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Astro Bot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 2018 PlayStation VR game, see Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
Astro Bot
Developer(s)Team Asobi
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Director(s)Nicolas Doucet
Composer(s)Kenneth C. M. Young
Platform(s)PlayStation 5
ReleaseSeptember 6, 2024
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Astro Bot[a] is a platform game developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is a sequel to the 2020 game Astro's Playroom, and is the third game in the Astro Bot series. The game was released for the PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2024. Upon its release, the game received universal acclaim from critics.

Gameplay

[edit]

Astro Bot is a 3D platformer where the player controls the title character, a small robot named Astro Bot, through the use of the DualSense controller. Astro's core moveset is identical to how it is from previous entries, maintaining his ability to jump, hover, punch and spin-attack.[1] The ability to swim underwater also returns from Astro Bot Rescue Mission, having been absent in Astro's Playroom.[2]

The game boasts 80 levels, which are split across six galaxies and 50 planets. Each of the levels fall under three different difficulty settings: Easy, Normal and Hard. The main story levels (dubbed "playful stages") primarily fall under the easy & normal difficulties, whereas the optional challenge stages (dubbed "complex stages") fall mainly under the hard difficulty. Each level also contains a difficulty indicator, which is highlighted before entering the level. Both playful and complex stages are said to arrive following the game's release in the form of post-launch downloadable content by the end of 2024.[3][4] Traversal between the galaxies and levels is achieved through the "Dual Speeder"; a spaceship shaped like a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. The Dual Speeder is controlled by holding down the analog triggers and physically tilting the DualSense.[1] It can also move around freely on the level selection screen.[5][better source needed]

Similar to Rescue Mission, every level contains a set number of Bots which Astro has to rescue, ranging from seven Bots in the main platformer levels to only one or two Bots in the boss fights and challenge levels[citation needed]. There are 300 Bots that can be rescued and recruited in total.[6] Unlike in Rescue Mission, "V.I.P. Bots" (collectible Bots which reference various PlayStation characters in their visual appearance) can also be rescued and recruited. There will be 150 unique V.I.P. Bots, and more are said to be included alongside the free DLC levels.[7][8] Many of the "deep cut" Bot characters from PlayStation's history are said to be rescuable in the game's complex levels.[9] All of the Bots that have been collected can be viewed in a centralized location being described as a museum), where they can be viewed and interacted with.[10] A select few levels will allow you to utilize the abilities from certain PlayStation heroes, such as Kratos' Leviathan Axe being the forefront of a God of War-themed level.[11]

Collectable coins are scattered across the planets, which can be used to purchase a variety of different things. The main way to spend coins is in the Gatcha[b] machine, gifting the player items for the V.I.P. Bots. These items reference specific objects used by the characters in their home games, and gifting it to them causes them to perform specific actions referencing said games.[7][better source needed]. In addition to this, the coins may also be used to purchase a bluebird helper, allowing the player to uncover any Bots or puzzle pieces which they might have missed on their first attempt playing the level. The bluebird helper is available at the beginning of each level, and can only be purchased from the second attempt of a level onwards.[12]

Astro has access to 15 new abilities, which attach onto him and enhance both his traversal and combative capabilities. Some of these new abilities include Barkster the Bulldog Booster (granting Astro the ability to air-dash through enemies and terrain), the Twin-Frog Gloves (allowing Astro to punch enemies from a distance and swing/slingshot off of certain surfaces), and Handy-D (a monkey which allows Astro to climb on certain surfaces, swing, and slam the ground). The boss battles present at the end of each galaxy are fought using these abilities.[13][11]

The game provides a selection of accessibility settings, which include granting the player the option to play the game with a single analog stick (with camera controls instead coming from a single button press), support for the PlayStation Access controller, and the option to disable the gyro controls, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.[12]

Astro Bot is cited to be over four times the length of Astro's Playroom, and will not contain any microtransactions.[14]

Development

[edit]

Development of Astro Bot started almost immediately after Astro's Playroom was completed, and took roughly three years with a development team of around 60 people. It is reportedly the largest game that Team Asobi has developed.[15][16] Unlike its predecessors Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro's Playroom, Astro Bot was named without any subtitle proceeding it. Nicolas Doucet, the creative director and producer of Astro Bot, says the reasoning behind this was to signify a new beginning for the Astro Bot series.[17]

