In a surprising turn of events, over 8 minutes of Astro Bot gameplay has surfaced online, giving fans a much talked about first view of the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 platformer in action. The footage, which was captured by A9VG at the ChinaJoy event in Shanghai, provides fans with a detailed look at the game in multiple levels, as well as the game's engaging mechanics.
Astro Bot is expected to captivate players with its mission to rescue “over 150 iconic VIP Bots inspired by legendary characters from 30 years of PlayStation history,” according to Sony. Notably, the demo shown at ChinaJoy is the same one presented to the members of the press at the Summer Game Fest last month.
Follow Up to Astro Playroom
Astro Bot, one of the most highly anticipated games in recent times, follows the success of Astro’s Playroom by the same makers, Team Asobi. The popular PlayStation 5 pack-in title, which has been bundled for free with over 60 million consoles, was well received by fans all over the world. The game showed off the various features of the PlayStation 5 console’s DualSense controller, and received heaps of praise by fans and critics alike, for its environments and music.
This reception likely prompted the release of a follow-up title. “Unlike Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot is a standalone, full-sized adventure that offers over four times more worlds, 300 bots to rescue, and dozens of new powers and features to discover,” reads the game’s official website.
Also, according to confirmation from the developers, no microtransactions will be implemented. “Board Astro’s trusty Dual Speeder and get ready for an amazing adventure through spectacular worlds that are full of fun, secrets and surprises,” says the game’s description. “The PS5 mothership has been wrecked by Astro’s alien rival, leaving his crew scattered across multiple galaxies. Can you help Astro rescue his stranded bot buddies and rebuild the mothership?”
The creative director of the series, Nicolas Doucet, while expressing his excitement about the game's potential, said “It’s a very flexible IP and that’s one of the things that I love about it.” “We approached it with a light heart and didn’t write a backstory: we’re not precious about details too much, other than the design of the character, which needs to be respected. The rest is really open, and thanks to that, we can feel quite relaxed about where it’s going next.”
A Sight of the Gameplay
The released video which took everyone by surprise, revealed the game's combat and platforming elements. This includes, among others, a delightful boss battle with an octopus in scuba gear and boxing gloves.
The demo has impressed lots of fans and stakeholders in the gaming industry, including Digital Foundry's John, who praised the game's quality and potential. “It feels bold to say so early on, but if the demo's quality is representative of the full game, Astro Bot looks like a strong candidate for the top spot on my own game of the year list,” he remarked.