I wrote an article back when I first got my PS5 about how Astro’s Playroom was probably the best usage of the PlayStation 5 and its Dualsense Controller that I had ever seen. I really loved Astro’s Playroom, but to my surprise, there were more tricks up Team Asobi’s sleeve. Astro Bot was a surprise hit for me, and a total serotonin injection.

Astro Bot is a mascot “collect-a-thon” platformer in which you play the titular Astro, who must traverse a wide array of planets collecting wayward bots that have been scattered around. The bots have been scattered after an alien menace attacks Astro’s PS5-shaped ship, stealing its processor chip and flying off with it. This leads Astro on an adorable journey that also serves as a sort of walk down PlayStation’s memory lane. This is a more focused game than Astro’s Playroom was, though.

Astro’s Playroom served more as a sort of “Tech Demo” mixed with a tutorial on how your PS5 worked. There were a lot of things to collect and a lot of levels that were tightly designed, but it was mostly to show off the hardware. Astro Bot still shows off the Dualsense Controller’s capabilities, but the game focuses more on the gameplay, with various platforming and environmental puzzles that make use of Dualsense functionality.

For example, one level may have you using the adaptive triggers to pull blocks or swing from jelly poles. Another level may have you rocketing into obstacles or throwing magnetic metal. Even the Dualsense motion functionality is used. However, you can turn it off in the settings and exchange motion function for those same actions being controlled by the left thumbstick.

My favorite part mechanically though is that Astro Bot utilizes the controller’s speaker to give every action a sound cue. The addition of the sounds through your controller adds more weight and “oomph” to everything. Overall, though, Astro Bot’s level design is clever, and there is a sense of joy and colorful brightness to everything.

In each level, some of the bots you collect are bots dressed up as (and inspired by) characters from PlayStation’s history. From Castlevania’s Alucard to Bloodborne’s Hunter and even Metal Gear’s Solid Snake himself, the bots serve as a cute and enjoyable walk down memory lane. Plus, you can ask the bots for help in your main hub world, solving puzzles and helping rebuild parts of your ship.

There are also secret levels to find, puzzle pieces to collect, and all sorts of cool additions that make Astro Bot a fully-fledged mascot platformer experience. I’d love to see Team Asobi create more games like this because it is easy to see how much joy and love is baked in. This may seem like a casual game you pick up on sale, but Astro Bot is worth every penny at full price.

Completionists will have a field day, and it is fun for kids and adults. Plus, if you are an older fan, you can teach your kids about PlayStation history along the way, if that interests you. Team Asobi put a lot of love and care into Astro Bot, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

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Astro Bot

$59.99

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Tons of PlayStation Easter Eggs to See
• Fantastic Platforming Gameplay
• Accessible Controls
• Colorful Environments
• Fantastic Sound Design