The stages constantly surprise and delight as they take full advantage of the PS5’s hardware. Astro Bot levels are beautiful, brought to life by genius art direction and some of the best graphics on the PS5. It all feels so alive thanks to how the DualSense controller reacts to what players see on the screen, with Astro Bot making great use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and speaker. It’s a shame that most other PS5 games don’t even come close to utilizing these features to their full potential. Finding each of these characters is a constant highlight of Astro Bot. Some are placed right in front of you, but most require the aforementioned curiosity to pull you off the beaten path in search of the game’s bountiful secrets.

There’s not much to say about Astro Bot’s plot; it serves as a simple introduction, giving the player a reason to rescue bots in need and search for console-ship components to continue the journey through the vast cosmos. What truly sets Astro Bot apart from the competition, however, is the gameplay. In 2024, Astro Bot not only comes to Sony’s rescue but also in a big way reminds us why we play video games at all.

Players venture across six galaxies and over 80 levels, from lush forests, sandy beaches, hot volcanoes to more surprising locations such as a gigantic hourglass or the canopy of a singing tree. During this epic adventure Astro will reunite with over 150 iconic heroes from PlayStation history, helping to kick off celebrations for the 30th anniversary of PlayStation. That includes the Lovestruck Lyricist, an homage to PaRappa the Rapper, the Yharnam Hunter, an homage to Bloodborne, and many more. It was a long night, but the 2024 The Game Awards ceremony is finally over. This year was an amazing one, and while the big 6 games of this event were impressive, only one had the opportunity to walk away with the biggest recognition of the night.

The number of references to games released over the years is overwhelming. At times, it’s so extensive that, even as a Sony fan, I wasn’t able to recognize all the brands and references. Perhaps an in-game encyclopedia would be useful, briefly describing the robots dressed in non-familiar outfits. Such a feature would make the game an even greater treat for fans of the Japanese console. There was already a lot to love about Astro Bot before, with it being one of the best PS5 games of the year, but Team Asobi didn’t stop there.

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After completing several planets in a galaxy, we unlock a boss level, which is essentially a simple puzzle that requires the efficient use of previously introduced mechanics. Occasionally, after a boss battle, a special level inspired by Sony exclusives awaits us. These special levels are truly amazing, and I won’t elaborate further because experiencing them firsthand is something really unique. I don’t know if I’ve ever played a platformer before where I enjoyed literally every single boss fight and level, but I can confidently say that about Astro Bot.

The levels in Astro Bot feature a staggering amount of interactive elements from jump pads, blocks, and platforms through to what appear to be decorative objects like plants, trees, and even animals. You’ll want to try and hit, nudge, press, and jump on absolutely everything. Not only is this often key it to progressing through a level, but can also lead to secrets and Easter eggs, fun interactions, and hidden collectibles. Developed by Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, “Astro Bot” is set on 80 levels in six galaxies across 50 planets. The small robot must save fellow bots from danger, totaling 300 bots to rescue throughout the game.

For reference, Baldurs Gate 3 was also given a 10 by Push Square, and there is literally no way this game is of the same calibre of a game that is the best RPG in living memory. If you didn’t buy the game (which I’m guessing is the case) they don’t owe you anything. I’ve only spent an hour with it, so far, but I can already say there’s a good chance this will be my GotY. I was smiling like an idiot the entire time and loving every second of it and its charm. The dev that was interviewed even said specifically “I only make kids games” which is confirmed by the age rating of 7.

The Frog punch is similar in appearance, but has you punching like the cast of Nintendo’s ARMS. Strapping a penguin to your back will allow you to swim faster, whereas a dog on the back of Astro can propel him further. One ability that joins Sponge and Mouse in that it isn’t used much is the Teddy Cymbol, an ability that is really only injected into the game should you discover all the secret levels. While there are a few other abilities you’ll discover, they are used well enough in their respective levels but don’t really feature the same creativity as some of the ones I’ve just mentioned. Astro Bot is, at its core, a game built out of sheer creativity. Damn rights it does, but it puts them on display with a rare confidence few studios could pull off.

The different levels Astro explores have themes that you’d expect. There’s a jungle planet, a volcano planet, and worlds of pirates, ghosts, and gardeners. Some worlds require special powers to navigate, and those, too, are pretty standard in function if not in form. The monkey power-up lets you scale walls, while the mouse ability shrinks you down to access tiny spaces. There’s even a Super Mario Sunshine-esque F.L.U.D.D power that uses liquid to move Astro around.

I feel pronounced haptic feedback when I hop into a stormy level and feel each raindrop in my palms. When I turn into a metal ball to stop a ceiling from crushing me, I can feel the resistance of the adaptive triggers pushing back on me. I even use the microphone to blow into a giant horn, a kind of delightful gameplay interaction that even Nintendo has moved away from in recent years. This is one of the only PS5 games that really feels like it was built around the DualSense, and it shows. At one time, this was a fundamental video game experience; a 3D platformer was just about the coolest game you could have. These were tightly designed adventures that understood the ways that digital play could activate creativity, even through a silly little cartoon with nothing to say.

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Astro Bot’s abilities, such as high jumps, hovering, and special gadgets, allow for creative movement and problem-solving. Each level presents new challenges, from navigating tricky terrain to overcoming environmental hazards. As galaxies are explored and Bots are rescued, Astro Bot’s hub world stations begin to unlock, including a closet with outfits for Astro and a claw machine that gives players a place to spend all their collected coins. The machine dispenses new Astro costumes, cosmetic options for the PS5 controller spaceship, and joy for the rescued PS-themed Bots.

You can unearth these by flying into the comets and meteors scattered around, especially once you’ve completed most of the bigger main levels in a zone. Astro Bot follows the tiny but brave Astro as his PS5 mothership is attacked by his galactic nemesis, scattering the crew throughout space. Only 777X can set things right, and he needs your help to rescue the stranded crew and rebuild the mothership on his biggest mission yet.

Astro Bot has proved incredibly popular for PlayStation, having sold 1.5 million units in its first two months on sale and earned a 9/10 in IGN’s review. “A fantastically inventive platformer in its own right, Astro Bot is particularly special for anyone with a place in their heart for PlayStation,” we said. “Unlike our last update Winter Wonder, which was a walk through the Xmas park, this new update features harder levels to test your jumping skills,” said director of developer Team Asobi, Nicolas Doucet. The biggest evolution of the cameo characters, however, is that four of them will actually lend you their weapons, which Astro needs to use in stages specifically designed for each one.

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Yes, I can, and for scaling it to the very top I’d find coins to spend on cosmetics. “What if I peek over this ledge?” There’s a hidden cave below, hiding another puzzle piece used to open shops in the game’s hub world. Whenever I’d wonder if my intuition was leading me to something valuable, I’d find I was right.