The fact that some of the characters and settings in Astro Bot are recognizable from popular video games only makes the whole thing sweeter. Astro Bot is rolling back the years, not only shining a light on 30 years of PlayStation history through a ton of cameos and level design tributes, but by putting platformers back at gaming’s pinnacle. A fantastically colourful and creative romp through a huge variety of settings, it’ll have your thumbsticks clicking, your heart racing, and even your lips blowing – yep, that’s a mechanic in the game. Each level across five main galaxies and one unlockable one features a swarm of bots (many based on beloved PS characters) to rescue, as well as jigsaw pieces and some secret black holes too. Here, you’ll find your one-stop shop for every single collectible in the game, and the Trophies too, arranged into each zone Astro blasts off into.

Which Was Your Favorite Stage In Astro Bot?

That leads me through a fantastic puzzle-platformer gauntlet where I need to shrink down to climb into a lock or hop up a tree’s leaves. Another level drops me in a casino and puts a time-slowing PSVR on Astro’s head. I use that ability to freeze a giant slot machine as it rains down chips, turning them into platforms. Ingenious one-off mechanics like this feel like they could serve as the basis for an entire game; that’s how well-crafted they are.

What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Arthur – Fragile Knight

When I slowed down, though, I began to appreciate just how much I could play with in the little town before moving on. I could knock over a stack of buckets, sending hundreds of bolts into the sand. I jumped on a clothesline and watched as I skidded over towels, which fell from their wooden pins with a satisfying cartoonish twang. I saved a hidden bot after spotting a group of enemies off to the side, suspiciously gathered around a defenseless monkey. What could have been a 30-second moment turned into a 20-minute one as I gleefully interacted with every detail I could, just as a kid might. Outside of bosses and minibosses, there initially doesn’t appear to be a great range in enemy types.

What Are All Special Bots In Astro Bot? Elena Fisher – Tenacious Reporter

Players can even suck up concrete in a later level to hop around and there might be more that won’t be dived into. The point is, the Elephant is a versatile power-up that looks good on Astro Bot’s back too. Astro Bot has to be one of the most unique platformers in years and that’s saying something since 2023 was all about Super Mario Bros. What makes levels unique can partly be thanked to the power-ups which come in a variety of styles. For example, in boss battles, players can get hearts that act like extra lives.

Once you have unlocked Crash Bandicoot Special Bot and its unique cosmetic from the Gatcha Lab (Protective Spirit), find Crash at your Crash site. To unlock the Royally Stuck trophy you need to first collect The Prince Special Bot (aka Katamari Damacy) on Downsize Surprise world in the Tentacle System. The next step is to unlock the Rolling Star Gatcha Collectible from the Gatcha Lab. Look for Kratos Bot and Thor Bot near the bridge that leads to the Jungle Temple at your Crash Site (northwest of the crashed Mothership). Kratos Bot will hit Thor with his axe, freezing him into a cube! Trophy in Astro Bot in the Slo-Mo Casino world of Serpent Starway.

Astro Bot only cares about fun, and I genuinely can’t think of a single moment it made me wish something had been handled differently, tweaked to be easier, or expanded upon. It has been a real delight to continue offering you, our valued fans, an extended Astro Bot experience at no additional cost. Very tight of Sony on that as on my series x, as long as it is my home console all that log in get cloud saves through my subscription.

I just wish there were one or two more of them, but perhaps I’m being greedy. These five new levels, available to ASTRO BOT players at no additional cost, will truly test your jumping skills. Each one comes with a brand-new Special Bot to rescue and, once that’s done, can be replayed in Time Attack mode with online rankings.

But past that, it’s also a grand celebration of PlayStation and video game history as a whole — the only game that’s been able to rival Super Smash Bros. in that regard. NK88 is easily the best game on the PS5 to date and a platformer that can proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anything Mario has done. Astro is revived by his Dual Speeder, a smaller spaceship resembling the DualSense controller, and together they begin reactivating satellites and exploring galaxies to rescue the crew and rebuild the mothership. Along the way, he rescues V.I.P. Bots (guest characters from other games) and explores planets based on Ape Escape, God of War, Uncharted, LocoRoco, and Horizon.

The team had a talent for unearthing delightful and satisfying interactions from the devices, and they peopled their games with cute little robots who acquired more personality with each installment. We also cranked up the number of baddies too with over 70 new types, including massive bosses at the end of each galaxy. Special mention to the deadly cobra queen Lady Venomara who appears in the trailer, waiting for you in her golden lair. Defeating each boss will uncover a wonderful secret but we don’t want to spoil that, so our lips are sealed😊. And for the brave ones of you craving even more challenge, the game comes packed with die-and-retry levels to test your reflexes.