Review: Astro Bot is an example that fun comes first in a game

Astro first taught you how to use the first PlayStation VR, then showed you the benefits of the PlayStation 5 and, by popular demand or because someone very clever came up with it, now has its own game with Astro Bot. As Nintendo’s Peter Main said: “The name of the game is the game” and that fits perfectly in this title that comes to teach us a lesson on how video games should be.

Although Sega was the one who adopted the aforementioned phrase, it was a Nintendo employee who took it and from there it became a mantra for video games. There are even those who forget it because it seems obsolete, however, it works perfectly and even more so in the case of Astro Bot.

This title from Team Asobi – who should be given a raise – is not only that product that deifies the PS5 to obscene levels, it shows that a video game – before anything else – has to bring some kind of fun value. Yes, this clashes when we talk about Death Stranding or perhaps Dustborn that try to be experiences, but when Astro Bot comes into discussion, it is worth debating because video games are supposed to be entertaining and then challenging.

Come on, Elden Ring can be very difficult, but it is not a boring game. Persona 5 or Red Dead Redemption 2 can be very boring experiences, but there will be a moment when they grab you and become very fun. It is okay to be pretentious, but without ceasing to be fun and fulfilling and that is what we are going to talk about next.

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The party to celebrate PlayStation?

If Astro’s Playroom struck you as a fanboy experience filled with eye candy and fan service, Astro Bot is no slouch. It idolises the PS5 and sells it as the ultimate console to save. If you’re a PlayStation fan, you’re in for a treat, especially with all the references to the games on screen.

Against this backdrop, Astro Bot’s story is cartoonish and revolves around saving a broken PS5 whose parts are scattered all over space. Astro must travel on a DualSense from one planet to another, rescue his friends and bring them back home. It seems like a complicated task, but only he can do it.

The narrative is very simple and even motivating, as all the actions carried out on the path to saving the PS5 are very rewarding. The animations, the rewards, unlocking levels, everything is perfectly balanced to a point where you really feel that the reason to continue forward is going to give you a very gratifying result.

Now, this brings me to the discussion of whether or not Astro Bot is some sort of celebration of PlayStation. On paper, we could say yes, especially with all the references and cameos. Personally, I think the game is designed to celebrate more than just a brand, it’s a sort of tribute to video games and what they should always be.

Notable game mechanics

Astro Bot is a very fun game to play and that’s because it has game mechanics that range from basic to complex. Basically, it’s a 3D platformer where you jump, punch, and have some very specific abilities like floating for a while with rockets or doing punches with spins.

As you progress, the game gives you certain tools that extend the experience. Suddenly you have monkey arms to hang from bananas or certain unreachable places. Gloves shaped like a frog’s head that you can use to knock down enemies and pull levers. You can even have a bulldog that you can use to ram enemies and break through walls.

The cool thing about each power that Astro receives is that it is made in such a way that you must put your skills to the test in order to beat a level. For example, when you have a little elephant on your back, you gain the ability to absorb liquids which can help you create grass to be able to make platforms and reach unreachable points or honey to jump to higher points.

The way Astro Boy is played through its gameplay mechanics is really fun. They may not be innovative or something that Super Mario hasn’t tried before, however, Team Asobi isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, they want to be more practical and useful so that the player doesn’t feel like they have a simple experience in front of them, but rather a challenge that they must pay close attention to in order to achieve a goal.

Astro Bot offers a level design full of variety

One outstanding detail that Astro Bot has is its level design. Let’s say that when it deserves it, they make things very simple, unpretentious and seeking your attention at all times. Then things get a little more complex and you must and the game cordially invites you to take advantage of every inch of the stage because you are likely to find a surprise.

At first, the game seems very short in terms of the planets you explore, however, as your story progresses, you realize that this universe expands little by little and you have to make your respective efforts to be able to find the parts that that PS5 needs to work again and the other robots that are trapped here and there.

The way Astro’s power-ups work with the game’s levels makes for a very entertaining experience. It’s also very linear, as you don’t choose which powers to use during each expedition, but this isn’t Mega Man and it’s designed so you get the most out of every moment you play as the character.

It should also be noted that Astro Bot’s levels aren’t mind-blowing. They’re in 3D, but it’s not an open world, it has its limitations, and you’re going to end up falling off a cliff with one wrong jump. The color, detail, and interactions are so well executed that it really isn’t bothersome to play through this experience more than once.

The aforementioned cameos are just a part of the whole experience.

One of the most important points within Astro Bot are the cameos of both PlayStation and third-party IPs. You’re going to come across Crash, without it being written in huge letters that it’s him, but his model is there and Activision and Microsoft surely gave Sony the opportunity to use that detail.

The joke is finding them in each of the levels to take them to the planet where the PS5 is stuck. There you can interact with them and still unlock items for them through a gatcha machine. Come on, that little Parappa looks a lot better when you put a turntable on him and he seems to rap with his surroundings. Same goes for Ratchet and Rivet.

Getting them all out can be a bit of a chore and a bit of a pain. That’s a fact. You’ll have a little help from a bird when you do a second playthrough of each level. It won’t tell you exactly where you’ll find those robots, but it will give you a better idea of ​​where you didn’t look.

Cameos are good when they are characters that are truly transcendental within PlayStation, because Astro already gets his powers and has to go through the levels. The truth is that combining the little robot with the iconic abilities of other heroes is somet
hing very fun and gives a second layer of playability to the experience.

One of the few games that takes advantage of the PS5

Astro Bot is very special, because without the need to try to do something extraordinary, it is the video game that makes the most of the PS5. It’s like when you run Zelda or Super Mario on a Nintendo console, it squeezes every drop of juice out of the platform so that the user has the best time possible.

But let’s take it one step at a time. It does the same thing as Astro’s Playroom and then improves it, a detail that makes the gaming experience even more enjoyable. The sounds that come out of the controller, the haptic controls, each element is felt and you end up enjoying the experience because it gives you a feeling of joy.

Graphically it’s not spectacular, but it’s not a piece of crap either. Let’s say it’s a videogame that knows how to look good, without the need to pretend to be something it’s not. That’s the beauty of Astro Bot. Now, don’t lose sight of an important detail, what matters most in this title is how well it plays, not how it looks in the eyes of the fan who only seeks power.

I think the best way to appreciate all the beauty that Astro Bot can look like is by playing it. No more, no less. Because this is one of those occasions in which all the aspects are perfectly balanced to give us a very enjoyable product.

Should you buy Astro Bot?

In a world where video games seem to become more pretentious every day (than they should be) or where we no longer pay attention to the entertainment factor in order to try to be more thoughtful, Astro Bot comes to teach a lesson that gaming should be very fun and enjoyable. Sure, it can be competitive, also exciting, but it should never leave aside that factor in which you have a good time from start to finish.

Team Asobi managed to prove through Astro Bot that video games don’t need to be pretentious, but fun. The only problem this title has is the exaggerated veneration for the PS5, which, while it is a good console, isn’t exactly changing this generation of video games. Beyond this last section, we have a very solid title, with a high level of replayability that immerses you in a world full of adventures that reminds you that a game also deserves to give you a lot of entertainment and not headaches.

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We played Astro Bot on PS5 with a code provided by a PlayStation representative in our region.