Astro Bot Review

Astro Bot is Team ASOBI’s latest entry into their Astro Bot universe. Before Astro Bot, the series was centered around Playstation’s newest inventions and served as a free demo for the software. Team ASOBI has finally taken the big leap into creating their first full length platforming game. That full game comes at a full game price of $60, but are you better off to just wait for it to inevitably be a PS Plus free game of the month? 

Story: 

Astro Bot starts off like almost every other platformer. Everything was great and then a big bad came along and ruined everyone’s fun. In this game, Astro Bot is flying in his PS5 with his bot buddies, when a giant alien rips apart the PS5 and scatters its parts across five different galaxies and sends Astro Bot hurtling towards a desert planet called the “Crash Site.” Throughout the Crash Site, Astro Bot finds a satellite that lets him know where each bot and missing piece is hiding. It’s your job to fly around each of the 50+ planets to save your friends and repair your ship! That’s really all there is for the story. There are not a lot of cut scenes besides minor ones here and there when you collect a piece, but that’s fine, it really isn’t any more different than other platformers. It’s enjoyable enough to keep you invested and not just feel like a bunch of random levels bunched together. 

Level Design: 

This game shines with its level design. Although each level is relatively easy to make it through, they are, without a doubt, some of the most fun I’ve had in a platforming game. If you’ve ever played Astro’s Playroom, and if you haven’t I highly suggest you play that before Astro Bot, you will undoubtedly find yourself having an amazing time. The levels are longer than any of the levels in Astro’s Playroom and they are far more in depth. 

Each level tasks you with finding seven hidden bots and three hidden puzzle pieces, as well as collecting as many coins as possible. Some of the bots are relatively easy to find, while others are a little more challenging, typically hiding in secret areas around the planet. There are 305 bots to find in total, most of which represent different video game mascots throughout the years. These are a fun touch that give the game much more life as it’s fun to recount the first time you played that mascot’s game as you’re collecting them. As for the puzzle pieces, you’ll have to have a little bit more of a keen eye to find those. 

My only gripe with the bots and puzzle pieces is they’re just too easy to find. Of the 50+ levels that are in this game, I only found myself having to go back to find the remaining bots and pieces a handful of times. I absolutely understand that this game, at its core, is a kids game. However, Mario Odyssey is also a kids game, and some of their puzzles are quite challenging. Despite this, the levels are still extremely fun and you are easily able to just turn your brain off and enjoy the colorful planet you’re on. 

Gadgets: 

As you make your way through each planet, Astro Bot will encounter chests that have a gadget in them. You will use these gadgets to solve the different puzzles and enemies that are thrown at you. The gadgets are reused throughout the different planets, but each planet finds it’s way to make the gadget feel brand new again. The gadgets also make use of the controllers haptic feedback, which just immerses you into the game that much more. I don’t want to give too much away because I want you to experience these things for yourself, but the frog boxing gloves are definitely the best gadget you will get. Although, I do feel like there were a couple that were underutilized, and some that were overused. What I’d like to see for next time is a couple more gadgets, and a little more equal use for each one. As much fun as each of the gadgets are, I found myself a little disappointed in some levels using a gadget that I just used not too many levels ago. 

Boss Fights: Each of the galaxies ends with a boss fight, once you’ve found enough bots to unlock it. Plain and simple, the boss fights in this game are fun. There are a total of 5 main boss fights, and a bountiful of mini bosses throughout the levels. The bosses themselves weren’t too difficult, so don’t go into this game thinking that you’re going to encounter a boss that is going to take an hour to beat. If you want a comparison, I’d say the bosses are similar to the difficulty of any of the bosses in the 3D Super Mario Brothers games. However, the key difference is how unique each boss is. Each boss is a massive robot animal that Astro Bot must defeat by using one of his many gadgets. Whether you’re going up against a giant gorilla dashing through everything he throws at you, or having a boxing match with a giant octopus, you will absolutely be in awe with how impressive these bosses look and play out. Not to mention, the final boss battle is one of the most creative ones that I’ve ever played in a platformer, but I’ll let you witness that for yourself. 

Crossover Levels: 

The crossover levels are definitely the highlight of each different galaxy you visit. After you beat the galaxy's boss, you are then taken to a new planet that takes inspiration from a Playstation Exclusive and you assume the role of the main character. This makes a truly fun experience as you get to relive some of your favorite Playstation titles in Astro Bot form. I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face when playing the God of War themed planet. There was something about Astro Bot becoming Kratos and wielding his own miniature frozen axe that just brought me back to the first time I experienced God of War. The only downside to this, is that there were only five of these themed planets. I am willing to cut Team ASOBI some slack as it’s their first venture into something this big, but there’s got to be more of these levels next time around!

The Lost Galaxy: 

Each galaxy in the game has two secret levels that you must find hidden within its planets. Once you find them, you are transported to the Lost Galaxy and a new planet is unlocked. There are ten of these in total. This aspect of the game is very reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. However, the difference is that the extra levels in that game are quite a difficult challenge, while these are more meant to be a fun experience to have after you complete the game. The levels play out exactly like every other one, and although they are a bit more challenging, I wouldn’t say that it was by very much. However, I’m not going to complain about a game giving me more levels to play. 

Post Game Content:

This is where the game falls flat on its face. If you are the type of platformer gamer like me, meaning you play out a level and find everything in that level before you move onto the next, there is basically no post game content. Now, if you just like to make it through a level and save everything else for the next time, then there’s a good amount for you to do. The only problem is, these levels are far too easy for you to miss that much stuff. As I said before, a lot of the bots and puzzle pieces are not challenging to find, as long as you are being observant, and trust me, you will be. Yes, there is a Gatcha Lab where you unlock different items for your bots and cosmetics for your controllership and Astro Bot. Yes, there are different challenges throughout the Crashsite and other galaxies where you can find some extra bots. And yes, there is a final level when you collect everything, which is quite challenging of a level, but that’s it. I was able to platinum the game in around 15 hours, and that’s definitely much more time than it will take others. Again, I understand it’s a kids game, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have more to do once you’ve beaten it. 

Final Verdict: 

Astro Bot is definitely my favorite game that I’ve played all year. It is exactly what I have been looking for for such a long time. Finally, Playstation has brought back the 3D platformer. Something they did so well for so long. Franchises like Spyro, Sly Cooper, Crash Bandicoot, and Little Big Planet were always my favorite growing up. Now, with Astro Bot that family has a new member that fits right in. I hope in the next installment that Team ASOBI takes more inspiration from games like Mario Odyssey and makes the planets bigger and more in-depth, adding some more things for us to do post-game, as well as making the game a little more challenging. However, despite that one small negative that I have to the game, it is not even close to enough to take away this game's perfect score of a 10/10.