Physical editions of Astro Bot come with a physical poster of the robots on their PS5 mothership, plus the preorder bonuses detailed below. In addition to the winners, The Game Awards contained its customary array of trailers, including first reveals for Witcher 4, a new Elden Ring game, Okami 2, and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic. We have tons of follow-up coverage on the site, including deep dives into both Elden Ring Nightreign and Witcher 4 and lots more. Astro Bot is the most recent entry in the Astro Bot series and was released in 2024 for the PlayStation 5 in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. We’ve also outlined which character each of them represents, what series they’re from, and where to find them in the game. You can see that most of those are indies with fewer reviews counted, and the scores I omitted are for “definitive collections” or remasters which I’m not going to count.

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. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for showing your appreciation. Instead of jumping forward, watch behind you to find the second puzzle piece. After you climb the ramp, follow the light bulb’s path to find invisible platforms to climb, then collect the bulb! From Astro Bot Funko Pop figures to limited edition collectibles, show your support for Team Asobi’s masterpiece.

I won’t spoil who gets the star treatment here, aside from one – the previously revealed Kratos. His introduction sees you wield his ice-infused Leviathan axe and take on the role of the exiled Spartan himself in a thrilling change of pace, the frosty blade boomeranging around the level. It’s here where Astro Bot becomes truly magical, elegantly blending nostalgia with new ideas. I just wish there were one or two more of them, but perhaps I’m being greedy. Astro Bot really is the video game equivalent of venturing through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory; a delightful concoction of experimentation and joy, just without the child endangerment. Chocolate death pipes and fizzy lifting drinks are instead swapped out for sinkholes leading to treasure and an inflatable friend who helps you reach floating platforms.

Psycho Mantis – Metal Gear

And an expansion or two like Elden Ring’s or Destiny 2’s The Final Shape. But if we’re talking about full games, GOTY-potential games, Astro Bot is on top. The game has a total of 300 bots to collect and find throughout the game.

Astro Bot Announcement Trailer

While “toy” has become a derogatory term when talking about video games, Team Asobi sees no shame in embracing it. I can see that when I find a cardboard standee in a construction site level. I poke my head through it, only to summon a flock of pooping pigeons. There’s no tangible reward for doing it as it’s not a tracked collectible; it’s just a purely entertaining moment that gets an honest laugh out of me. What elevates that beyond LINK TD88 of throwback nostalgia is that developer Team Asobi may be the most skilled studio working today when it comes down to game feel. Part of its secret weapon is Astro’s hover jump, which lets him float in the air a bit longer before landing.

And while there’s nothing to quite rival the GPU earworm of four years ago (despite the best efforts of a giant singing tree), the music is a consistent delight throughout. And since good news flies in pairs, we are delighted to also announce that an updated version of the Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is launching later this year! This controller was crafted by our techno-magician designers at Sony Interactive Entertainment. And since the first controller proved so popular, we have brought it back with a new joyful twist to the touch pad! We’ll have more information to share soon, so be on the lookout for future updates. Find an up-to-date list of every game available in the Xbox Game Pass (and PC Game Pass) library at all membership levels, and find out which games are coming soon and leaving soon.

After rescuing Bot crewmembers, half of whom resemble beloved characters from PlayStation games, they return to the game’s hub world, and as more are uncovered, it grows into a playground for the rescued to occupy. As the player progresses, they’ll unlock new pathways and cosmetics not just for Astro but for the PS-themed Bots. Sony proves with Astro Bot that the company can still put out charming action platformers, but the love letter to PlayStation fans fails to include features that made previous games of the genre so fun to replay. Like its predecessor, Astro Bot is a love letter to PlayStation–not just its current make-up, either, but its illustrious history. From first-party icons like Kratos and Ellie to third-party heroes tied to the hip with Sony’s gaming past, such as Lara Croft and Leon S. Kennedy. There are 195 hidden cameo characters in Astro Bot’s dozens of levels, and part of the fun is tracking them all down.

Not just one of the best games this year, but one of the best playstation titles. Amazing family game as well that shows off all of the PS5 abilities. The game features more than 50 diverse planets spread across six themed galaxies, each offering unique challenges and environments to explore. If 2020’s Astro’s Playroom was like a museum – albeit one with fun playable exhibits – Astro Bot is like a theme park, throwing a new thrill at you around every corner and after every double-jumped gap. It doesn’t always deliver the bonkers creativity that drives the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey, but that’s hardly damning criticism when swings of that size are rarely taken outside of Nintendo’s walls. What developer Team Asobi has designed here, though, does successfully evoke the spirit of those great platformers by birthing novel stages full of visual flourish that never cross the line into becoming mere novelties.

ASTRO BOT is exclusively available for PS5, taking full advantage of the console’s advanced features including the DualSense controller, 3D Audio, and enhanced graphics capabilities. ASTRO BOT is a single-player experience designed to deliver a focused and immersive adventure. ASTRO BOT is a platformer video game developed by Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.