In an interview with Edge magazine, Doucet stated that he and Team Asobi considered giving the game an open world structure, but ultimately decided on focusing more on a level-based structure instead. He notes that the reason behind this decision was "because that was the one that gave us the most control over the game's variety."[18] In order to make the game accessible for gamers of all skill levels, the difficulty of each of Astro Bot’s levels were put into great consideration. The main levels were designed to be relatively easy, allowing anyone to beat the game regardless of their skill level. The optional levels, meanwhile, were designed to be much more difficult as a way of satisfying the more experienced gaming crowd.[16]

Alongside the platforming, a number of additions were made to the background and environmental details present in each of the levels. The overhauled game engine allows for significant improvements in both the visuals and physics, and over 70 unique species of wildlife (of which includes polar bears, elephants and small insects).[19][20]

Astro Bot will not be playable on the PlayStation VR2, in spite of the fact that previous Team Asobi games featuring Astro (such as Astro Bot Rescue Mission and The Playroom VR) required the use of PlayStation VR in order to be played.[21] Doucet stated that Team Asobi had never considered developing a PlayStation VR2 game after finishing Astro's Playroom, instead opting to develop a larger scale version of the tech demo assuming that it was received well enough by the general public. He acknowledged that, while there are games that are playable in both VR and non-VR, this design philosophy could not work for an Astro Bot game, stating "for a game like Astro, if you were to make a VR version, it has to be fully designed for that medium. And if it's not a VR version, it has to be fully designed for that medium."[22] Doucet further corroborated this viewpoint in an interview with MinnMax, stating that developing a PSVR 2 version of Astro Bot would make it an entirely different game.[23] He also noted in the same interview that a PC port was a possibility, should it be in enough demand following the game's release.[24]

DualSense features

[edit]

Astro Bot implements many of the DualSense controller's features in gameplay, particularly the haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers. In order to make the most out of the DualSense's features, Team Asobi formed a small group solely dedicated to getting as much out of the controller as possible.[16] Doucet notes a few examples of these features, which included using the adaptive triggers to simulate squeezing water out of a sponge by changing its resistance level and using the haptic feedback to feel certain irregularities on a surface to uncover a hidden secret.[10] Many features are first developed in isolation before the best ones become integrated into the main game (with the afformentioned sponge ability being an example).[9]

Each of Astro's abilities also utilize the DualSense's features heavily. Doucet notes the difference in how Astro's Playroom and Astro Bot went about implementing the DualSense abilities in gameplay, with the former segmented the platforming and abilities into different sections, and the latter instead opting to integrate the abilities into the platforming gameplay. He also mentions that, because of the stronger emphasis on platforming during development, touchpad related gameplay mechanics were utilized much less frequently. The reason for this, as stated by Doucet, was because using the touchpad requires the player to move their fingers away from the jump button, thus causing the game to become more uncomfortable to play.[10]

V.I.P. Bots

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Astro Bot alongside other V.I.P. Bots, referencing the characters (from left to right) Atreus, Kulche, Kratos, Spike, Aloy and Nathan Drake

Doucet has mentioned the significance of the V.I.P. Bots referencing prominent PlayStation IPs on multiple occasions. He and Team Asobi made the decision to "double down" from the number of PlayStation references present in Astro's Playroom. The reason he gives for this was because it could potentially work as a generational bridge; a child wondering who a certain Bot is referencing could receive an explanation from their parent who had played the games previously.[15]

One challenge that implementing the V.I.P. Bots presented was how the team had gone about representing these longstanding characters. Carried over from Astro's Playroom, punching these Bots causes them to have a funny reaction and reference something specific from their respective games. Doucet noted there was a balance to be had with maintaining this aspect of humor present in the previous the Astro games while simultaneously being respectful to the legacy of the characters they were "taking the piss and being funny with". Various PlayStation Studios studios, such as Santa Monica Studio and Naughty Dog, have responded positively to the implementation of their characters being represented as Bots.[9][10][15]

Another challenge that came about from the V.I.P. Bots was how the large number of PlayStation characters and references present could overshadow the identity of Astro himself. Doucet said he and Team Asobi had considered not implementing any PlayStation branding in the upcoming game, instead allowing Astro to "stand on his own feet". Ultimately, he and Team Asobi decided against this, reasoning that fans of Astro's Playroom who enjoyed the PlayStation references would likely be disappointed if the sequel had done away with them entirely.[10]

