Close to a week after the reveal of Astro Bot at PlayStation State of Play, it continues to be the center of attraction among all the games coming later to PS5. Sony followed up the reveal by sharing more details about the platformer including the size and microtransactions.
Astro Bot is Team Asobi’s most ambitious Astro project to date. The game is set for release on September 6 and will be the first time an Astro-themed game will get a full-sized non-VR adventure release.
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“Since making an appearance at the launch of PlayStation 5, Astro has introduced many players to the magic of PlayStation,” wrote Nicolas Doucet, studio director at Team Asobi on PlayStation Blog.
“We received a ton of heart-warming comments about how much fun the game was, how it utilized the DualSense wireless controller in fun ways, and how it paid tribute to 25 years of PlayStation history.”
In the FAQ section of the game’s webpage, Sony mentioned that the upcoming Astro Bot will be significantly larger than Astro’s Playroom, the game that was released on the PS5 console and took around three hours to beat. Asked if the game will be free like Astro’s Playroom, Sony said;
“No. 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.”
Sony also mentioned that the game will not have microtransactions. Rather, players will find coins in the game and spend it in the Getcha Lab. It would be a single-player release and won’t get a PS4 or PS VR2 release.
Although there was no mention of a PC version, Sony’s recent change in business strategy leaves the possibility open in the future. Astro’s Playroom is still praised as having the best use of the DualSense controller.
Astro Bot will have over 80 levels
In the post on the PlayStation Blog, Doucet said “Astro is back in a super-sized space adventure, his biggest to date”. In addition to reinforcing the comment from Sony, the studio director also said that players will “explore 6 galaxies and over 80 levels in search of Astro’s scattered crew”.
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Transversal between each unique planet will likely be done with the Dual Speeder, a DualSense controller with thrusters. There will be different environments to explore, from sandy beaches to lush forests, and hot volcanoes. There will also be magical locations like a canopy of a singing tree and a gigantic hourglass.
“To get help on his mission, Astro can use over 15 new abilities offering unique play styles, Doucet said. “As you would expect from an Astro game, these take full advantage of the DualSense controller, its haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers so you can feel every little step along the journey.”
In addition to familiar abilities, Doucet mentioned that Astro Bot will feature a host of cool new abilities including;
- Bulldog Booster: helps players air-dash and smash objects and enemies
- Twin-Frog Gloves: allows players to swing and punch long-range enemies
- Giant Sponge: gives players the ability to grow their size by sucking water from the environment
“Combined with improved Astro controls, these new powers take the Astro platforming experience to new heights, while remaining accessible for all,” Doucet said.
Players will fight over 70 enemies in Astro Bot
The number of enemies that players will fight has been cranked up in Astro Bot. When the game launches, there will be over 70 new enemies including huge bosses that players must beat at the end of each galaxy. Beating each boss will reveal a secret.
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Astro Bot will also unite with friends from the PlayStation universe. The game will have the largest cameo of PlayStation characters—and some of them will be helpful along the journey. Astro Bot studio director also teased that the game is dotted with jokes waiting to be discovered.
“At Team Asobi, we believe in the second-to-second fun and joy of video games. And with this new Astro Bot game, we invested all our love and craft to bring a constant smile to your face, as you run, jump, bop enemies, and find the many secrets and jokes we dotted around.”
