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Astro Bot test: you will have a smile from the start

Posted on by angelo
Astro Bot test: you will have a smile from the start

The one thing you’ll notice when scrolling through the YouTube comments on the official Astro Bot trailer is the overwhelmingly positive response it received.

6,000 users agreed that it was the best game announced during Sony’s State of Play 2024 broadcast, while others praised it for its continued strong IP, nostalgic and fun elements, and the joy that the band -three-minute announcement brought them.

EVE in combat mode in Stellar Blade
Credit: Shift Up, ONE Esports

I couldn’t agree more, especially on that last point. The moment I booted up the game during the PlayStation exclusive playtest, I was all smiles.

Even though I failed to overcome the first “difficult” stage due to the limited play time, I was still smiling, reeling from the joy I felt playing through the opening worlds, which included face the very large and crazy octopus boss.

Astro Bot Review: Fun, cute and just the right amount of challenge all in one? Yes please!

Opening world of Astro Bot showing Captain Astro flying in a ship that is a PS5 controller over the tropical sea
Credit: PlayStation

The first title in this video game series was released in 2018. Called Astro Bot Rescue Mission, it was developed by Team Asobi of Japan Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4.

Assuming the role of Captain Astro, players navigate through a variety of colorful and challenging levels. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its use of virtual reality and varied level design.

Its sequel, Astro’s Playroom, was released in 2020 and came pre-installed on all PlayStation 5 consoles. Now, the team is back with a third platformer in the series simply titled “Astro Bot.”

Captain Astro saves teammate tied in a tree in Astro Bot game
Credit: PlayStation

Fun, colorful, full of adorable animals, my eyes lit up as soon as I landed on the tropical island from the opening scene. And because these animals looking at me were so cute, I felt bad about hitting them – but I tried anyway just to see what happened.

Step by step, you will be guided to learn new mechanics for each stage with the same goal as previous titles: find and save your fellow Astros! Some of them may even look familiar as they depict characters from various PlayStation games.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Release Date – DLC Boss
Credit: FromSoftware Inc., ONE Esports

I really enjoy games that have just enough challenging mechanics to keep you going, but without complicated button presses (I’m clearly not a very good Elden Ring player and that’s okay). I liked that each world introduced a new set of mechanics that didn’t stack: you could focus on perfecting the same move and using it in different situations for that world. Yay!

Echoing comments on YouTube, Astro Bot really brings out the maximum potential of what the PlayStation 5 controller was designed and built to do, especially in the audio and touch department. When your character dives into the water, you will feel the change gracefully. For an optimal experience, it is recommended not to use headphones.

Clockwork Snake boss in the game Astro Bot
Credit: PlayStation

I also like games that don’t take themselves too seriously because, well, they’re games. You will understand that interacting with the environment is not punitive and that sometimes hitting objects can bring you exhilarating surprises. On top of that, the first octopus boss is memorably wacky, full of SpongeBob feels and big swinging mechanics. No more “lulz”, no more smiles.

I’m not good at platform games and don’t usually play them, and yet Astro Bot manages to convert people like me because it is very well designed, providing genuine fun for gamers of all ages.

“So cute, so cute, so cute!” I’ve said it out loud to myself too many times.

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