Astro Bot will see the return of the little blue and white robot for a new adventure that's set to be his "biggest to date". Officially revealed during the PlayStation State of Play May 2024 showcase, developer Team Asobi is once again back at the helm to bring us a fresh experience set in space. With a journey that will take us across multiple galaxies and worlds, we'll get to put to use a myriad of abilities - plenty of which were on display in the announcement trailer.
Astro Bot follows in the footsteps of Astro's Playroom, the delightful platformer that came preloaded on every PS5 console at launch. Available for free, the game takes you through 25 years of PlayStation history and introduces you to all of the capabilities of the DualSense controller through its features and platforming. Interestingly, there was even a trophy in Playroom that appeared to tease the sequel. From what we've seen of the game so far, it's certainly quickly become one of the most exciting upcoming PS5 games we have to look forward to in the near future.
For a full recap of Astro Bot following the showcase, read on below as we take you through everything we know so far.
Astro Bot release date
Astro Bot is set to land on PS5 on September 6, 2024. While many fans expressed a hope that the adventure would also be among the lineup of upcoming PSVR 2 games, too. But there's been no mention of Astro Bot getting the virtual reality treatment, it seems unlikely that it will be compatible with the PSVR or PSVR 2.
Astro Bot trailer
The first Astro Bot trailer during the PlayStation showcase gave us an exciting first look at the upcoming adventure. And even though it was a little over three minutes long, there's plenty of excitement packed in. We first see Astro awaken on a desert planet, before hitching a ride on the back of a winged DualSense controller. Right off the bat, it looks like Astro Bot is carrying on Playroom's homage to hardware, with the PS5 flying like a spaceship and lining up alongside a whole host of recognizable legacy machines plucked from PlayStation history - with everything from the PS2 to the Singstar Microphone.
Astro Bot gameplay
Alongside the fact that some PlayStation hardware looks set to feature in Astro Bot once again, the new adventure is also said to include 15 new abilities that offer "unique playstyles". As the PlaySation blog details, these will once again allow you to make the most of the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller by feeling every "step along the journey".
Powers include the likes of an adorable dog called Barkster the Bulldog Booster will help you air-dash and smash your way through enemies and surfaces. There's also mention of Twin-Frog Gloves that will give you long-range attacks and the ability to swing, along with the Giant Sponge ability, which, as the name suggests, transforms Astro into a big sponge shaped like the bot so you suck up water and grow massive. It immediately gives us shades of Super Mario Odyssey meets Kirby and The Forgotten Land's Mouthful Mode.
The adventure will also let you explore six galaxies across over 80 levels, which are home to a wealth of different locations - such as forests, volcanoes, and more. We even got to see a sprinkling of these landscapes in the trailer, along with certain abilities in action. We also see some sizable boss-like enemies, as well as some creative ways to traverse and attack using the above abilities throughout the trailer. While the sense of scale is far bigger than anything Astro-shaped before, it looks like it will be bringing back some of Playroom's ingredients, with platforming elements.
Astro Bot PlayStation cameos
Not unlike Astro's Playroom, Astro Bot has a lot of PlayStation cameo Easter Eggs in store. In the trailer alone, we saw a whole host of familiar faces get the Astro treatment. Right at the beginning of the trailer, we see a whole helping of them, with the likes of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, Kratos from God of War, the monkey and Spike from Ape Escape, Ratchet from Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, and Nathan Drake from Uncharted. Later, we also see more characters, such as the Traveler from Journey and PaRappa the Rapper.
Look ahead to more exciting future releases with our roundup of new games for 2024 and beyond.
