Welcome back to “The Backlog” for the last time this semester. It’s been a busy and hectic fall but writing for this column has been the highlight of each week for me. Just like last year, there is only one edition of “The Backlog” for December. Because of this I’m going to explore one of the nominees for Game of the Year. It’s not necessarily my nomination, but one that I think deserves some love and attention. Though it’s competing against huge titles like “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree,” “Black Myth: Wukong” and “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,” I believe “Astro Bot” is the cutest contender for Game of the Year.
“Astro Bot” is a 3D platformer developed by Team ASOBI and is only available on PlayStation 5. It is a spin-off title of “The Playroom,” a game that came with the PS4 in 2013 to showcase the console’s abilities. The PS5 had a similar free game called “Astro’s Playroom,” which also showcased the newest features on the console. To say that I wasn’t expecting another installment is an understatement, as “Astro Bot” is a full-fledged game and not just a demo for the consoles it’s on.
It’s considered a survival game but it’s very reminiscent of platformers like “Little Big Planet 3” or “Mario Odyssey.” Players control Astro, an adorable robot set on rescuing all the bots spread throughout six galaxies. After his PS5 spaceship is attacked by a green alien named Space Bully Nebulax and the ship’s CPU is stolen, Astro must travel throughout space to find the rest of his crew and rebuild the PS5.
There are 90 levels throughout the game, so players have a lot to do and a lot to discover. Within these levels are bots, coins and puzzle pieces for you to find. In each of the Astro games made by Team ASOBI there are references to hit PlayStation titles. Some bots you find are dressed as iconic video game characters like Kratos and Atreus from “God of War: Ragnarök,” Ratchet and Rivet from “Ratchet & Clank,” Jin Sakai from “Ghost of Tsushima” and even The Boy and Trico from “The Last Guardian.” Any video game fan would be pleased to see their favorite characters come to life once more as cute bots throughout the game.
To find collectibles and bots, Astro is armed with abilities each stage designed to help him traverse the area or defeat enemies. Some like Barkster the Bulldog Booster straps onto Astro’s back and allows him to air-dash through enemies and terrain. The Twin-Frog Gloves act as slinging boxing gloves, allowing Astro to grab onto objects on the map and punch enemies into oblivion.
Some levels have hidden areas or puzzles for players to solve. They usually result in a collectible, so it’s worth it to replay levels after your first go-around.
There’s more to “Astro Bot” than just stage traversal. In some levels Astro is able to gain the abilities of certain PlayStation characters. At one point, Astro meets the Nathan Drake bot — named Raider Dude in the game — from the “Uncharted” franchise. Set in a jungle terrain, Astro receives Drake’s gun and goes through the stage with his hairdo. It’s features like this that honors the titles we know and love, along with replicating iconic games with a charming twist to it.
“Astro Bot” is a single player experience, but I do feel that it’s a great game for young players like children. The controls are simple but immersive, as they showcase features on the DualSense controller for the PS5. Games like “Astro Bot” don’t have a plot beyond finding your friends and saving the day. But that’s what makes it appealing to all ages. It’s an adorable game with cute characters and fun enemies. Personally, I think the bots look like Eve from “Wall-E” which is one of my most favorite movies.
Even though it’s competing against hard hitters this year, I think “Astro Bot” is a great video game for this year’s nominees. I adore games that exist for the aesthetic, and putting some of my favorite characters in a cute game is a great marketing strategy on the part of Team ASOBI. A game doesn’t have to have a detailed story and lore behind it to be enjoyable, everyone can appreciate a good platformer every now and then.