Team ASOBI's new PS5 platform game "Astro Bot" will be officially released on September 6.

Before this, ASOBI had already released a VR game for Astro Bot and a "controller usage guide" that every PS5 player owns. Initially, I thought that this new work would also inherit the "small and refined" appearance without much excitement. However, after completing all levels and collection contents, I could almost personally feel the developers' immense love for the game and their boundless imagination. Not only are there clever Easter egg tributes, but its scale and richness of gameplay also completely surpass previous works. Throughout the entire game, I could always smile at each design detail and unexpected discovery, mixed with a long-lost sense of emotion.

"Paying tribute to others, ultimately achieving oneself" is a phrase that suits it well.

General Overview

Some data had been previously revealed by the official team, such as 6 major galaxies and about 80 levels. In fact, many of these levels are hidden, requiring careful observation in the galaxies to find them. I didn’t directly complete the levels but only proceeded after finishing the collection in each one. The total completion time for full collection (non-platinum) was about 17 hours.

The game's operational threshold is not high, and the learning curve is very smooth, clearly intended to accommodate users of all age groups and skill levels.

For the regular levels, the difficulty of completion is very low, and there are resurrection points placed in different locations. Completion time ranges from 1 to 5 minutes. On replay, players can choose to use a small guide bird (for 200 coins) that senses the location of hidden robots and puzzle pieces, saving a lot of time finding things. However, this undoubtedly spoils the fun of discovering hidden items, and the game gives the player the choice, which is a very thoughtful design.

Each galaxy ends with a BOSS battle, and all have multi-stage changes. The PK (player killing) method is determined by the abilities obtained at the time. The combat process is simple, but the performance effect is commendable.

As for the challenge levels, they appear separately and require the player to complete them with one life, meaning the completion time can be 1 minute or 1 hour... This actually tests the player's skill proficiency and reaction ability. The margin for error isn’t so low as to be frustrating. It’s clear the developers wanted to offer a challenge but didn’t want players to throw their controllers in frustration, so each difficult point is designed to be brief and can be retried quickly. It generally won’t trap players, and those not interested in challenges can directly skip them.

Aside from the 6 major galaxies and hidden levels, the game also has a “base.” Depending on the game's progress and the player’s collection progress, the base's functions will be unlocked one by one. Additionally, some unexplored areas in the base are also related to collections. I will discuss the base's specific functions below.

The Charm of the Little Robot Finally Shows

I had always felt that it was a pity the little robot was always used for "teaching," but this new "Astro Bot" is the version I wanted to see.

The story is about the PS5 mothership being attacked by enemies, with important parts of the ship stolen, and even the crew scattered across different galaxies. You, along with your DualSense controller, must rescue them and retrieve the ship’s core components, ultimately joining forces to face the final BOSS. I won’t reveal more—there’s not much more to say anyway.

Since this is a game deeply customized for the PS5, "Astro Bot" is outstanding in terms of visual experience and detail. The transitions in scene styles and the dynamic effects inside are very rich. Especially in the levels deeply customized based on first-party games, from the robot’s abilities to the design of scene mechanisms and the tributes in camera angles and music, the developers clearly understand Sony’s first-party games inside out, creating an experience that is both touching and amusing.

I won’t give specific examples to avoid spoiling the surprises, but they’re very easy to guess. Additionally, there are a large number of third-party Easter eggs, both in terms of scenes and characters. The number of Easter eggs is staggering and far surpasses that of the "controller usage guide."

Another reason for the deep customization is the use of the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced such rich and dynamic feedback from a controller—probably since the "controller usage guide." Team ASOBI has also refined the external sound effects of the controller, so you can almost rely solely on the controller's sound output to pass the levels, without needing the console’s speakers.

Action-wise, I think this is the biggest improvement. Basic actions include square attack (charged for a spinning attack or throw), X jump (charged jump), L2+R2 vehicle acceleration, and gyroscope control for flight direction. Some levels offer special enhanced items like spring gloves or dog dashes, with about six or seven in total. Combined with the basic actions, new moves can evolve, such as spinning + punching with the spring gloves for a wide-range attack. The gloves can also grab poles for swinging. In some challenge levels, you must quickly switch between these actions to pass.

The base is the crash site of the PS5 mothership, a small open area. As you collect puzzle pieces, you unlock functional buildings like a "hangar" for changing controller colors, a dressing room for robot skins, a photo park, and a gacha machine.

The models from the gacha machine are displayed in the base and are mostly dynamic, like the Tallneck from "Horizon," which will walk around the base after being drawn. It's interesting, and I observed each one to see what interactive effects they had.

In both the normal levels and the photo park, standing behind the photo boards will cause suitable photo elements to suddenly appear, like small animals gathering to play or fireworks going off in the distance. It's definitely worth a try when encountered.

There are also four unexplored miniature areas outside the base, each with different robot requirements. Completing these areas rewards extra robots and puzzle pieces.

Conclusion

In terms of audiovisual experience, design creativity, action smoothness, and difficulty, "Astro Bot" excels in every aspect. Compared to the previous "controller usage guide," the new game surpasses it both in content scale and the number of Easter eggs. Moreover, it showcases the PS5 controller's features better than any other game.

Since I’ve given it 9 points, there are, of course, some drawbacks. First, I deducted 0.5 points for overall length. As a mediocre veteran player, 17 hours for full collection feels a bit short. The developers could learn from competitors and add more mechanics to regular level replays, such as time trials or other challenges, rather than just item collection, to enhance replayability and challenge.

Another 0.5 points were deducted for the maximum difficulty design. I didn’t expect that the hardest level from the offline demo would be one of the hardest in the game. This somewhat shattered my expectations. It seems the developers didn’t want to turn the game into a nightmare for less skilled players.

Still, this game caters to players of all ages and skill levels, with special appeal for Sony fans. It pays tribute to classics in a way that’s adorable, funny, creative, and deeply moving for nostalgic players. "Astro Bot" has done all this, and I believe it will be a contender for the TGA Game of the Year award.