Nostalgia dances before our eyes in a game that seeks to create safety in a world of uncertainty. Astro Bot took what it feels like to be a kid, wrapped it in a beautiful experience, and made its home our PS5. This title is incredible in the way that it takes Playstation games such as Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn, and puts them in a simple world with one goal. Making the player feel at home with the memories they’ve created, beckoning in a new, younger audience to console gaming.
Comfy, at home, where memories take form:
Not every game needs a battle of the wits, a spectacular light show of guns a’ blazing, or a deep psychological meaning attached to it. Sometimes just sitting in a calm world encased in nostalgia and playfulness is just as rewarding. Astro Bot sought to do something really beautiful, taking the memories we’ve made with other games and putting them in this new world where they all exist together for one common purpose. Astro Bot beautifully showcases a consistent theme running throughout the game kindness, helping others, and fixing something that was broken. In this case, it’s putting a PS5 back together. The premise of this game is lighthearted and fun, Astro Bot is one title where it’s unique in the sense that I have nothing negative to say about it. There are, however, specific mechanics that will cause some to shy away from it not because it's bad, just based on preference. There is a lot of platforming, precision timing, and there is and a repetitive nature to it. I was shocked by this game, not because of the graphics, the way it ran, or really anything quantifiable, but how it made me feel and how much fun I had with it. This game isn't one that I would typically gravitate towards but I was curious to try the title that won game of the year. I was surprised that I was eager to go into each world and see what each one had in store. I’m a big fan of platformers when they’re done right, and utilizing nostalgia to the player's benefit.
To the benefit of the player:
I love the utilization of nostalgia in this game, it's organic, fitting, and doesn’t try too hard to reach the player. Through the addition of Uncharted, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn the people who played those games will feel that buzz, that excitement in their adventures throughout Astro Bot. Seeing Uncharted made me feel elated and giddy, and it was then that I realized that while, yes, this game could have just been about little bots soaring through the galaxy, fixing a PS5, without the cameos of other titles. The utilization of other games, turning Aloy into a little bot, as well as Kratos and Nathan Drake inserted the PlayStation culture into, for all intents and purposes what was originally a game to showcase the hardware and controller of the PS5.
This game from the moment the free version (its predecessor) came out, didn’t just give us a tech demo, it gave us a new way to fall in love with games. It gave games a way to be loved cross-generationally, approaching them in a lighthearted way where you might not like the platforming or the repetition in the game's world, but the core substance of Astro Bot is undeniable. The story's wholesome topic of gathering and saving as many bots as possible, rescuing the CPU, and fixing the PS5 mother ship can be utilized as a metaphor more than anything, really.
What makes this game fantastic?
The game at its core was fantastic for me because of the utilization of the dual-sense controller. Astro Bot utilizes the Dualsense the way it was supposed to be, I feel the controller isn’t being utilized the way it should be in a lot of PlayStation games. The exceptions are Returnal, Spider-Man 2, and God of War Ragnarok. The controls make going through the world, and experiencing it immersive in a way I never felt, like blowing on the control to get fans working, or shaking it to get debris off of the fans in the PS5. There’s so much that this game does technologically that enhances the game and breaks the fourth wall. I need more games to do what Astro Bot did in the sense of creating a dynamic atmosphere with more of a focus on immersive controller implementation, that brings the player into the world of the game.
This game is nostalgic fun, carrying players through an adorable world of cute monsters, adorable little bots to save, and rebuilding a PS5. Even the end credits were interactive, taking me through the team that created this game. If you enjoy platforming, cute characters with an emphasis on a story centralized around a console, give this game a try. Astro Bot won't be for everyone simply because of preference on how someone will enjoy playing this game in regards to the mechanics. There's a lot of platforming and some precision timing you need to implement doing certain tasks. There were parts where it was a tricky challenge to complete, so while this game is fun and adorable don’t let that fool you. Some puzzles and areas are a challenge, if that’s your cup of tea then you’ll enjoy this game a lot! Unlike a lot of games, Astro Bot is unique in that its story and its characters are 100% likable, there’s nothing to hate, or dislike about how the game presents itself. This isn’t a title like The Evil Within where you have evil characters, morally grey characters, or even manipulative ones. Astro Bot has one main goal, to help those who need it, and fix what’s broken.
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