When the games are good, the reviews They write themselves, and if it’s time to talk about what’s new about Team Asobi, the words flow like Astro Bot skating on a block of ice. How much the Japanese development team has made a mark with this extraordinary platform game, a type of production that was missed on a PlayStation obsessed with highly technical narrative experiences and no sense of humor. Astro Bot is the opposite, it is a game for all audiences with no other intention than to entertain, but whose quality is unquestionable.
The adorable robot that for a few years has been playing the role of semi-official mascot of Sony’s video game division, had already had opportunities to delight the staff with Astro Bot Rescue Missionan original platformer for PlayStation VR, and Astro’s Playroomthe game that comes included with PlayStation 5 and the best thing you can play when you just bought the console. Now, however, he returns with a title that is beyond the experiment and the technical demo, his most ambitious adventure to date.
It is a type of game that was missed on a PlayStation obsessed with highly technical narrative experiences and no sense of humor.
It turns out that a bad-tempered alien has destroyed the ship in which Astro was traveling peacefully and, if this were not enough, has scattered his three hundred robotic friends throughout the galaxy. It will be the player’s responsibility to help him rescue his friends as he explores different worlds with very varied themes.
In addition to his ability to jump and glide, and his good punch when delivering punches, good old Astro also has fifteen special powers that allow him to puff up like a puffer fish, climb like a monkey or perform a charges like a rabid bulldog, among others. These mechanics have a great weight in the gameplay and give the levels a playable theme that goes beyond the setting itself. Indeed, it is the template that Nintendo popularized with the Super Mario games, an influence – of many – that the director of AstroBotNicolas Doucet, does not hide at any time.
Astro Bot makes the difference with its delicious control system, it is a game that flows
Regarding his approach, AstroBot It meets what is expected in a 3D platform game released in 2024, but it doesn’t end there. One of the differentiating factors that make this new Team Asobi title on par with the kings of this genre is its delicious control system. The character’s response to the player’s actions has that finesse that is only available to the best. The charming animations of the characters, handmade by a team led by Jamie Smith, who already gave life to the boy protagonist of The Last Guardianplay a very prominent role in how pleasant the game feels at the controls.
The artistic design of the levels, which turns the stages into large floating toys, as well as its catchy soundtrack, also play an important role in immersing us in a flowing experience. That is, in fact, the sensation that the game transmits, that of a smooth and explosive movement, but always without escaping the control of the player, who thanks to the haptic function of the DualSense feels the textures and materials of the game in his own hands. It may not have the hyper-realistic graphics that some expect from PlayStation 5, but few titles take better advantage of the possibilities of this console.
Young and old will laugh at the visual humor of a game that does not need words
Difficulty is another important element, and even more so when it is a game designed to be played by all types of audiences, regardless of age or hours of video game flight. In this sense, AstroBot It is a generous title when it comes to providing facilities, especially because it penalizes errors very little, it has constant restoration points and it does not have a life system or difficulty walls that frustrate the experience. Young and old will laugh at the visual humor of a game that does not need words to explain its story.
Finally, AstroBot It is also a great celebration of video gaming in general and of the three decades of PlayStation specifically. During his journey to restore his ship in the form of a console, Astro has to rescue one hundred and fifty characters from both Sony games and other companies that have been kind enough to collaborate with Team Asobi to turn this nice adventure into a great party. Discovering these characters is a very important part of the experience, especially because of the tribute it represents to the recently closed Sony Japan Studio, the development team that during the first years of PlayStation gave the games of this brand a creativity that this AstroBot It has made us remember.
AstroBot
★★★★★
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Editor: PlayStation
Developer: Team Asobi
Recommended age: PEGI +7
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