ASTRO BOT – Review

There are times in the video game industry when a simple idea can give life to something completely different, generating new franchises and series that over time become truly beloved by the public. It was 2013 when Team ASOBI he made The Playroomgame pre-installed on PlayStation 4 which served to demonstrate the potential of the DualShock 4 and of PlayStation Camera. Within the title were introduced some cute little robots who, in a few years, would become the protagonists of unique adventures. After the success of ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission and of ASTRO’s Playroom It finally arrives ASTRO-BOTnew adventure for the mascot Sony who will find himself traveling the galaxy in search of his lost companions.

The software house has exploited some of the mechanics seen in the previous chapter, expanding them and giving life to a platformer full of secrets to discover. After exploring it from top to bottom, almost reaching the Platinum Trophywe tell you about our experience in the company of STAR in this new, in-depth review!

Nebulaxthe space bully, is back! During a trip into space, the fearsome nemesis decides to attack the mother ship of STAR and steal its components causing a failure that makes disperse the entire crew in all corners of the galaxy. Landed on an abandoned planet with the remains of his ship, STAR will have to take stock of the situation and try to recover both the PS5 components and its crew members from the clutches of Nebulax. Thus begins a new space adventure that will lead our little cybernetic hero to clash with opponents much more terrifying than anything he has faced up to now. Will he succeed in the enterprise?

Martian Chronicles

From a gameplay perspective ASTRO-BOT takes advantage of some of the mechanics seen in previous titles Team ASOBIexpanding and improving them to create an even richer and more varied gaming experience. In this adventure we will be able to travel between different planets characterized by a unique design, full of enemies to defeat and environmental puzzles to solve in order to continue and thus reach the finish line. Some of them also they hide secret paths inside them which, once completed, will allow us to access new worlds that would otherwise be impossible to reach.

In some levels the cute little robot will have unique gadgets at its disposal that will help him solve the most complicated situations, such as an armor capable of transforming him into a metal sphere resistant to damage or gloves with which he can climb on particular surfaces. Some of the game mechanics They exploit the controller’s features very well DualSensewhich becomes an integral part of the gameplay. Not only motion sensors, but also elements such as haptic feedback and even the built-in microphone are used to solve some puzzles.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the levels present in ASTRO-BOT. The software house has in fact really placed a lot of care in their creationalso implementing a certain difficulty curve that I appreciated. If the story levels are in fact simpler, secondary challenges will often be more challenging and require pinpoint precision to complete. Although the DualSense integration has been well taken care of I would have liked to see some additional puzzlesbut at the same time I understand how aggressively focusing on certain gameplay gimmicks would have risked lowering the quality of the title.

Gotta save ’em all

Scattered around the world of ASTRO-BOT There will be many secrets, including small androids to save and many other collectible objects. These will be used for improve our base campin which we can create useful structures and solve environmental puzzles in the company of the lost allies we have recovered. Among the most interesting structures stands out the gacha machinethanks to it in fact we will be able to obtain both cosmetics to personalize STAR and the Dual Speeder that the iconic objects of the many cameo characters present in the game. In fact, they will perform different animations after obtaining their object, directly quoting the work from which they come.

One of the most important gameplay innovations is the ability to borrow the power of some of the most iconic PlayStation Heroes in specific worlds dedicated to them. I won’t go into too much detail on this aspect, because I believe that players should discover for themselves which heroes have been chosen for this adventure and how their playing style blends with that of ASTRO-BOT. However, I can assure you that I found this mechanic really well done, and that the software house has placed meticulous care in transposing certain titles from the PlayStation catalogue in this new version.

Whether it’s collecting coins, searching for puzzle pieces or lost allies, the collect-a-thon elements of ASTRO-BOT They are integrated into the game in a truly exquisite way.. I found it really fun to retrace the worlds present in the game in search of every secret, and the levels dedicated to the PlayStation Heroes I liked them all. Going to play a level again that we have already completed we will also have the possibility of carrying with us a small sonar bird that will indicate the proximity of secrets that we haven’t recovered yet, a really useful mechanic in case there’s an object that we just can’t find.

ASTRO BOTs have feelings too

From a technical point of view ASTRO BOT is really detailedand the love of Team ASOBI towards this franchise is noticeable in every corner of the game. The graphics are really very pleasantstarting from the design of the worlds that we will explore during the adventure. The software house has created visually pleasing and detail-rich environmentswhich makes exploring them even more fun. The creature and character designs are also very carefully crafted, especially for all the many cameos in the game.

The audio department is once again led by Kenneth C.M. Youngwho created an extraordinary soundtrack for the occasion. It is also very nice to see how some songs from the titles that have made the history of PlayStation have been integrated at specific moments in the game. Technically also I appreciated the choices related to accessibilitywhich will make some game mechanics simpler for those who have visual or motor difficulties.

The narrative section of ASTRO-BOT It’s quite simplistic and, while it’s a pleasant story, I think that there software house could have gone a little further to create a more interesting plot with some unexpected twists. The most interesting element is definitely linked to the presence of tons of references and easter eggs related to the PlayStation universewhich will allow us to retrace the most important stages of the brand’s history. I really appreciated seeing certain franchises represented, but I also noticed the absence of some titles that have made the history of Sony platforms. Of course, it would have been impossible to please everyone, especially considering that acquiring all the rights to quote the various third-party characters must not have been an easy feat for the Team ASOBI.

Who do we recommend ASTRO BOT to?

If you like platformers I think that ASTRO-BOT is really the right title for you. The new adventure of the Team ASOBI It’s really hilarious, full of quotes that will please everyone who appreciate the history of video games and in particular that of PlayStation. If you are then collect-a-thon fans Get ready because you will have so many secrets to reveal in this rich game world.