I've been playing computer games since the Atari VCS back in 1978. Or actually, come to think of it, even Pong before that.
I've played so many different games over the years. Early platform games, flight sims, first person shooters, puzzle games, adventures.. You name it. And on so many, many different formats. Consoles, computers, handhelds...
One thing I've found is that as technology gets better, gameplay doesn't necessarily improve. It's easy to hide poor gameplay behind a load of bouncing music and eye candy graphics. I still find some of my favourite games to play are on much older platforms as once you learn to see through the hype and graphics.. some games are no more than a pretty face.
The puzzle solving of Raiders of the Lost Ark on the Atari VCS was a game changer in its day, which only really was surpassed when Tomb Raider came out for the original Playstation.
Donkey Kong was an excellent platform game that finally got beaten by Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega mega drive.
Doom was an excellent first person game on PC's which set the bar for every first person shooter afterwards.
And the cuteness and fun of the LEGO games is hard to beat.
When it comes to the Sony Playststion there have been a lot of hits and misses over the years, and as the consoles have gotten more powerful it's become harder to judge a game on its merits, without factoring in the changing world of gaming. 3d graphics, realistic sound effects, hyper realism. Despite all of these, many modern games just have no... soul, for want of a better word.
Then along comes Astro Bot.
I have played with the original Astro bot on the PS4 when I bought a VR headset, and back then I thought it was charming, cute and a lot of fun. But now, the full release has come along and they've managed to combine all the best parts of original old school great gameplay, with modern sounds and graphics.
Firstly, the soundtrack is excellent. It's modern music, but has a real 16 bit vibe to it. And that's really the first clue of what they've done here.
Sony have managed to take all that was inspiring from Super Mario, Tomb Raider, Sonic, Lego, and many others.. and roll them up into a very pretty, very playable adventure/problem solving/platform game.
Mix in the fact that there are so many nods to their earlier products and major game franchises and you get the feeling that Astro Bot really was written as a love letter from true gamers, to true gamers of all ages.
The gameplay just feels so instinctive, and the problem solving while not easy to master, just feels so familiar. Even controlling Astro Bot just seems to invoke some forgotten muscle memory inside me. The double jumps came naturally to me thanks to playing LEGO Star Wars. The puzzle solving came naturally after solving puzzles on so many puzzle games before, and all while being reminded of some of the best moments from Sonys PlayStation history.
I found myself able to approach new challenges like ascending the climbing walls and bouncing on trampolines as if I'd already been playing the game for years. Everything really does feel so familiar, like putting on your favourite pair of comfy pair of trainers.
There literally is no learning curve. You can turn it on, and the gameplay feels almost instinctive. That doesn't mean it's easy, it's not. But the challenges are welcoming, not frustrating.
The soundtrack is excellent as well, did I mention that?
I'm only a few hours in, and I've barely scratched the surface of how much gameplay there is. There is hours and hours of gameplay ahead. And even then, there will be many more hours of fun trying to re do some earlier levels to release those final bots in order to achieve perfection!
I really can't recommend this game enough. It's suitable for all ages, and really does have something for everyone.
This by far has to be one of the best purchases for the PS5, but then look at the ratings and other reviews if you don't believe me.
A game that every PS5 should have installed.
