‘Astro Bot’ sport evaluate: Sony’s genre-bending platformer units a brand new customary

Within the sport, Astro Bots stay aboard a large mothership that bears an uncanny resemblance to the PlayStation 5. Their peaceable existence is shattered when Area Bully Nebulax destroys the ship and steals its CPU. Now, it’s as much as the lovable Astro Bot to defeat Nebulax, recuperate the CPU, rescue scattered companions throughout the galaxy, and rebuild the mothership. The story might sound easy — very like the basic Mario, Bowser, and Daisy setup — however it’s a good backdrop to launch the journey.

Astro Bot affords extra versatility than Mario, boasting a wider array of strikes than the mushroom-powered plumber, whereas retaining a few of Sonic’s pace and fluidity. Astro Bot can punch, spin, double soar, inflate, broaden, and even manipulate time, amongst different skills. The sport brilliantly blends a number of genres, taking gamers by way of acquainted PlayStation landscapes like God of Struggle and Uncharted, whereas introducing flying missions the place you management Astro Bot’s speeder bike utilizing the PS5’s DualSense controller. It’s wild, but it surely works.

Designed to showcase each characteristic of the PS5, Astro Bot shines in its use of the DualSense controller, incorporating haptic suggestions, built-in audio system, and adaptive triggers to create an immersive expertise. From utilizing movement sensors to pilot jets to syncing visuals with controller haptics, the sport seems like an evolution of what was as soon as seen within the WarioWare sequence through the Nintendo DS period.

The galaxy-hopping gameplay evokes reminiscences of Tremendous Mario Galaxy, however that’s the place the similarities finish. Astro Bot builds on this basis with wealthy nods to PlayStation’s legacy. You’ll expertise God of Struggle-inspired ranges the place you wield Kratos’ axe, and the gameplay mechanics continuously shift, preserving issues recent. With out giving an excessive amount of away, the sport will problem your information of PlayStation lore.

Whereas Astro Bot begins off gentle and straightforward, it ramps up in issue as you progress. The problem sneaks up on you, particularly in boss fights, the place it seems like getting hit over the pinnacle with a mallet. The platforming is a masterclass in stage design, with every stage providing a novel theme and dynamic. The sport additionally does a implausible job of motivating you to gather every part, out of your misplaced Bot buddies to fixing creative micro-puzzles for cash. It hooks you all the best way to a really satisfying conclusion.

If the advertising and marketing makes Astro Bot seem like one other Mario clone, don’t be fooled. It’s a severe contender for sport of the 12 months, not only for its pleasant platforming but additionally for the way it showcases the complete potential of the PS5. With loads of Easter eggs and cameos from PlayStation’s storied historical past, it’s a must-play for any fan of the platform.