The gacha machine mechanic makes a particularly enjoyable return, providing a satisfying way to spend the thousands of coins you’ll collect. It’s not brand-new for the series at this point, but still hits all the right spots. Over 150 of them in fact, as characters from PlayStation’s vast library of games have made their way into Astro’s world in the form of other bots. There are the ones you’d expect like Lombaxes, tomb raiders, and a certain rapping dog but, delightfully, some are plucked from the more obscure end of the scale. It’s light touches of irony and slapstick humour like this that keep Astro’s playful tone going throughout. Some of those biggest unexpected treats are the new powers that Astro gets along his journey.

Despite minor flaws, it stands out as one of PlayStation’s finest platformers, with many calling it a Game of the Year contender. Astro Bot, out now on PlayStation 5, is a collect-a-thon platformer. You play as the robot Astro adventuring in space in his PS5-shaped mothership with 300 of his friends — some of them simple bots, others robot-ified versions of famous video game characters.

Players guide Astro Bot through dynamic environments filled with moving platforms, enemies, and interactive objects. The game encourages exploration, rewarding players for finding hidden collectibles and secret areas. LINK TD88 , such as high jumps, hovering, and special gadgets, allow for creative movement and problem-solving.

Each aspect of the game is superb and should be taken as the gold standard of how to release a game. The stunning visuals, great sound design, interesting story, and amazing gameplay round out a near perfect release of a game. The gimmicks introduced in the game are reminiscent of Super Mario Odyssey’s level design, where stages have a central gimmick that you have to work around. These could range from dashes, magnets, extendable arms, or anything of the sort.

If You’re Missing A Collectible, Look To The Flying Start Of Each Level

When you hover over a level it shows how many collectibles it has and how many you still need. You can also hover over the Nebulas to see how many total collectibles there are in the sub-levels. The hub area ‘Crash Site’ also contains bots and puzzle pieces, which you obtain by interacting with the blue markers to call your bots for help.

There’s still room for an expertly designed collect-a-thon platformer that’s filled with love and wonder. I won’t spoil what characters appear here, but know that it isn’t just your average Kratos and Aloy cameos. There are shocking deep cuts here from every corner of PlayStation’s history, including its indie partners.

I won’t talk about the other buildings players can build in Astro Bot’s hub world, but rest assured they are great as well, giving players extra incentive to hunt down every single collectible. The bird costs 200 coins, so players have to give up some gacha pulls to use it, but it’s a great way to keep players from getting stuck. Ever since it was first formed within Sony’s now-defunct Japan Studio, Team Asobi has put out one high quality game after another. The Playroom was a fun little tech demo meant to show off the unique features of the PlayStation Camera and the DualShock 4, while The Playroom VR filled a similar niche for Sony’s PlayStation VR headset.

For certain puzzles, including the Az-Tech Trail doors, the DualSense is crucial to figuring out how to proceed, so pay close attention on what your controller is telling you at all times. IGN, among other major gaming outlets, praised ASTRO BOT’s revolutionary approach to platforming. The game’s success at The Game Awards 2024 ceremony marks a new era for PlayStation Studios and Team ASOBI. Join Astro Bot on an unforgettable journey through imaginative worlds and discover why it’s the most celebrated platformer of 2024. The game will receive regular updates for performance improvements and potential additional content.

Meet Astro Bot

There are 200 cameo characters in Astro Bot, most of whom first appeared in iconic PlayStation franchises. Unlocking all of them can be incredibly difficult, but not half as challenging as trying to figure out which games and series all of the cameo bots are from. You’ll pick up an awful lot of coins exploring all the planets in Astro Bot. At first, that huge trove of gold may seem useless, but once you’ve beaten the first boss in the Gorilla Nebula, you’ll unlock the Gacha Lab at the Crash Site. Here, you can spend coins to win up to 169 PlayStation-themed collectibles, including skins for the Dual Speeder.

The bright graphics and little PlayStation references make it even better. Astro Bot received PlayStation 5 Pro support and new, more challenging levels back in February. Team Asobi’s platformer won numerous Game of the Year awards, including at 2024’s The Game Awards and the 2025 BAFTA Awards. Originally announced during Sony’s June 2025 State of Play, the update adds a new galaxy, the Vicious Void, for players to explore. Four of the levels are titled Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, High Inflation, with Team Asobi keeping the name of the fifth as a surprise. The addition of the new levels brings Astro Bot’s total level count to over 90.

It even pays homage to some of PlayStation’s most beloved characters, bringing back a sense of nostalgia and joy for both new and seasoned players. After completing a level, restart and you’ll spot a small birdhouse near the start of the level. Smash the glass casing on the birdhouse and pull the cord to get a bird companion who will point you towards any missed collectibles, including bots, puzzle pieces, and portals. It will cost a one-time fee of 200 coins per level, but it’s well worth it. Once you’ve paid the 200 coins, you can restart the level and summon the bird as many times as you want for free. One of them is a set of cymbals that moves the platforms of the world around that other, lesser games might build their whole universe around.