What Super Mario can do, “Astro Bot” has been able to do for a long time. The adventure about a little robot from the Playstation universe is intended to be a tricky jump & run that will attract and delight all age groups. ntv.de tested the exclusive title for the PS5.
Super Mario is one of the forefathers of platforming games. The Italian plumber created an entire brand cosmos for Nintendo, from which dozens of spin-offs have emerged. He has become the face of a major gaming brand. Sony is now daring to undertake a similar venture with its Playstation and is sending “Astro Bot,” a cute robot into the race that was actually there to present the functions of the new PS5 controller in mini-games. Astro now gets his own big adventure, a 3D platformer that is bursting with creative ideas – and will appeal to young and old alike. ntv.de tested the exclusive title for the PS5.
The double frog gloves in use
(Photo: Playstation)
Super Mario usually has to save the princess and the story in “Astro Bot” is rather simple. While traveling through the galaxy with his robot friends, the spaceship, in the shape of a Playstation 5, is attacked by an alien. The alien, who is somewhat reminiscent of Kang from The Simpsons, steals four important parts of the ship. There is a crash landing and the 300 crew members – all of them robots – are scattered across six different galaxies. Astro Bot has to find his colleagues and the spaceship parts. To do this, he fights his way through six galaxies and over 80 levels. At the end of each galaxy there is also a final boss waiting.
From monkey claws to puffer fish balloons
The crew members are sometimes easy to discover, but sometimes they are also well hidden. Astro has two small thrusters under his feet with which he can reach higher ledges, but also saw through enemies or objects. To do this, he can punch some of the opposing robots out of the picture. In many levels, the heroic robot finds an aid that changes the movement in the level. With a puffer fish balloon, Astro temporarily reaches unimagined heights, with the double frog glove he punches opponents over a longer distance, and at the same time it serves as a catapult.
The monkey claws allow for tricky climbing passages where the PS5 controller shows its full potential. When climbing, you align Astro's body using the angle of the controller so that he can reach the next handle on the left or right, while at the same time you grab or let go with the shoulder buttons. One of the things that left a lasting impression in the test was the mini mouse function. Astro shrinks to the size of a mouse in a matter of seconds and can slip through holes and niches. This opens up another level in the level. In total, the developers have designed 15 different tools for Astro, each providing a unique gameplay experience.
300 of Astro's colleagues are scattered across the galaxy.
(Photo: Playstation)
In addition to the sensor functions of the controller, the haptic feedback with many subtle vibrations really impresses. When Astro runs on sand, it feels like that; when it rains, you can feel the pattering drops. The controller gives the player an even better feel for what is currently happening in the game.
No frustration, no boredom
At first glance, all gameplay passages seem simple, suitable for children, but if you want to collect all the robots, you also have to solve some puzzles and complete tricky jumping and climbing sections where timing is important. But since there are a lot of save points, the potential for frustration is very low.
The worlds are so colorful and lovingly designed that you never get bored. Many of the 300 crew robots are Playstation cameos. Means: You already know the characters from other games. These include, for example, Kratos and Atreus from the “God of War” games. Sometimes Astro even takes on their roles and swings the frost ax himself.
With the developers from Team Asobi, Playstation has created a truly brilliant video game experience that only has one small disadvantage. Even though “Astro Bot” guarantees hours of fun and really appeals to all age groups, some people might not be immediately aware of the full price of 70 euros. But the game is worth it and could take on a similar role in the Playstation cosmos as Mario does at Nintendo.
