Astro Bot

⭐8/10

This was last year's Game of the Year winner, and unfortunately I played it between Returnal and Silksong which I think will be personal all-timers. Of course I couldn't help but keep comparing it to these other games I love and wonder what was missing for Astro. This game is good for sure, but I spent a lot of time wondering if I actually liked it. 

This is a 3D platformer very similar to Mario games in that the story is kinda silly and childish and not the focus, but rather the focus is unique mechanics and creative challenges. People will say that this game is distilled fun and nothing else, but I kept wondering, am I actually having fun? It's an interesting question because I'd be about to take my character down a waterslide and be like, oh this will be exciting, even though I know there is no challenge or even any inputs involved, but the visuals and magical, tangible controller vibrations somehow make it feel like you're going down it yourself. And it was true, it was kinda fun! But again, what do I actually find fun about video games? 

Recently, I've found that overcoming challenges is often what I enjoy most, and there is absolutely no challenge in this game. There are some side challenges which are tough, especially towards the end, but they are optional and very few. There are no stakes at all. In Silksong you lose money and progress. In Returnal you lose... everything. That makes beating a level feel incredible. In this, on the handful of occasions where you actually need to repeat something, you are put right in front of the challenge. It honestly feels like it is made to never put any pressure on the player, that it's all easy breezy, that there are no consequences, and thus no stakes. 

But I think the other issue is that the platforming just never feels great. It feels precise and again, the character in your hands feels good. But you never get into any type of flow state that you want, and you never have those moments where you feel like you outsmarted the game or got somewhere you weren't meant to. This game is made to be beat. The secret collectables are put right in your path, made very obvious, and you only feel annoyed when you miss one rather than feeling accomplished when you find one. There are lots of power ups but I felt they were never used in a unique way. I was thinking back to Mario Odyssey where all these abilities are used in incredibly creative and unexpected ways. In this, if you get the power up to jump higher, then the challenges ask you to... jump higher. 

I don't think this game is a competitor to Odyssey. I actually think it's much more akin to Galaxy, a game I didn't love, where there are a bunch of small, disconnected levels with abilities that introduce some cool ideas but at never really explore them. But I will say that Galaxy had some cooler aesthetics and nice music, where the music in Astro is sometimes great but more often annoying, like I'm watching a baby show. The graphics are some of the best ever, but again, it looks like Paw Patrol. 

So why is this score so high? Well, I just think it's hard not to have a good time. Not a great time, though there are moments, but it's consistently good. There were never moments I was outright bored or ready to move on, and maybe that speaks more to it's quick 15 hour run, but it's consistent. It's joyful, it's colourful, and it can be a cute celebration of Sony IPs that will lead to a laugh here and there. It is super impressive technically, and I will admit that at times, between hard games, there are times I want a game that is made to be beat. 

I don't think this game is a masterpiece and I am shocked that it has one of the highest review scores ever. But also I get it. Nobody could hate this game. It's a safe bet, and one I've encouraged Jess to play because I think it's a good introduction to the genre. Still, I think Odyssey surpasses it in most regards, though again I'll certainly give it the edge in terms of technical prowess.