot isn’t a very good celebration of PlayStation’s history. [ https://777x.center/ ]It is, however, one of the best 3D platformers ever made and an absolute joy from beginning to end.
Instead of taking the normal exit, look to your right and you’ll see a platform with jewels raining down on top of it. Past that platform, you’ll see another covered in the same jewels. Jump to the far platform and use your spin move to push some of the gems away. You’ll see a wooden floor underneath, so use your cannonball backpack to slam it, which will launch you into the sky and up to a rumble wall. Lure it to the pillar to your right or left, which you’ll notice is an unelectrified platform. If done correctly, the lightning will strike the pillar, activating it.
There’s not much to say about Astro Bot’s plot; it serves as a simple introduction, giving the player a reason to rescue bots in need and search for console-ship components to continue the journey through the vast cosmos. What truly sets Astro Bot apart from the competition, however, is the gameplay. In 2024, Astro Bot not only comes to Sony’s rescue but also in a big way reminds us why we play video games at all.
You tend to start writing lines in your head when compiling a review, and one that stuck with me early was to call Astro Bot ‘the best platformer since Super Mario Odyssey’. Then I played a little more and started to think ‘maybe it’s better’. All I know is Astro Bot is a contender for the all-time crown in a genre that has felt a little neglected (especially by Sony, who once nurtured it to greatness) in recent years. It’s so much more than a PlayStation history lesson, and in climbing above those expectations, becomes a piece of PlayStation history in its own right – with Astro Bot, the PS5 may finally have arrived.
It’s a game that perfectly combines technology, design and creativity into a singular, ultra-polished whole without any filter whatsoever. This is about as perfectly executed as you can realistically expect these days and I urge you to play it. Those PlayStation-themed levels we mentioned are some of the highlights, too. After defeating each boss — each one a fun fight, by the way — you’ll meet an iconic Sony character, such as Kratos, and they’ll open a new stage based on not only their worlds, but their mechanics. Continuing with the God of War example, Astro will use the Leviathan Axe to attack enemies, and just like Santa Monica’s action games, it can be thrown and recalled, freezing enemies and helping progress through the stage.
It’s inspired by the playful design of ASTRO’s trusty Dual Speeder. Go behind the scenes in this five-part series with Team ASOBI to discover how their philosophy of “All About PLAY” created a super-sized space adventure game for everyone. Kenneth C. M. Young, having previously composed the music for Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom, returned to compose the soundtrack for Astro Bot. It is no surprise that a game like Astro Bot could be the big winner of the Game Awards.
I saved a hidden bot after spotting a group of enemies off to the side, suspiciously gathered around a defenseless monkey. What could have been a 30-second moment turned into a 20-minute one as I gleefully interacted with every detail I could, just as a kid might. Even before picking up any cool new toys, Astro has a laser-propelled hover ability that lets him destroy enemies while jumping over them, plus a standard punch and a chargeable spin move.
Astro Bot is filled with standard platformer tropes, but it pulls off a sense of wonder in their presentation. As you explore galaxies to find your fellow robots and unlock new parts of the game, you’ll find a lot of familiar elements, only to see them executed in quirky and delightful ways. Just about every platformer has an ability that lets you shoot across longer distances, but none of them let you do it by strapping a bulldog to your back. Selected by a combination of jury vote and public opinion, this is widely considered one of the most prestigious awards in the video game industry. The award was presented by last year’s winner, Swen Vincke, director of Baldur’s Gate 3, and accepted by the game’s director and Team Asobi studio head Nicolas Doucet.
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Dodge cranes, smash through crates, and even speed through a flying car wash on the way to rescue your stranded crew. The crew mourns Astro and sad credits begin to roll, but are interrupted by a broken Astro falling back onto the mothership. Several Bots from the crew find replacement parts and help the mothership’s repair systems rebuild their captain, who springs back to life. The crew celebrates with a revived Astro, who departs once more on his Dual Speeder before the credits start to roll again.
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Saving bots brings them to your base, but having more bots also lets you solve puzzles around the crash site. But what’s really interesting is that roughly 160 of the game’s 300 bots are themed on past PlayStation games, wearing adorable little costumes. At your base, you can also use coins in a vending machine to unlock items for these themed bots, giving them little motifs that you can interact with. Each world also has a series of bonus levels, challenges, and more, filling out a fairly brief adventure that can easily be pushed through over the course of a weekend.
In Spring-LoadedRun, you will strap on your twin frog boxing gloves and traverse a sunken city ruins. Punch rolling barrels, swing over daring gaps, and pummel your way to the top of the tower to rescue the special bots. Astro Bot is frankly superb in its execution, offering delightful worlds, abilities, and charm. Its presentation across its celebration of PlayStation’s history is twofold; one where it honors what came before and the other side of the coin in that it shows how much IP PlayStation has intentionally left behind.
And while you don’t need a long history with Sony systems to enjoy it, it is especially a delight for those with a piece of PlayStation in their heart as a treasure trove full of playable nostalgia awaits. Many of the PlayStation characters appear as short, charming cameos, but a handful play fully-fledged supporting roles. I won’t spoil who gets the star treatment here, aside from one – the previously revealed Kratos. His introduction sees you wield his ice-infused Leviathan axe and take on the role of the exiled Spartan himself in a thrilling change of pace, the frosty blade boomeranging around the level. It’s here where Astro Bot becomes truly magical, elegantly blending nostalgia with new ideas. Such moments essentially let you play these iconic games in miniature, lending Astro their powers and letting him loose in a level entirely built around familiar stories and settings, soundtracked by remixes of heroic themes.
After winning the GOTY award, many more players will join Astro Bot on his difficult and joyous platforming journey. I hope everyone reading this gets to play this comfort game and experience the heartwarming and serene adventure it offers. And Team ASOBI, please keep coming with more Astro Bot adventures. Having said that, what do you think about Astro Bot winning the Game of the Year 2024 award? [newline]You’ll pick up an awful lot of coins exploring all the planets in Astro Bot.