In Helium Heights, with the help of the inflator power-up soar high above the clouds through a floating balloon fiesta. Get ready for some helium-filled hijinks as you take off, ride upward gusts of wind, and race to the goal to rescue your captured crewmates. Astro Bot[a] is a 2024 platform game developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. A follow-up to Astro’s Playroom (2020), it is the fifth game in the Astro Bot series and Team Asobi’s first game since its separation from Japan Studio.

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There are more levels like the Ape Escape one, in which Astro fully absorbs the personality and toolkit of another PlayStation hero and romps through a level based on that character’s own games. I won’t spoil them, but they all achieve a surprisingly deep synthesis of their inspiration (often a more mature-styled game) with Astro Bot’s tactile world, adorable characters, and toothsome gameplay. It’s a mark of how confident the game is that its personality shines so clearly through the costumes it dons. This tribute is never more touching and joyful than in the case of Ape Escape.

Is Astro Bot Worth It?

There isn’t anywhere else to spend Coin and you’ll always pay 100, no matter what. As long as you have more than that, you can buy from the machine. Plus, you’ll make a ton going to new and even older levels from exploring, destroying enemies, and collecting coins and old character and Puzzle Pieces. That said, it’s rather easy to get sucked into the charm of Astro Bot and get lost in the nostalgia of it all. I mean, when there are so many collectibles and elements going on, it may seem like a lot.

Platformers like Kirby and the Forgotten Land are at their best when they’re introducing new ideas that consistently surprise players. They tend to lag in their back halves when they’ve played all their cards, but have more levels to go. Even Astro Bot dips into that in its final world as it begins repeating power-ups and enemy types. It doesn’t have trouble keeping its double dips to a minimum, though.

How To Access The Winter Wonder Level

You need to fly around the Nebula with your space ship until a UFO appears that holds the puzzle pieces, simply fly into it to collect it. If you replay levels, you can buy a satellite at the start for coins that marks the collectible locations. However, you need 15,000 coins to buy 150 gatcha items for the Money Well Spent trophy, so it’s best to not spend coins on the satellites. After reaching 100% completion you will have close to 15,000 coins if you don’t spend them on satellites.

In addition to the new platform-heavy level, players will have a new cameo bot to rescue and can earn a new Trophy called Rolling Rescue to fill out their collection. If you haven’t played Astro Bot yet (and seriously, why not?), it’s currently on sale for $39 as part of the PlayStation Black Friday sale. In the few instances where the hero isn’t wearing an ability, the game still finds ways to reinvent itself.

A few of them demanded a deft diving ability the backpack is meant to offer, but it doesn’t have the same accuracy of other abilities in the game, which led me to whiff on some sections in a way that was unique to this level. It was manageable, but if any secret levels–which tend to be some of the game’s hardest–also use this mechanic, I expect them to become some of the game’s few frustrations. Like any excellent platformer, Astro Bot’s movement feels responsive and trustworthy. Despite the game consistently giving you new ways to traverse its puzzling pathways, you’ll almost always feel like you have a good grip on clearing gaps, timing attacks on enemies, and dodging bosses with expertise. The camera caused a few rare instances of what felt like selling me out, but the game’s checkpoints are so numerous and the load times are virtually non-existent, such that this never became a pain point for me.

Every level has a set of hidden bots that Astro needs to rescue. That would be a charming Easter egg hunt, but Team Asobi isn’t just investing in empty references. G28 uses the opportunity to show its love for PlayStation history. According to the game’s reveal trailer and details shared on the official PlayStation Blog, Astro Bot will feature over 80 levels spread across six galaxies players will explore. That makes Astro Bot a significantly bigger adventure than Astro’s Playroom and PSVR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission. We’re eager to see how Team Asobi expands the gameplay this time around.

Game8 rated it 96/100, calling it the best platformer of the year, praising its stunning visuals, great design, and fun, simple controls. They compared it to Super Mario Odyssey but noted it still feels unique. IGN gave it a 9/10, calling it a fantastically inventive platformer filled with PlayStation memories.

This year has been a very special journey for us at Team Asobi, and we thank you for joining us. Until next time, we wish you a very relaxing and restful end of the year, full of gaming of course, but above all, full of good health and happiness all around. I’ve played all of the GOTY nominees, except FF VII Rebirth, this year. Sure, the variety of emotions, the adrenaline rush of combat, the awe of exploring, and such that comes with playing these RPGs is unmatched. However, I have to say that the delight, the sense of pure joy, and the wholesomeness I got out of playing Astro Bot was truly unmatched and unforgettable. Join Astro Bot on an unforgettable journey through imaginative worlds and discover why it’s the most celebrated platformer of 2024.