Astro Bot -PS5- 9

March 13, 2025

I first beat and reviewed Astro Bot a few months ago, rating it a strong 8.5. But in hindsight, the game deserved to be scored just a little bit higher. Astro Bot is the best 3D mascot platformer that Sony has ever had on any of their consoles, and I just want to keep coming back to play it again and again. Since amassing 318 bots in my initial run this past December, I have gone back and replayed most of the levels, conquered the brand new Vicious Void Galaxy, as well as platinum the entire game. I even platinumed the Astro’s Playroom download that serves as a delicious appetizer to the main course that is the full Astro Bot retail release. And now, I have 327 total bots. Unlocking all the achievement trophies for both Astro Bot and Astro’s Playroom marks the first time I have ever technically “platinumed” any videogame in my entire life, so this was a big milestone for me. Fortunately, none of the trophies were too demanding or too time consuming, so I had a relatively breezy time completing every last task.

Astro Bot achieves greatness by consistently surprising the player with its charm, creativity, and variety. Every one of the planets feels different and throws something unexpected at you. And it is all done with fantastic level design, tight platforming, and perfect controls. Each new suit and ability was unique and practical for the stages it was designed for. Every single one of the boss fights was inventive and multilayered. And I cannot stop listening to that wonderful soundtrack.

I loved the adorable references to classic games from the PlayStation library, but Astro Bot is far more than a love letter to Sony’s past franchises. Only a select few levels pay direct homage to established game series. Most of the game’s 86 levels have their own original settings and motifs. Downsize Surprise, Wormy Passage, Free Big Brother, and Slo-mo Casino were just a few of my favorites. There were too many others to name that were equally ingenious and memorable.

Astro Bot is a terrific play for all ages, in no small part due to its buttery smooth learning curve. The checkpoints are frequent, and the campaign delicately eases you to proficiency with every gameplay mechanic introduced. But for genre veterans, there are special levels marked as PlayStation controller buttons that are devilishly hard, giving me the concentrated dose of hardcore challenge that I crave. The Great Master Challenge in the postgame was gloriously brutal as well. The developers have even updated the game in the past month with five new levels in the Vicious Void Galaxy, which has also been fun to conquer. Who knows? If the game receives more free updates with more levels in the future, I might have to come back and do a third review! But for now, in my second review of the game, I am rating Astro Bot a 9 out of ten.

December 20, 2024

I just finished my playthrough of Astro Bot for PlayStation 5. I saved all 300 of the base game bots, beat the final boss to reach the end credits, found all the puzzle pieces, beat the Great Master Challenge to receive the 301st bot, and I even completed the Winter Wonder and Stellar Speedway DLC’s to receive 17 extra bots. And according to my PlayStation profile, I have logged 21 hours into the game.

Astro Bot is Sony’s most successful attempt at creating a mascot platformer to represent their brand to date. At first, I was thinking this was going to be a Mario/Kirby wannabe, but Astrobot quickly started surprising me with its own original ideas and personality the further I went along. After a few hours of play, I had no idea what this game was going to throw at me next. Every single level came up with a completely new power-up and control feature that changed the way the game was played.

Astro Bot begins with a giant green alien attacking the hero’s space ship, which is shaped like a PS5 console. The 300 bots aboard the ship are scattered across the universe, and you must search for them, as well as the console components to power up your ship. Most of the bots are modeled after characters from classic game franchises that have populated the PlayStation library over the last 30 years. It’s a simple setup that gives way to warm feelings of nostalgia as you play through Astro Bot’s campaign.

Beyond the references to past franchises, Astro Bot is a fabulous platformer that is welcoming to novice players while still giving veterans a stiff challenge. The levels are linear, but encourage exploration with little secret areas to find the missing bots and puzzle pieces. Each level has its own distinct gameplay theme with a special suit to help you overcome the obstacles. Some stages end with an awesome boss fight that incorporates whatever ability you attain from your current suit. Part of Astro Bot’s charm for me was never knowing what I was going to see or do next. This game is a visual delight, and witnessing the many surprises for yourself is a real treat. The music is also fantastic, my favorite tracks being “Tite Mites”, “You Can’t Catch Me”, and “Crash Site”.

Astro Bot is a captivating game for all ages, and works great as a flagship title for the PlayStation 5. The developers were clearly inspired by some of Nintendo’s works, but Astro Bot still goes its own way with inventive game mechanics and fresh ideas. And most importantly, it nails the parkour and platforming with tight controls and fun levels to progress through. I rate Astro Bot an 8.5 out of ten.