Since 2013, the Team Asobi by Nicolas Doucet entertains players with his video game experiences taking advantage of the equipment at his disposal: DualShock 4 And PS Camera In The Playroom, PSVR for the virtual reality version and Astro Bot Rescue Missionand finally the DualSense of the PS5 for Astro’s Playroom. Simple ones Bots from his beginnings to the short adventures ofAstrothe studio has therefore forged an identity with this modern mascot of the universe PlayStation which is highly appreciated by players. It is therefore with great pleasure that we welcomed the recent announcement ofASTRO BOT, a complete platform game with much more content than before. As part of the Summer Game Festwe were invited to the premises of Sony Interactive Entertainment in order to test five levels of varying difficulty during a session of approximately 45 minutes. You read it in our title, this charming production had no trouble putting stars in our eyes and a smile on our lipstaking up the bases already established in terms of controls and world design, with a visual coating that is as enchanting and colorful as ever, rich in details and animations. In short, a real little candy.
ASTRO BOT has all the makings of an excellent platform game.
First of all, a word on the overall structure of this space adventure of which we had a slight glimpse. The world selection screen is organized arounda planet where the PlayStation 5 shipAstro crashed as shown in the first trailer, which should act as a hub in the manner of the CPU location. Six galaxies surround it (octopus, bird, gorilla, chameleon, snake and a sort of black hole-like singularity) and it is therefore in the first of these that we were able to take control ofAstro on his ship DualSense. Arrived in the Tentacle Systemdifferent planets are therefore displayed and, at least in the context of this demo, only one was unlocked, the others having a padlock and can therefore only be admired from space. A side Super Mario Galaxy in the presentation which does not displease us. At the start of this type of level, our little robot lands with its funny glider, which responds to gyroscopic controls to avoid obstacles, or even recover a Puzzle piece. Yes, there are three to find, as well as seven Bots to complete a background each internship, which we did not fail to do without too much difficulty. Among our robotic comrades, two are each time icons of the universe PlayStation, some particularly well-known and others a little older or obscure. We will have plenty to do, because that’s a total of 300 Bots thatAstro will have to save with a big kick in the behind !
To begin with, we took our first steps in an easy level called Heavenly Gardena world covered in greenery and water points, with its flamingos and trees with pink foliage, but also various classic enemies like the Knocker Bots. Cross to jump and hold to hover with the lasers coming out of our character’s feet, Square to hit, the basics are there and what is then added is instinctive in addition to being well explained each time by a short video in boxed form. Here they are Ratchet And Rivet that we deliver between a slide on a water slide and diving phases among the fish. Quickly, we obtain a first useful accessory for exploring the level, an octopus backpack which does not lack air, temporarily inflating Astro like a balloon by pressing R2 and which can also be deflated in the same way. A good way to play on verticality. Once we have reached the end of this little appetizer, a podium with a flag awaits us, on which the number of Bots saved is counted down with a little victory dance as a bonus, making a chest appear in the air which must be hit with our ship DualSense to earn an extra pack of coins. Don’t hang around or you’ll miss it, which was the case for us the first time.
The second level called Construction Derby had on its side an average difficulty. As soon as we arrive in this world made up of buildings in the sky and construction site elements, we spill cans of paint. Walking in it, we have good the sensation of texture of this material in the hands thanks to haptic feedback. This is also the case in mud or on glass surfaces, which crack under the weight ofAstro. Of the Spiky Bots are present, and we find as a mechanic the act of pulling on cables while maintaining Square. Our character plays it too Magneto by picking up a magnet, then collecting bricks and metal cans from the environment. The interest? Form a large projectile to swing on panels to activate mechanisms, immediately transforming the decor so that we can continue our journey. The main route is generally quite straight, with a few junctions to find Bots or rooms, and even an area with a basketball hoop. By positioning well Astro, it’s a beautiful three-point shot that we make! On the side of the accessory helping us to progress, it is about Barkster, the bulldog booster. R2 this time serves to propel us forward, shattering glass surfaces and metal plates. In addition to to rescue PaRappa the Rapper by conjuring up temporary painting platforms using the gyroscopic features of the DualSenseIt is Um Jammer Lammy which can be unearthed. Yes, this game will also be an opportunity to discover characters with whom we are less familiar. The final phase of this internship gave us impressions of Sonic 3D with its bumpers, Astro having to quickly flee the giant hand of the boss Gorilla already appeared in Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a change of pace that surprises and delights. And speaking of which, L’OST is particularly catchy here, Kenneth CM Young has done a good job again.
