I imagine I am far from the only person whose earliest memories in gaming are of traversing levels in the original Super Mario Bros., followed by full 3D exploration in Super Mario 64. Outside of the occasional Nintendo title, no game captures that pure fun gaming experience these days until now with Astro Bot.
There have been a couple of Astro Bot games up until now, including in VR and the PS5 pack-in title with Astro’s Playroom, but they never quite provided the scale and experience of this title. In many ways, this is the Super Mario World to Astro Bot: Rescue Mission’s Super Mario Bros. for PlayStation.
You can absolutely pick up this title without experiencing the other games and have a wonderful time. Astro’s goal in this title is to rescue all of his bot friends across more than 50 planets in six different galaxies to explore. You do this by platforming, jumping, running, and swinging around each planetary level, complete with its own enemies, challenges, gimmicks, and style.
Without spoiling every surprise this game has to offer, one mission might have players use the power of slow motion. They do this through a casino where you can slow down certain moving parts to reach the next platform. This power adds an intriguing layer of skill and challenge beyond the usual platforming antics.
And then in another level, you might be underwater for the duration a la Jolly Roger Bay. This changes up the pace and style of movement, and puts a bit more focus on exploration. Even beyond that, there are levels involving giant sponge Astro, the highly creative elephant ability in Trunk of Funk, and switching between day and night.
Admittedly, there is an intense level of linearity in most of these worlds. While it brings back the fun of Super Mario 64, it isn’t quite as open. In fact, I would liken this game more to the Super Mario 3D World side. There are the occasional slightly more open areas, but it is pretty straightforward.
You might have some branching paths occasionally but openness is a second thought. Thankfully, this isn’t as huge of a problem since each level feels so lovingly crafted. It helps that no level or gimmick overstays its welcome, either. The pacing is fantastic, as the player is constantly moving from world to world.
In addition, there are levels of varying sizes. There are the larger set-pieces like Slow-Mo Casino with numerous bots to rescue. But then you might turn around and do a challenge level, which takes a minute or two at most to complete. Astro Bot keeps players on their toes the entire time you are playing through it.
But the single greatest aspect of this title is how it affectionately pays tribute to PlayStation’s history. Astro’s Playroom toyed with the idea of crossover cameos but Astro Bot takes it to a new level. There are more than 160 different cameo bots to find throughout the galaxies.
These range from characters from first-party games like God of War to unexpected third-party surprises I won’t dare spoil here. This game pays homage to every previous PlayStation console and iconic characters in a way that feels so similar to what Nintendo did with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Beautiful moments like finding Joker from Persona 5 in the Slow-Mo Casino will stick out in my head for a long time. Team Asobi knows the PlayStation audience so well and proved that with these meaningful — not throwaway — cameos. This adds to the impressive level of polish this game has with how it runs.
Though I would prefer more open levels in the future, Astro Bot cements itself as PlayStation’s premier platforming series. This game solely brings back the golden era of PlayStation platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. The sheer number of brilliant cameos show the right mix of nostalgia amidst expertly-crafted level design. If you’re looking for the purest form of video game fun but with modern mechanics, this is it.
Astro Bot is available right now exclusively for PS5.
When the PS5® mothership is attacked by ASTRO’s long-standing galactic nemesis, scrambling its wires and scattering the crew throughout space, only ASTRO can make things right! Setting off on his biggest mission yet, he needs your help to rescue the stranded crew and rebuild the mothership.
Astro Bot is video game fun in its purest form, similar to the earlier days of gaming but with the polish players expect today. The varied levels and incredible use of nostalgia make this a platformer that rivals anything Nintendo does.
- Characters from iconic third-party series like Resident Evil, Persona, and Monster Hunter appear here
- This is a strictly 15-hour or so experience to 100%
- More than 160 cameo crossover bots to discover
Published: Sep 12, 2024 03:00 pm