Astro Bot Review

Every console generation needs its definitive platformer, and Astro Bot fills that role for the PS5 with effortless charm. Team Asobi has taken the promise of 2020's Astro's Playroom and expanded it into a full-length adventure that is bursting with creativity, warmth, and an almost reckless commitment to making every single level feel like a new idea.

Gameplay

Astro Bot's genius lies in its refusal to repeat itself. Across more than 50 levels spread over six galaxies, nearly every stage introduces a new power-up, mechanic, or environmental gimmick — and then discards it before it overstays its welcome. One level gives Astro a pair of boxing glove springs that let him punch through walls and bounce off surfaces. The next hands him a shrink ray that miniaturizes enemies and opens hidden paths. A personal highlight is the sponge suit, which absorbs water to grow in size and can be squeezed out to solve environmental puzzles. None of these ideas are filler; each one is explored just enough to feel satisfying without becoming routine. The DualSense controller is the secret weapon here. Team Asobi uses every feature of Sony's hardware with a precision that borders on obsessive. You feel individual grains of sand beneath Astro's feet, the tension of pulling a rope through haptic resistance, and the sharp click of ice cracking under your weight through the adaptive triggers. It is the single best implementation of the DualSense to date, and it makes a strong case that haptics are not a gimmick.

Graphics & Performance

Astro Bot is a visual delight. The art direction leans into a toybox aesthetic — environments are built from craft materials, metallic surfaces, and soft fabrics that beg to be touched. Draw distances are impressive, with sprawling galaxy maps rendered in gorgeous detail, and the game maintains a rock-solid 60fps throughout. Character animation deserves special praise; the rescued PlayStation bots each have distinct personality in their movements, and Astro himself is animated with a Pixar-level attention to weight and expression.

Story

The narrative is straightforward — a cosmic villain scatters your crew across the galaxy and you set out to rescue them — but it serves as a perfect scaffold for the gameplay. The real story is told through the hundreds of PlayStation cameo bots hidden throughout each level. Discovering a tiny Kratos, Aloy, or Parappa tucked into a secret corner triggers a rush of genuine nostalgia, and Team Asobi treats each reference with obvious affection rather than cynical fan service.

Verdict

Astro Bot is the best 3D platformer since Super Mario Odyssey. Its level design is endlessly inventive, its DualSense integration is unmatched, and its personality is infectious. The main campaign clocks in at around 12 hours for full completion, which may feel brief for the price, and there is little reason to return once every bot has been found. But what is here is close to flawless — a game that reminds you why you fell in love with the medium in the first place.