5/5 ★ – DrippyHippy's review of ASTRO BOT.

Astro Bot is no exaggeration the most impressive game I have ever played in my entire life and its got my vote for game of the year. Starting off as a PS5 tech demo (Astro's Playroom), people such as myself immediately fell in love with the charm of Astro Bot, the plethora of references to other PlayStation franchises, and the fluid platforming. However, the one issue everyone had with Astro's Playroom was that there wasn't more of it. This is mainly because it was just Tech Demo to show off the PS5 Dualsense controller's capabilities and only had a runtime of around 2 to 3 hours. Anyways, Team Asobi heard all of our cries and over the course of 4 years cooked up one of the best games of the entire decade. By far the most impressive part of this game is the controller considering It utilizes it in every way imaginable. Every step you take, every punch you land, and every ability you use is all felt and heard through the PS5 controller. And if you think I'm exaggerating, that should just show you how mind blowing this game is because everything I said is 100% true. For example, if Astro Bot starts running, you'll feel every single step he takes on each corresponding side of the controller. Hell, if you change the surface of where you're running (ex: grass to metal platforms) you'll feel more or less vibration and hear a different walking sound from the controller. And to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if they started selling the PS5 bundled with Astro Bot at the back of Spencers considering you can basically use the controller as a homemade vibrator. Ok but raunchy jokes aside, the controller makes this game so much more immersive and shows how technologically impressive the PS5 really is. The platforming in this game is also where a ton of impressiveness comes from. There are a total of 80 stages in this game, all of which include completely different atmospheres, intricate and fun platforming utilizing the environment and abilities, and a bunch of other goodies to look around for such as bots from the many beloved PlayStation franchises and puzzle pieces to unlock ship and costume customization. Not only that, but after beating a galaxy, you'll unlock a themed level where Astro Bot will transform into a PlayStation character like Kratos or Nathan Drake and play through a level using their main ability to collect characters from their corresponding franchises and fighting a boss at the end of the level utilizing said abilities. These levels can be pretty hit or miss (*cough* Locoroco level *cough*) but when they hit, they hit hard (*cough* god of war and uncharted level *cough*). These levels along with the 183 PlayStation character bots really goes to show how much respect Team Asobi has for PlayStation as a whole. I had so much fun going around and collecting some of my favorite gaming characters of all time, collecting their animations in the hub world, and even being able to dress up as them. However, I think the most impressive part about the level design is that they are able to implement new mechanics and beautiful atmospheres throughout the entire course of the game. And yeah, I know games like Super Mario Galaxy have achieved these feats before and maybe even done them better but we haven't had a game that's achieved that in quite some time and Astro Bot translates this aspect to modern day hardware and completely revived the genre in my opinion. The gameplay and abilities is also one of the main reasons why the boss battles work so well. Each and every one of them were so fun and made great use of the abilities that were mainly present in that galaxy. My only issue with it was that most of them were pretty darn easy and didn't really pose much of a challenge. But other than that, I can confidently say that the bosses were pretty great. Another thing I should probably mention when talking about this masterpiece is how charming it is. Astro Bot is so freaking adorable and I truly think he is a main contender for an official PlayStation mascot. Also, the game has tons of charming easter eggs ranging from things like Bot animations in the hub world, unique character titles and biographies that call back to iconic moments from their respective games, and many others. The last thing I want to mention before wrapping up this review is the ending. When you collect all the parts to finish the PS5, there's one thing left to do. And that is to get the CPU from the main villain Nebulax (who by the way is a pretty underwhelming villain). This ending sequence is one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had considering there's a sort of Endgame like sequence at the end where all of the mascots from the previous PlayStation systems come together on their own ships (which are the consoles) and help you blast your way through Nebulax's defenses. And once you reach the final boss, you're in for a really fun fight. While it is pretty easy like the others, it's got tons of cool and unique attacks that correspond to the ability you get from the wheel. One Nebulax defeated and one fake out death later, the game is unfortunately over and you play through the credits. The ending is so bittersweet and really makes you feel a big sense of accomplishment. Overall, Astro Bot is one of PlayStation's most ambitious titles that managed to completely revive the slowly dying 3D platformer genre with its super impressive gameplay mechanics and level design, engaging exploration, and charming atmosphere. But if there was one word I would use to describe this masterpiece is "fun". This game is simply one big bundle of joy and if you don't come out of it with a smile plastered all over your face, I dont ever want to interact with you in fear of catching your terrible case of "being boring". If you own a PS5 and somehow haven't checked out this game yet, I really can't recommend it enough as it's easily one of the best games on the console and by far the best game released this year. And hey, if you don't have the money for it quite yet, just play Astro's Playroom. It's basically a free demo version of this game that should keep you busy until you come up with enough money to purchase this masterpiece. VOTE ASTRO BOT FOR GAME OF THE YEAR 2024!