Summary
Astro Botis somewhat unique as aPlayStationgame. Not only does it have less violent tendencies than most ofSony’sprestige offerings, it also fully acknowledges its existence as a PlayStation game. While Sony has built up its reputation across the past couple of generations with self-serious, immersive storytelling that feels closer to movies, Astro Bot has you running around collecting memory cards, riding on a DualSense, and rescuing iconic console mascots. There has been some concern around this, but it feels overblown.
When writing aboutAstro Bot avoiding violence for a more joyous experience, I wrote that I hoped there was more to it than remembering the EyeToy existed. But in the days since the trailer, I’ve seen people lamenting the presence of the EyeToy and the like at all, but I think this is a key part to Astro Bot’s selling point. I want stuff as well as the EyeToy, not instead, and that’s a crucial distinction.
Astro Bot’s Criticisms Are What Make It Special
There is a feeling that Astro Bot isn’t allowed to be its own thing whenthere are constant cameosfromKratosand controllers. But thatisAstro Bot being its own thing. By travelling directly into the PlayStation and playing around with the different parts, using a DualSense as a rocket ship, Astro Bot is entirely unique. No other game that I can think of is this meta about the console it exists on. The cameos feel fairly similar to theLegogames, but even this is a slightly different use for them - especially if we’re to be rescuing these heroes.
Mascot platformers don’t tend to have the most engrossing storylines anyway, so if Astro Bot ‘sacrifices’ its storytelling for these references, that seems worthwhile. They aren’t just, as so many references are these days, empty reminders that Sony owns a lot of slop. Astro Bot’s core design ideology is in playing around with the meta of PlayStation and its legacy, and letting players experience this in a whole new way. Though less dripping in blood and curse words, Astro Bot is theDeadpoolof PlayStation.
Both Deadpool and Astro Bot understand their media from the perspective of the audience, and so can play around with that in unique ways. Deadpool takes this in a more edgy direction, and in recent years has Flanderised himself into a more exaggerated, clownish version of the character he was supposed to be. But at his best, he plays around with what it means to be a comic book hero - and Astro Bot doesn’t need excuses for the kooky video game gimmicks like blowing into the controller. It just admits it’s a video game character and goes from there.
Can Astro Bot Keep Making Games With Other PlayStation Mascots?
Then there’s the worry over the lack of futureproofing to a series that is all about celebrating PlayStation mascots. With games taking longer to make and many studios relying on the safety of remakes and sequels, there are fewer ‘mascots’ around these days than there once were, and that trend could well continue. That could make it difficult to make an Astro Bot in 20 years, if all we have between now and then are three moreAloygames, two Kratos games,Naughty Dog’srumouredfantasy IPfollowed byThe Last of Us Part 3, androughly six million dead-in-a-year 5v5 live-service games. It’s true, in 2044 I probably won’t be excited about meeting the Concord heroes in the new Astro Bot game. But this is not a condition placed on any other game.
The fact it might struggle in 20 years time just feels like an odd thing to worry about. This is set to be the third Astro Bot game, all of which have had different focuses, and this is the first to stand on its own two feet. We, along with Team Asobi, are still discovering what Astro Bot is, and that’s a journey I plan to enjoy. I get that Astro Bot is interlinked to PlayStation’s mascots, and may well run out of road in the future, but who’s to say it can’t change course as soon as it needs to.
Of course, this focus still raises some interesting questions. Clearly Team Asobi has a lot of affection for all things PlayStation, and from the massively positive reception Astro Bot is getting, it’s obvious fans do too. Does that point to a failing with PlayStation’s own strategy? Putting all of its eggs in one very prestige basket, and in doing so changing what it means to be PlayStation, leaves it at odds with some fans' wishes.
Astro Bot perhaps highlights that we’re craving a bit of a return to these days, with shorter, less realistic games led by iconic characters with more personality than trauma.Astro Bot was by far the most successful game of the State of Play, and also the least ‘PlayStation’ title there. While it obviously features dozens of PlayStation references in the trailer alone, the colours and gameplay looked far more like aNintendooffering. Rather than just borrowing from PlayStation’s history, Astro Bot should alter it by encouraging more studios to break away from the HBOisation they have fallen into.
Astro Bot
WHERE TO PLAY
JOIN ASTRO IN A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSIZED SPACE ADVENTUREThe PS5® mothership has been wrecked, leaving ASTRO and the bot crew scattered all over the galaxies. Time to ride your trusty Dual Speeder across more than 50 planets full of fun, danger and surprises. On your journey, make the most of ASTRO’s new powers and reunite with many iconic heroes from the PlayStation universe!Blast off on a supersized adventureFrom sandy beaches to lush jungles and piping-hot volcanoes, explore a myriad of memorable planets in search of Astro’s lost crew!Power up your platformingWith your new powers, battle out a whole new roster of quirky baddies and huge bosses. Feel every hop, punch and crack through your DualSense wireless controller.Join the PlayStation celebrationReunite with over 150 iconic PlayStation heroes and celebrate 30 years of PlayStation history!