The design of the Bots were not always completely accurate to the source material they were referencing, with Doucet specifically noting that characters who had hair often had it replaced with vinyl. Doucet also said that the blue LED eyes present on Bots the were a huge element of their designs. Some Bots could not be accurately represented with LED eyes alone, due to their original designs heavily relying on eyes. To solve this issue, they were given full head masks.[19]

Music

[edit]

Kenneth C. M. Young, having previously composed the music for Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro's Playroom, will return compose the soundtrack for Astro Bot. This was confirmed through his Twitter account.[25]

Marketing and release

[edit]

Astro Bot was announced on May 30, 2024, during Sony's State of Play livestream presentation. The game's release trailer and an additional behind-the-scenes video[c] were showcased on the PlayStation YouTube channel on August 30, 2024.[11] The game is scheduled to release exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2024.[26][27]

The 400th issue of Edge magazine features 10 front cover variants, each of which highlighting a different V.I.P. Bot (such as Ratchet & Clank from their self-titled series and Aloy from the Horizon series).[28]

Three versions of the game are currently available for pre-order, being the digital standard, physical standard and digital deluxe editions. Each of these versions also comes with rewards for pre-ordering the game. The digital standard version comes with an in-game outfit for Astro resembling the character PaRappa the Rapper, a Dual Speeder graffiti skin featuring a variety of different V.I.P. Bots, and two different PlayStation Network avatars (one featuring Astro and the other being a V.I.P. Bot referencing Parappa).[d] The digital deluxe version, alongside featuring all of the rewards in the digital standard release, also adds two outfits (one of which being a golden outfit and the other referencing the Yharnam hunter from Bloodborne), two controller skins (one called 'Neon Dream' and the other 'Champion's Gold'), 10 PlayStation Network avatars (showcasing more renders of Astro and various V.I.P. Bots) and a download code for the official soundtrack and digital art gallery.[1]

Kiosks featuring a playable demo of Astro Bot were present at Summer Game Fest, EVO, ChinaJoy,[e] and PAX West.[2][29][30][31][32] They highlighted five different levels; two of which being the playful platforming stages (named Sky Garden and Construction Derby, the latter referencing the PlayStation video game Destruction Derby), one being a boss fight against an octopus utilizing the Twin-Frog Gloves ability, and two being the comparatively shorter, complex stages (named Swinging Senteries and Slowdown Showdown, both of which being themed after different PlayStation symbols).[4][5][33] Astro Bot will also be one of the games present during Tokyo Game Show which, alongside the aforementioned playable demo, will have feature a giant replica Gatcha machine. Anyone who uses the machine will receive one of four different Astro Bot themed t-shirts.[34]

A DualSense controller modeled after the Dual Speeder was announced on July 29, 2024. Pre-orders started on August 9 and the controller will be released on the same date as the game.[35]

Certain Best Buy locations across Canada have demos available to play in the store.[36]

Tie-in with Astro's Playroom

[edit]

In order to help connect Astro Bot to its predecessor, Astro's Playroom received a free content update on June 7, 2024. It added extra artifacts to the Gatcha machine which corresponded to various PlayStation 5 accessories, such as the PlayStation VR2 headset and the PlayStation Portal. Each of these artifacts could be stored in a new room accessed through the PlayStation Labo room. It also contained a brand new "mission room", which displayed a countdown until Astro Bot's release and directed players to the game's official store page.[37]

Additionally, four new Bots could be rescued; one for each of the worlds present. These Bots reference the PlayStation characters Lady Maria from Bloodborne,[37] Selene from Returnal,[38] a racer from the Gran Turismo series,[39] and a Pipo Monkey from the Ape Escape series.[40] Each of the Bots collected in Playroom can be transferred to the starting crew of Astro Bot.[41]

In the hours preceding the release of Astro Bot, a special celebration countdown will be held inside of Astro's Playroom.[11]

Reception

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Astro Bot received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic,[42] and 100% of critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic.[43]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: アストロボット, Hepburn: Asutorobotto
  2. ^ Stylization of the word "Gacha"
  3. ^ Four additional behind-the-scenes videos are slated to release in the future.
  4. ^ The physical standard edition contains a poster alongside all the pre-order rewards from the digital standard edition.
  5. ^ During ChinaJoy, portions of the demo were livestreamed on the streaming website Weibo.

References

[edit]
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