Astro Bot Review – A Nostalgic Gut Punch

I’m not particularly fond of PlayStation’s current landscape, chiefly regarding the platform’s first-party titles. Few of them are remotely compelling, at least personally, and the array of titles makes it feel like the brand is inherently different from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 days, to the point where it’s practically unrecognizable.

So, that’s why the announcement of Astro Bot caught me off guard. Following the outstanding PlayStation 5 pack-in entry and the VR title, I doubted the series would ever see a full-scale regular release. And following much eager anticipation, this 3D platformer has exceeded expectations, being a stellar yet melancholic journey.

Astro Bot’s Core Gameplay – Platforming Perfection

Astro Bot follows the titular protagonist aiming to recover the vital components of its PlayStation 5 ship after a particularly disastrous crash. That’s about it, but that justification is all that’s needed, really. The gameplay takes center stage here, and from minute one, the intuitive and smooth gameplay feel is gripping. Your default moveset is quite basic, consisting of a decently high jump, a limited-time hover that expels a damaging liquid beneath you, and swift physical strikes both on the ground and aerially.

However, you do also find several stage-specific upgrades, such as a chicken-powered rocket jump and an impactful dash with immense horizontal momentum. Thanks to these power-ups alongside the impressive stage variety, Astro Bot’s brief playtime is bolstered by constantly fresh challenges that never overstay their welcome, providing a level of sheer satisfaction that can only be matched by fellow platforming greats. You also have a charged spin that can activate switches and hit a range of foes. Impressively, there is a healthy degree of gyro controls with the DualSense controller, and it feels entirely natural and not at all frustrating. There is no over-exaggeration in describing Astro Bot’s design level as immaculate. The two crucial ingredients of illustrious gameplay feel and rewarding stage design are present in spades.

Collectibles and Secrets Galore

Mostly, every stage throughout Astro Bot has three sets of collectibles: currency, bots, and puzzle pieces. The currency is simple enough as it’s scattered everywhere. On the other hand, the other two avenues require intricately examining every nook and cranny of each level. Surprisingly, a handful of these bots and puzzle pieces are genuinely difficult to find despite the chief linearity of the stages, so there’s active fulfillment when finding them instead of the illusion of discovery.

The game is packed with nostalgic references to beloved PlayStation IPs, adding an emotional depth to the adventure.

Adding to this excitement is the fact that some bots are based on specific characters from first-party and third-party IPs, even from PlayStation’s older years. I can’t emphasize the delight I felt when I saw the protagonist of Rogue Galaxy present.

Nostalgia and Melancholy – A Tribute to PlayStation’s Forgotten Past

However, I must admit that Astro Bot has this peculiar, somber tone permeating its entire playtime, which is certainly unintentional. This is not a knock on the game itself. Still, Astro Bot feels like it’s from the times of PlayStation’s now-abandoned past, and the ceaseless acknowledgments of their IPs here that they’ve neglected for years upon years leave a bitter taste, to put it mildly: Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, Wild Arms, and more. In all honesty, playing Astro Bot makes me feel like I’ve unconsciously traveled to a completely separate reality where these IPs have actually been treated with respect in the modern era, especially when the representative bots are standing next to contemporary giants like Horizon and God of War.

Regardless, the bots do have a practical, collective purpose besides being endearing collectibles. In the hub area where the rescued bots all hang out, you can use them to unlock other areas and secrets, like even more bots, ultimately instilling an addictive gameplay loop.

Visuals and Enemy Design

The puzzle pieces also strengthen this design philosophy by unlocking new facilities in the hub. The most significant is the gacha machine, which grants countless supplemental boons to the bots that depict references from their point of origin, like a weapon or tongue-in-cheek item set. The bots themselves even have dedicated animations revolving around these pick-ups, illustrating this title’s already abundant charm.

It should also be noted that a handful of the stages have another collectible, secret exits. In a move reminiscent of Super Mario World’s Star World, these alternative exits lead you to an entirely new section of the world map that houses full-on stages of their own. And these levels, too, have collectible bots and puzzle pieces, feeding into the pristine gameplay loop.

Astro Bot’s intuitive and smooth gameplay feel grips you from minute one, offering a satisfying platforming experience.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the world map itself even has a handful of integral secrets. To clarify, the levels are divided into galaxies, and those galaxies are freely traversable on an overhead map. Interestingly, riding around these locales and interacting with the stars or breaking asteroids can provide puzzle pieces and mini-platform challenges where you save a captured bot. Put bluntly, every seam of Astro Bot is packed to the brim with thrilling content that makes it worthwhile to peruse every corner. When throwing the catchy soundtrack and surprisingly emotional ending into account, too, you have one undeniably memorable adventure through and through.

Yet, my sole issue with Astro Bot is its enemy and boss designs. While the foes are all mechanically engaging, their visuals come across as generic and uninspired, with the antagonist having one of the worst designs I’ve ever seen in a platformer. This jarring displacement creates a strange contrast with the bots, which admittedly don’t have a cohesive appeal other than references. Still, they’re far more pleasing to the eye than just about every enemy you face.

Final Thoughts – A Must-Play Platforming Adventure

After playing through Astro Bot, its gargantuan critical and fan acclaim make complete sense. The masterful stage design, rewarding collectibles, and well-hidden secrets craft a must-play platforming adventure bursting at the seams with nostalgic wonder. Despite the bitterness I feel with select PlayStation IPs being acknowledged just here instead of getting actual new releases, Astro Bot itself is an indescribably enjoyable experience to which you should dedicate a weekend.