For example, the Monkey Climber is an evolution of Playroom’s climbing ability, but the assistance of a small robotic ape with huge hands this time means rocks can be hurled and ground pounded to great delight. Laurels are never rested on either, with new ideas and gadgets introduced right up to the final encore. Although some mechanics are reused a little more than I’d like, when such powers are recycled in later levels they’re thankfully recontextualised and given slightly new uses. Critics praised the gameplay, level design, and content, with some comparing the game to Nintendo franchises, particularly the Super Mario series. Astro Bot won multiple awards including Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2024, the 21st British Academy Games Awards, and the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.

There are also plenty of alien and robotic enemies and bosses to take on. Airtight platforming and level design give Astro Bot a strong foundation, but its real secret sauce is its toy-like appeal. If you talk to a parent who has played a game with their child, you’ll likely hear them outline how differently kids and adults interact with games.

For reference, Baldurs Gate 3 was also given a 10 by Push Square, and there is literally no way this game is of the same calibre of a game that is the best RPG in living memory. If you didn’t buy the game (which I’m guessing is the case) they don’t owe you anything. I’ve only spent an hour with it, so far, but I can already say there’s a good chance this will be my GotY. I was smiling like an idiot the entire time and loving every second of it and its charm. The dev that was interviewed even said specifically “I only make kids games” which is confirmed by the age rating of 7.

All Platforms

One of the best mechanics–which I very much hope becomes standard in the genre moving forward–is a robot bird companion who can join you in any level you decide to replay. The bird pings for collectibles and leads you right to the remaining bots, secret Void levels, and puzzle pieces you’ve not yet found. This makes playing the game to 100% completion a joy and never a grind. I’ve never cared about PlayStation Trophies before, but I expect to unlock them all in Astro Bot, if only incidentally because I want to see and do everything this game offers.

The game doesn’t seem to use any specific name for them, but players have taken to calling them cameo bots, secret bots, or hidden bots, depending on who you ask. Whatever you call them, they’re made much more reachable thanks to our Astro Bot collectibles guide, which reveals an in-game mechanic that allows you to track down hidden cameo bots with ease. It’s not the only hidden in-game mechanic either, as you can unlock a secret photo mode in Astro Bot, too. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a 3D platformer where players control Astro Bot, a small robot navigating various levels using a DualShock 4 controller. The game is designed for VR, so players experience the game world from a first-person perspective, essentially becoming a giant robot that interacts with the environment.

Astro Bot Dualsense For $6499

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. Team Asobi clearly designed it for players of all skill levels, and that includes children and newbies, but at its core Astro Bot feels purpose-built for video game fans.

But now that players have been treated to a fully-fledged platformer, it could feel reductive to go back to those smaller adventures. And while there are many routes that platformers can take, the way Astro Bot celebrated the brand really helped prop it up as something special. All of this accounts for just a portion of what makes Astro Bot so interesting and fun. The technology is important but the core design and what they do with it is what made me fall in love with the game.

Still, it offered up a compelling level that was nonetheless engaging. Making your way through one star system after another, you might find your progress blocked unless you scour every level for the robots lost within them. There are F168 to find overall, with many of them depicting classic videogame characters. In that regard, Astro Bot can be seen as a celebration of not only Sony’s hardware and impressive catalogue of software over the years, but also video games in general. It’s fun putting them to work when revisiting the crash site, too, calling upon them to help lift heavy objects and create structures like human bridges to help you continue your adventure and rescue yet more robots.

It’s inspired by the playful design of ASTRO’s trusty Dual Speeder. Go behind the scenes in this five-part series with Team ASOBI to discover how their philosophy of “All About PLAY” created a super-sized space adventure game for everyone. Kenneth C. M. Young, having previously composed the music for Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom, returned to compose the soundtrack for Astro Bot. It is no surprise that a game like Astro Bot could be the big winner of the Game Awards.