Astro Bot review

Astro Bot is easily my favourite game of this year. Only a few hours in and I'm already exploring one of the most Mario-like worlds outside of Nintendo’s platform. The goal is to find all the missing bots that are scattered around the galaxy and bring them back to the mothership. 

What’s the mothership you ask? Well, it’s a giant PlayStation 5 of course and the CPU, GPU, Storage, cover plates and RAM were scattered throughout multiple galaxies along with the bots thanks to a nasty green bully (cough). Astro Bot must ride the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller and bring back all the missing pieces and also rescue all the bots. This may sound very similar to Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot expands on that original idea but puts the Astro itself in the centre of it all.

There are 300 bots in total including characters from all the PlayStation hits across the console generations. Meanwhile four iconic PlayStation franchises like God of War get their individual platforming sections in the game reminiscent of the game. We won’t spoil it for you with the details but know that these are some of the most memorable platforming sections because they draw direct inspiration from the PlayStation exclusive which they’re based on.

Astro’s arsenal is still sweet and simple. Press and hold X to jump and hover, press Square to punch and hold it down to spin. The trigger buttons add special abilities which come in different variations depending on the level. There’s a bulldog booster which lets you smash through obstacles and enemies, a chicken jetjack which lets you smash through anything placed vertically and also reach higher places, frog arms that punch through the toughest enemies, monkey arms that let you climb and many more. Our favourite is when Astro wears the original PlayStation VR headset to… we don’t want to spoil it. It’s a game best experienced without knowing what you’re going to see or feel!

Yes, feel! The DualSense controller has been one of the best innovations in video game technology and while many PS5 games, including console exclusives like God of War and Ghost of Tsushima utilise the controllers haptics and adaptive triggers, Astro Bot is the only game that utilises the controller to its fullest potential. The haptics deliver the most nuanced vibrations across the controller. Rain water feels different from skating on ice which again feels vastly different from trudging in snow or muck. There’s a whole separate review I can write for the DualSense controller. This is the only game on the PS5 that takes full advantage of the motion control and speakers on the controller. Some platforming and shooting sections require you to manoeuvre using the motion control and we recommend using your TV speakers to play this game because many audio cues come from the controller’s speakers. Catching and storing the rescued bots inside the controller will make them glee inside the controller. Obviously, the tension-loaded trigger buttons have also been used here but it’s a rare delight to experience the moments when the game makes you blow into the mic to huff and puff things away. It may sound like a technical showcase of the PlayStation 5 but Astro Bot is much, much more than that.

Platforming sections are balanced and fun. Visually, it looks like someone took their wildest imaginations and created small planets with platforming sections in them. It’s the most Nintendo way of creating engaging and meaningful video games that truly entertains and delights every step of the way. Just like the vividly imagined worlds, the enemies change drastically between them. You’ll never feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over again. Boss battles also are some of the best I have experienced on any platformer game and they take full advantage of the PlayStation’s incredible graphics and controller’s haptics.

And if you want a bit of a challenge, there are smaller levels scattered around which provide palm-sweating difficulty for gaming veterans. At the end of every such level you will find an Astro Bot avatar of characters from different games and while you may recognise some, there are many which will peak your intrigue.

Coins can be used to unlock cosmetics for Astro Bot and the DualSense controller and  even animations for key iconic characters as they populate the planet where the PlayStation 5 has landed.

Almost everyone writing a review of Astro Bot must’ve started their gaming journey by playing old platforming games and that sense of seeing the genre evolve into something so incredible yet remain entertaining for newcomers is something you will understand only after playing Astro Bot. If you have a child then this is the perfect game to start their gaming journey. Fair warning, your child will want to play more games like this and the Nintendo Switch is the only place to find such games.

Astro Bot is a must-play game for PlayStation 5 owners. It offers a delightful and innovative platforming experience that fully utilises the DualSense controller's capabilities. With its creative levels, engaging gameplay, and charming characters, Astro Bot is a standout title that shouldn't be missed.