According to the game’s reveal trailer and details shared on the official PlayStation Blog, Astro Bot will feature over 80 levels spread across six galaxies players will explore. That makes Astro Bot a significantly bigger adventure than Astro’s Playroom and PSVR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission. We’re eager to see how Team Asobi expands the gameplay this time around. I don’t know if I’ve ever played a platformer before where I enjoyed literally every single boss fight and level, but I can confidently say that about Astro Bot. The stages constantly surprise and delight as they take full advantage of the PS5’s hardware.

Collectibles

But where the real brilliance of Astro Bot becomes apparent is in the worlds themselves, which constantly add unique features, gimmicks, and mechanics, but integrally those all build off those core foundations of gameplay. In one, you hit switches that change the level between night and day, changing the entire layout at the same time. In another, you shrink into a tiny mouse, seeing things from a whole new perspective and opening up wild new solutions to puzzles.

For Nintendo, however, platformers and mascot characters continue to be an essential part of its business and identity. While fans feared that Nintendo could no longer compete during the GameCube era and later the Wii U era, the house of Mario’s inventive spirit allowed it to make multiple comebacks. The combination of beloved characters and playful technology set it apart. The game also crashed on me twice, both times erasing more progress than I’d have expected since I assumed it auto-saves after each level, but I’d lost about three or four levels of progress in both instances. However, I admit these crashes came at the end of my long 11-hour session with the game on my first day with it, so maybe it was an issue Team Asobi will address. Still, the hard crash backpedaling on my saved data was strange and somewhat soured what was a marathon of smiles for about 10 hours of that day.

This highly anticipated release takes players on an interstellar adventure in search of Astro’s lost spaceship crew, who have been scattered across the galaxies after the PS5 mothership is attacked. Astro Bot pays tribute to three decades of play with crew members inspired by iconic games from past and present, helping to kick off celebrations for a significant milestone – the 30th anniversary of PlayStation. Astro Bot is a platforming adventure game where players take control of a small but agile robot exploring vibrant, interactive environments. Each level is designed with unique obstacles, hidden secrets, and creative mechanics that require precision and quick thinking.

Each star system also has a level that’s specially themed around a popular PlayStation franchise, allowing Astro to make use of unique skills for a short while. Needless to say, Astro Bot keeps you on your toes, and sometimes challenges you to think outside the box in order to solve a problem or find a well-hidden secret. So, at this point, it’s fair to say that Team Asobi nailed the core game feel, the level design and the visuals. It’s a beautiful game that plays like a dream and offers things that manage to feel completely new and fun – and ultimately, as I think about my time playing Astro Bot, I can’t help but feel great about it. It’s pure joy and a reminder of what the first three generations of PlayStation embodied. It’s a game that perfectly combines technology, design and creativity into a singular, ultra-polished whole without any filter whatsoever.

Astro Bot Crash Site (hub Area) Bots & Puzzle Pieces Locations

That’s why Astro Bot feels as consequential as it does even if it just looks like your average 3D platformer full of collectibles and clever power-ups at a glance. The expertly designed PS5 exclusive plays like an intervention with its own publisher. It brings the PlayStation platform on an intergalactic journey through its history to rediscover its long lost sense of wonder. It’s not just a very effective ad for Sony; it’s an exuberant adventure that remembers that there’s power in play. Players are on a mission to rescue all 300 of their robot friends after an alien intercepted their spaceship, a super-charged PS5, and scattered the crew across six dangerous galaxies. At the same time, Astro is searching for the missing parts of the PS5 spaceship, which are being guarded by bosses in each galaxy.

Although it does rally at the end, with a wonderful on-rails section that is more reminiscent of the tone in Astro’s Playroom. Perhaps there is some sort of museum archive if you 100% the game but for the vast majority of players, they’ll have no idea who most of the characters are. If we don’t know then we’re sure more casual gamers are going to be even more lost, especially as so many of them look like generic anime characters. What’s most impressive, on a technical level, is the game’s use of force feedback. Surprisingly, the haptic feedback on the shoulder buttons, which was so impressive in Astro’s Playroom, isn’t emphasised but the audio and rumble design is the best we’ve ever seen in a video game.

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.

It’s these individuals or groups who are able to influence swathes of people, sway online opinion, and contribute to radical takes. The reaction to Astro Bot winning Game of the Year is a prime example of how the internet and gaming culture can divide people, despite their promise as forms of connection. GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links. And since good news flies in pairs, we are delighted to also announce that an updated version of the Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is launching later this year! This controller was crafted by our techno-magician designers at Sony Interactive Entertainment. And since the first controller proved so popular, we have brought it back with a new joyful twist to the touch pad!

Still, for as hard as Sony has been going with accessibility, I expected far more. For decades, Nintendo has been the de facto standard when it comes to platformers. There have been some to come close to creating similar and memorable experiences, but few have stood the test of time or really felt like genuine competitors. When OK8386 comes to some of Nintendo’s best, both Super Mario Odyssey and the Mario Galaxy series are two that are considered the best the genre has ever seen.

On top of that we have pages on cosmetic items like Outfits and Dual Speeder Skins, how to secure all the PS5 Trophies, and lots more. Team up with iconic PlayStation heroes to save the galaxy and experience the game’s immersive world through the DualSense® wireless controller. You’ll dash, swing, and rocket-punch through diverse planets, unlocking 15 new abilities, including using Barkster, the Bulldog Booster, to air-dash and smash enemies.

Astro Bot still takes advantage of the console’s power too, but not by dipping into photorealism or needlessly flashy spectacle. Incredibly smooth performance means I’m never taken out of the flow by frame hiccups. Vibrant colors make me feel like I’m in a cartoon, but Team Asobi doesn’t flatten its environments or skimp on detail. In one level, I start by walking across swaths of bright green foliage. I feel the crunch of the grass between my metal feet and hear the sound from my DualSense’s speakers. Then I move on to a metallic checkerboard floor, where I hear my legs lightly click-clacking on the tiles.

Trust me, I used the Bird Bot more times than I’d like to admit, but it helps if you need that little nudge in the right direction. Astro Bot speed running levels have begun rolling out as weekly updates, adding two new cameo bots with each level. We have added the first four to the bottom of this list and will continue adding them as the levels are released. To challenge Bully Space Nebulax, the final boss of the game, you must first complete every main planet across all galaxies. Special Bots can be found as you progress through Astro Bot, each one dressed as a character from PlayStation’s long history. There are hundreds of them to collect, appearing in each level of the game.

Knocking a Rescued Bot out of a Bot Wall will unlock the Wall Buster trophy in Astro Bot. At the Crash Site, you can call on your Rescued Bots to help unlock new areas or find new Bots and Puzzle Pieces. Sometimes the Rescued Bots will stack on top of each other to transform into a Bot Wall that you can walk up. Press down on the D-Pad to emote while standing in front of Crash Bandicoot. Give Astro Bot a chance to complete a full dance with Crash Bandicoot to collect the Let’s Twist Again trophy.

Astro Bot won multiple awards including Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2024, the 21st British Academy Games Awards, and the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Astro Bot is a joyful platforming experience that soars thanks to inventive level design and countless loving nods to PlayStation’s rich history. It also takes full advantage of the PS5 and its use of the DualSense controller remains novel. If you’d like to take a peek at the secret character bots specifically, we’ve arranged a gallery of all the Astro Bot hidden cameo bots. For more on Astro Bot, don’t miss our guide on how to unlock the secret photo mode and read our review for this strong Game of the Year contender. That’s not to say its win has no element of surprise to it at all.