After these two generally cool levels, it’s a boss clash against the giant octopus Wako Tako which was offered to us. As a preamble, we land on an islet with a stranded ship where we acquire the Frog Gloves. Every fist ofAstro is then associated with a trigger (L2 And R2) and we can shoot shots in the manner of Monkey D. Luffy, in addition to holding on to platforms. Here again, handling is immediate, Team Asobi masters his subject perfectly. Then comes the combat itself where we must destroy metal plates acting as weak points on Wako Takowhile avoiding his offensives and eliminating the waves of enemies he sends. Three hearts of life are made available, which did not prevent us from having to start again, because we had not immediately figured out how to overcome one of his four fists. We also sometimes have to grab onto its tentacles to propel ourselves and give it a headbutt. Nothing too complicated overall. And as there is always a twist at the end, the conclusion of the internship and the confrontation therefore reserves some surprises, including the appearance of two Bots on a boat: Kratos And Atreus ! Even in this form, the god of war maintains his attitude. Besides, the appearance of these icons PlayStation was much more worked this time.
Returning to the galaxy map after this fight, a level visibly dedicated to God of War Ragnarök was then unlocked, which was obviously inaccessible. However, it is difficult not to see the reference with the presence of the hammer of the Thorgigantic, and both Bots which will therefore need to be helped. We haven’t been able to get confirmation that there will be different universes PlayStation integrated in this way throughout the game, just the fact that the members of Team Asobi are players and that the end of the year will mark the 30th anniversary of the brand, so various references and secrets of the genre are possible. A very successful little tease, because we can’t wait to discover all of this.
In addition to classic levels, there will also be of the shortest with a unique Bot to be rescued and a very difficult difficulty, requiring many attempts to complete without being frustrating, at least for us. They can be recognized by their appearance of keys PlayStation. Moreover, the second was only unlocked by touching a comet that appeared while sailing on the map once the first is completed. In Waltz of the Watcherswe therefore had to come to the aid of Bot Jak and it was not an easy task… The combo of glass platforms, enemies spinning deadly spike balls and electrified mines requires us to perfectly manage our timing otherwise we will have to start from the beginning. In Mollo Robotwhich we found simpler, is the Bot of Traveler of Journey who needed help. To reach him, we must collect hourglasses to throw at the platforms and enemies speeding in front of us to temporarily slow down time. Between the Shocker Bots, electric platforms, fireball shots and spinning surfaces, no moment of hesitation is allowed. After all that, we had only collected 16 Bots out of the 300 in the game, which promises many hours of fun. Incidentally, a level on the map highlighted the iron giant well known to fans.
Our first impressions: Strongly!
You will no doubt have already understood this, for the moment, we are totally won over by ASTRO BOT, which has all the makings of an excellent platform game, offering levels that are widely accessible to as many people as possible while pushing the cursor on additional challenges to delight experienced players. Like its predecessor, it constantly flatters the retina and uses the full potential of the DualSense while delivering a friendly experience. In short, what more could you ask for?
Waiting the release of ASTRO BOT on September 6 on PS5 in standard edition and Deluxedo not hesitate to restart Astro’s Playroom from time to time, because some Bots additional ones to save will continue to appear.
You can pre-order this new adventure from the following retailers:
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, big fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various mangas (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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