If nothing else, I hope that the creative joy that permeates Astro Bot’s every pixel inspires a new generation of game developers to make the kinds of games they want, without fear, limits, or compromise. But then Astro Bot blew all expectations out of the water when it came out earlier this year. Reviewers marveled at its creative platforming, its level of challenge, and its relentless nostalgia for 30 years of PlayStation hits. The only major issue most critics reported was that the game was too short – they didn’t want Astro Bot to end. Thus, naturally, RPG fans would’ve settled with any of these games clinching the GOTY.

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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. An extra level of difficulty can be found in the semi-hidden trial-like stages found by exploring among the overworld’s stars, though.

A fantastically colourful and creative romp through a huge variety of settings, it’ll have your thumbsticks clicking, your heart racing, and even your lips blowing – yep, that’s a mechanic in the game. Each level across five main galaxies and one unlockable one features a swarm of bots (many based on beloved PS characters) to rescue, as well as jigsaw pieces and some secret black holes too. Here, you’ll find your one-stop shop for every single collectible in the game, and the Trophies too, arranged into each zone Astro blasts off into. Astro Bot is technically the fifth entry in the Astro universe, though it’s the series’ first fully fledged — and fully priced — installment. Astro Bot takes ideas from these earlier titles and compiles them into a focused 3D platformer with dozens of main worlds, a bevy of additional unlockable planets and a wide range of satisfying mechanics.

But in reality, Team Asobi’s delightful platformer was perfectly placed to take an easy route down the middle to gaming’s top prize. Astro Bot took home four awards — it also won Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game — making it the biggest winner of the night. It is no surprise that a game like Astro Bot could be the big winner of the Game Awards. Astro Bot proves that creativity, fun and well applied technology is what the industry needs right now (and well, we can’t deny the touch of nostalgia or the amazing use of licenses). PlayStation can clean up the sour taste of last year, and perhaps show them that there are other paths to greatness. The Stranded Scout, Nightmare Guardian, Greedy Ape, and Pro Driver Cameo Bots will only be available at the Crash Site once players have unlocked them in Astro’s Playroom.

I hope it is something Sony are going to do more of in the future. It means a family or friend can play on my profile and get cloud saves as well using one of the save slots. If you have any lingering questions about the game, this section of our Astro Bot guide should have you covered.

One is the protagonist of Sucker Punch’s upcoming Ghost of Yotei (which is receiving a special State of Play). The developer teased in a blog post that completing the new galaxy “might lead to something really cool,” so players will have to dive in and see what surprises are in store. Astro Bot just received its latest free update, adding five more levels and new bot cameos to Team Asobi’s Game of the Year-winning platformer. Find an up-to-date list of every game available in the Xbox Game Pass (and PC Game Pass) library at all membership levels, and find out which games are coming soon and leaving soon.

You’ll also explore a giant singing tree, a vibrant casino, and the inside of a giant hourglass — all one-and-done ideas. It isn’t just the level’s themes that are varied; many have their own gameplay ideas as well. One later stage involves swapping from day to night, changing the geometry of the level, while an underwater planet adopts a more open design — and equips Astro with a power-up unique to that stage. While there are some recurring themes and mechanics, the overall variety meant we were constantly excited to see what was coming next.

Other abilities, like the Monkey Climb has you scaling walls with long extended arms. 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.

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It became one of the highest-rated VR games, so naturally, the franchise did not stop there. https://n188.uk.com/ would launch in 2020 pre-installed on every PS5, and once again served as a tech demo for the studio’s latest controller. Then, in 2024, players were treated to the full-length critically acclaimed platformer Astro Bot. Some platformers are really safe in their level design/movesets so you bet I’m critical. Besides many of Astro Bot’s creative and exciting boss battles, nostalgia fuels much of Astro Bot’s most thrilling moments, especially with the few stages specifically themed after PlayStation’s most beloved properties. However, those experiences risk feeling hollow for those who haven’t played the games that Astro Bot seems desperate to reference.

Part of Astro Bot’s success was the lengthy development time and attention given to the game. Many hope Sony will simply let Team Asobi do its thing and are perfectly content giving the next game the time it needs. You must complete the Great Master Challenge in order to find and collect Chop Chop Master Onion Special Bot. As the name implies, this is one of the most difficult levels in Astro Bot, so be sure to check out our full walkthrough for tips on how to complete the Great Master Challenge. At the top, you’ll see a train of enemies and another hourglass.

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. Astro Bot is a stunning 3D platformer, and easily among the best games in PS5’s library. It fully delivers on the promise of Astro’s Playroom, building on the rock solid core of tight controls and inventive gameplay and turning everything up to 11. With tons to see and do, almost endless fresh ideas, innovative use of the DualSense’s features, and truly charming presentation, it’s a confident and cohesive experience that players of all ages will love.

Whether you’re still tracking down all of the secret characters in Astro Bot or you just want to see if your favorite character made it into the game, here’s a roundup of all the secret bots we’ve found so far. A sequel, Astro’s Playroom, was released for the PlayStation 5 as a launch title that is pre-installed on every console and serves as a tech demo for the new DualSense controller. When it’s all done I’m left with that strange feeling of being very well cared for. But when I close my eyes I see the tumbling fruit, the hundreds and thousands, the gems stacked so high I can kick through them as if I’m wading through autumn leaves. I think, more than anything, of all the glorious bits and pieces. Everything looks aesthetically pleasing and fits right in the game’s world, not to mention the amazing Astro bot designs that reference numerous older IPs.

The ever-growing install base of the PS5 has allowed many players around the world to enjoy Astro’s Playroom. Filled with references to hardware throughout PlayStation’s history and boasting an abundance of cameo appearances from popular characters, Astro’s Playroom celebrated PlayStation’s history in a unique way. This made Astro not just the new kid on the block, but established the bot as a character integral to the PlayStation brand.