Full Astro Bot Game Announced
Last week’s PlayStation showcase didn’t have the mass appeal or fanfare that a lot of people were hoping for. That’s not to say that there weren’t any highlights, however. While more niche, a new Monster Hunter and a look at the Silent Hill 2 Remake were well appreciated in their fanbases. The most exciting game shown off, however, was the one that ended off the presentation: Team ASOBI’s ‘Astro Bot’.
Image by Team ASOBI
You may remember this lovable robot from his VR games in the past (which were received quite well) or, more likely, the free Astro’s Playroom, which was (and still is) one of the games that made the best use of the PlayStation 5’s Dualsense capabilities. With adaptive triggers and haptic feedback making it a joy to run through. There was one major issue that fans had with the game, however: it was too short! Acting as a tech demo of sorts for the PS5, Astro’s Playroom only takes about 3 hours- maybe a couple more if you scour the levels for fun PlayStation memorobilia collectibles.
Image by Team ASOBI
Thankfully, however, this fatal flaw is being addressed with a brand new game coming later this year. Titled simply ‘Astro Bot’, this entry will give the PS5 mascot a much needed fully fledged solo adventure. Announced with a 3 minute trailer, this is clearly a big step up from previous games in the series. With each level taking place on an entirely different planet and there being six galaxies to explore, the scope of this platformer itself is impressive. The visuals also look fantastic and varied- with sprawling jungles and overwhelming casinos making up just two of the promised 80+ environments.
Image by Team ASOBI
Of course, the transformations from Astro’s Playroom return too- alongside weirder more interesting abilities like turning into a sponge and even ‘frog gloves’. Much like Playroom, this release seeks to pay homage to PlayStation history- with botified characters like Kratos and Aloy appearing in the trailer. In a blog post after the showcase, it was also hinted that these characters would play a much larger role in this game than just as a reference. What this means isn’t clear but it does mean that we’ll see a continuation of the fantastic homages to the history of PlayStation new and old. If you’re craving a unique 3D Platformer, you can pick this one up when it launches on September 6th. From what we’ve seen so far, this release looks to be one of the most unassumingly great games on the PS5.
