This tribute is never more touching and joyful than in the case of Ape Escape. This Japan Studio series, about a boy who catches naughty monkeys in his net, is one of many faltering attempts by Sony to create a family game franchise to rival Nintendo’s, and like most of them, it didn’t really hk pools stick. Astro Bot is very much its inheritor, even down to the hardware connection — the first Ape Escape was intended as a showpiece for the original DualShock analog controller. After defeating the first galaxy’s end boss in Astro Bot, a level is unlocked that fully and faithfully recreates Ape Escape’s anarchic chase gameplay within Astro Bot’s world.

All in all, Astro Bot is definitely one of 2024’s best games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were considered to be the year’s best. If there were anything to criticize about the game, it may just be the game’s difficulty and its exclusivity. While the former may be alleviated with its already announced free DLC challenge levels and speedrun mode, the latter may be something that might not be addressed.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Though the majority of Astro Bot isn’t that difficult, its challenge levels definitely require quite a bit more skill, with both gauntlets that require constant movement and puzzle-style levels that need a more cerebral approach. I’m already excited by the prospect of speedrunners getting their hands on this game, and additional levels specifically tailored to that community should help. From PlayStation references to charming interactions with other Bots, there’s a treat on every level. It’s wild to think that Sony finally has a platformer that rivals the excellent 3D Super Mario Games, but Team Asobi really did it. Don’t miss out on one of the best platforming experiences in gaming history with Astro Bot. If Astro’s Playroom is the appetizer, then Astro Bot is the main meal that gamers deserve.

Astro Bot Review

It was set to take Astro on a massive new adventure that celebrated everything PlayStation, and upon release, players seemed to fall in love with it. Because of that success, there are likely plenty more Astro Bot titles in Team Asobi’s future. One of the biggest announcements during last week’s PlayStation State of Play livestream was Astro Bot, the full-fledged sequel to the excellent Astro’s Playroom that comes preinstalled on PS5. Just like Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot is a 3D puzzle-platformer that pays homage to PlayStation history and makes heavy use of the PS5 DualSense controller’s many unique features like haptic feedback and dynamic triggers. However, this time, we’re getting a full-length game (with no microtransactions) that’s much bigger than Astro’s previous adventures.

It also provided a look back at previous PlayStation releases, including beloved characters and hardware of varying popularity. As I journeyed through Astro Bot’s gorgeous worlds, I was constantly blown away by the clever new hook each level introduced. While a traditional 3D platformer collect-a-thon at its core, Astro Bot is always throwing in a new gimmick to make each level feel fresh and distinct from all the others. Oftentimes, these gimmicks add a new exploration tool, in turn giving the developers the freedom to build levels in completely different ways. The sheer variety Astro Bot delivers is breathtaking, and like I said, there’s not a bad level in the bunch.