Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 06/Sep 03:11

Astro Bot – Review

Many PS5 gamers will probably have tried Astro’s Playroom at one point or another. Some may have missed it completely due to their eagerness to start playing other PS5 games on their newly purchased console. If you haven’t already, we suggest delving into this free-to-play experience to see what it has to offer. Astro’s Playroom was not only an enjoyable bite-sized platformer, but it was also a great tech demo for Sony’s DualSense controller(s). This is something that Astro Bot utilizes to the fullest, making it an interactive experience never to forget. Story The story in Astro Bot is nothing truly unique, as it revolves around Astro and his 300 friends, who are aboard a PS5-shaped spaceship. The troupe of merry robots is happily exploring the galaxy until a gnarly-looking alien breaks their ship and throws parts of it all around the different solar systems. You’ll have to do your best not only to get back the different parts, but also the 300 stranded robots that are now scattered around the different solar systems. It’s basically a spin on the traditional format that we have seen in hundreds of platformers before Astro Bot, but it’s brought in such a cute and entertaining way that we were immediately captivated by Astro’s plight. The game has no real spoken dialogues, but the presentation makes things very clear from the get-go. Graphics Graphically, Astro Bot pushes the PS5 to its limits in terms of graphics, sound design, but also gameplay. The game looks amazing, and the many different planets are a joy to discover. There is a huge variety of assets that are littered around, and even the enemies often have planet-specific colors or outfits on, making them blend in perfectly with their environments. The effects of the different power-ups look great, and there is so much visual feedback no matter what you do. The grass clearly shows where you are walking, there are so many small items that you push aside, glass breaks in the most satisfying way ever, and so on. Bigger effects, such as special moves versus bosses also look epic, and we never backed down from fights simply to see the small animations over and over again. More than once we simply stopped to take in the backdrops, and the overall design quality also motivated us to explore our surroundings more. Sound Even though Astro Bot’s graphical prowess was already amazing, it’s the sound design that is truly next level. Astro Bot has a rather adventurous soundtrack, and the different biomes have different background tracks, making sure things never get dull. What is unique, however, is the sound feedback you’ll get via your DualSense controller. You can hear every sound effect via the controller, and even the footsteps of Astro will be audible here. You can easily notice the difference in terrain via the audio feedback, and every type of interaction is heard via the controller. It’s a showcase of the underutilized functions of Sony’s controller, and it’s actually a shame other exclusives don’t use this as much as Astro Bot does. Gameplay Astro Bot is a 3D platformer that doesn’t necessarily revolutionize the genre, but it offers a highly polished experience. Going through all the levels, even the somewhat difficult ones, is an absolute joy. The offset itself is quite simple, as you pick a level, and try to make it to the end. On your way to the end, it’s up to you to rescue as many hidden robots in the level as possible, as well as find puzzle pieces to restore buildings in the hub. Some levels even have hidden warps to bonus stages, allowing you to find even more robots and puzzle pieces. The hub offers shops to further collect items to spice up the hub, but also outfits for Astro and other cosmetics. While the overall level layout follows the basic formula of many platformers, as you’ll have to run and jump your way to the finish, it’s the original mechanics that add a lot of charm. You’ll find cool power-ups in the missions, there are many gimmicky mechanics, you’ll gain the powers of a few of the many cameo characters in certain levels, and so on. All of this creates a varied experience where every level feels different from the previous one, making sure things remain extremely entertaining throughout the game’s 15-hour runtime. If you’re not looking for all robots and hidden secrets, this could shorten the overall duration by quite a bit. The game will sometimes require you to find a specific number of robots in order to progress in the main hub, however. The DualSense controller also adds even more original mechanics to the mix. Outside of the sublime audio feedback, there are also gameplay elements that are closely linked to Sony’s official controller. You’ll notice subtle rumble changes to open up passageways, but you also have motion controller support for certain abilities, and there’s even the option to blow air into the microphone to activate things in some levels. It all blends nicely with more traditional platforming elements, and even with the variety of abilities and control options, the game remains very accessible. Some of the normal levels may seem a bit easy for genre veterans, but several bonus levels spice things up with more difficult challenges. As mentioned earlier, you’ll have the central hub, this is where you’ll reconstruct your spaceship when you find new parts. Repairing your ship also has a lot of interactive DualSense controller elements, which also change up the general mechanics once again. The aforementioned cameo characters also present you with a few original levels, spicing things up even more. The original trailer of the game already showed Kratos bot, a robot with Kratos’ features. You can already imagine that his dedicated level is going to be a lot more action-packed and combat-oriented than some others. We can easily say that the cameos are a lot of fun, and it’s very entertaining to play through their dedicated levels. All the special cameo characters you have found in levels also roam around the hub area, and all the robots there will assist you with completing puzzles and opening up new areas. Conclusion Astro Bot is a testament to what the PlayStation 5 is capable of. The game is an absolute joy from start to finish, and it invites everyone to explore every nook and cranny of all the different planets. Even though some optional stages have minor difficulty spikes, the experience remains rewarding throughout. All the different cameos, the original levels, the DualSense rumble and audio feedback, and the overall polished mechanics make Astro Bot a perfect platforming experience. It’s one of those rare gems where no real flaws are noticeable. If you own a PS5, and you’re a fan of platformers, this one’s absolutely worth it.