One ability that joins Sponge and Mouse rr99.com in that it isn’t used much is the Teddy Cymbol, an ability that is really only injected into the game should you discover all the secret levels. While there are a few other abilities you’ll discover, they are used well enough in their respective levels but don’t really feature the same creativity as some of the ones I’ve just mentioned. Astro Bot is, at its core, a game built out of sheer creativity. Damn rights it does, but it puts them on display with a rare confidence few studios could pull off.

In addition to the new platform-heavy level, players will have a new cameo bot to rescue and can earn a new Trophy called Rolling Rescue to fill out their collection. While more of an extension of its previous titles than something all-new, it sounds like Team Asobi has cooked another stellar game. With over 80 stages and more than 15 power ups, players that wanted more of Astro’s Playroom will unlikely be dissatisfied. It will also be interesting to see what kind of new experiences Team Asobi can deliver with its deep knowledge of the DualSense controller. By paying respect to PlayStation’s heritage in new interactive ways, Astro Bot also seems like the perfect game to mark PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. Today, PlayStation’s cinematic blockbuster titles still mostly cater to a mature audience, but Team Asobi is taking a different approach.

Astro Bot is a platformer adventure game released on September 6, 2024, for the PS5, serving as a sequel to Team Asobi’s Astro’s Playroom from 2020 and the third game in the series. Players take on the role of the lovable Astro Bot, embarking on a space-faring adventure through diverse environments, including waves of sandy beaches, lush jungles, and fiery volcanoes. Along the way, Astro gains new powers and transformations to aid in the journey. Released in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, the game pays homage to the brand’s legacy by allowing players to find and reunite with over 150 iconic PlayStation characters.

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It all fits together perfectly, with levels unfurling with surprising secrets that encourage exploration and always have an answer for a curious mind. Astro Bot might also be the most ASMR game ever with pitch perfect sound design that reacts to every single surface like no other game before. If you thought Playroom was a showcase for the DualSense, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Other abilities, like the Monkey Climb has you scaling walls with long extended arms. The Frog punch is similar in appearance, but has you punching like the cast of Nintendo’s ARMS. Strapping a penguin to your back will allow you to swim faster, whereas a dog on the back of Astro can propel him further.

Astro Bot’s abilities, such as high jumps, hovering, and special gadgets, allow for creative movement and problem-solving. Each level presents new challenges, from navigating tricky terrain to overcoming environmental hazards. Throughout the hour campaign – around 15 for full completion – Astro encounters power-ups that give them abilities like shrinking, stretchy arms, rocket jump, and more.

Each of these designs is distinct and instantly recognizable from the characters they represent, which is amazing knowing that they’re only limited to a robotic mascot. In addition to this, the animations of the game are also works of art. Not only are all of the aspects amazing, from its catchy music and great sound effects, the game actually uses the controller’s speakers perfectly as well. There’s not much else to say about it except that it’s pretty much perfect for the game’s vibe and presentation.

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Over 150 of them in fact, as characters from PlayStation’s vast library of games have made their way into Astro’s world in the form of other bots. There are the ones you’d expect like Lombaxes, tomb raiders, and a certain rapping dog but, delightfully, some are plucked from the more obscure end of the scale. It’s light touches of irony and slapstick humour like this that keep Astro’s playful tone going throughout. It really is just a delight from start to finish in this regard.

The studio’s roster of delightful robots and the inventive gameplay with which they and players interact have been compared with the Nintendo way. But maybe the PlayStation didn’t need an answer to Nintendo and Sega’s beloved mascots. Games were entering an era in which more realistic human characters like Cloud Strife, Solid Snake and Lara Croft were becoming the new industry icons. As this more mature stream of gaming culture evolved, cutesy mascot characters and the 3D platformers they called home became less and less common. When Microsoft entered the industry with the Xbox in 2001, Halo’s Master Chief instantly shaped the console’s image.

Playing as the titular Astro Bot, it’s a title that finds you encountering a rude alien as you fly through space in your PS5 console-shaped craft. Soon your slick method of transport has been robbed of its important innards, causing it to crash land on a desolate planet. Now you’ve got the arduous job of visiting the star systems nearby, rescuing your robotic friends that got flung far and wide in the whole affair, and ultimately rebuild your ship. Nicolas Doucet was asked by MinnMax what he wants to say to PC players who are eager to play the modern PlayStation mascot’s games on their platform. However, similar to Playroom, the team has built a huge range of power-ups and gadgets and then built entire level concepts around them seamlessly. Each of these are fun in their own right but the sheer variety and ease of use impressed me the most.

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If 2020’s Astro’s Playroom was like a museum – albeit one with fun playable exhibits – Astro Bot is like a theme park, throwing a new thrill at you around every corner and after every double-jumped gap. It doesn’t always deliver the bonkers creativity that drives the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey, but that’s hardly damning criticism when swings of that size are rarely taken outside of Nintendo’s walls. What developer Team Asobi has designed here, though, does successfully evoke the spirit of those great platformers by birthing novel stages full of visual flourish that never cross the line into becoming mere novelties. Customers appreciate the game’s creative levels, with one mentioning that the world is filled with secrets and another noting how it encourages players to think creatively. Customers find the game suitable for all ages, with kids particularly enjoying it, and one customer noting that the main levels are great for young players.

From time-bending casinos to Japanese bath houses, each level brings novel mechanics and creative challenges that rival Nintendo’s finest platformers. A few months ago, Sony issued a free DLC (downloadable content) for “Astro’s Playroom” that connects the previous game with the new one. Since all PS5 consoles come with “Astro’s Playroom” for free, it’s more than likely that “Astro Bot” will become a big hit for Sony. This is because every console owner has played the previous installment and are likely to want more from the character. Team Asobi is the last remaining bastion of Japan Studio, the historically creative Sony studio responsible for the likes of Ico, LocoRoco, Gravity Rush, PaRappa the Rapper, and many, many more offbeat classics.