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Read our full Astro Bot review

Astro Bot is a gorgeous 3D platformer with an adorable protagonist, dozens of planets to explore and a wide range of ultra-satisfying mechanics to perfect. It requires patience, awareness and a high degree of platforming skill, though resets are generous and failure doesn’t cost anything other than your time. The main character, Astro, is endlessly charming as he flies among galaxies on a mission to rescue 300 of his friends, many of whom embody characters from Sony’s library and the wider gaming world — bots from Capcom, Konami and Sega franchises abound.

Many of the planets that Astro lands on introduce new mechanics, such as spring-loaded boxing gloves that look like frog faces, an octopus that blows Astro up like a balloon, a mouse backpack that shrinks him at will, a penguin-propelled swimming booster, and a stopwatch that temporarily freezes time. Stages are designed around these unique mechanics and the diversity on display is impressive.

Beyond pure cuteness, Astro Bot is beautiful. Its landscapes are sharp and alive with interactive details, and it seems like every pixel has been polished to perfection. But it’s the game’s physics that energize everything — when Astro lands on top of a giant inflatable daisy, the material buckles under his little feet, indenting with each step and sway, and making the entire scene look utterly squeezable. When rain hits Astro’s umbrella hat, the sound is mirrored perfectly on the DualSense, along with the feeling of raindrops on the grips. Astro Bot’s sound effects, haptics, graphics and physics harmonize flawlessly, transforming every surface into a playground. It’s magical.

Astro Bot feels purpose-built for video game fans. It’s a skill-driven celebration of everything that makes the format so memorable and joyful, and at the same time, it’s an excellent introduction to the language of games. With precise and responsive controls, lovable characters, and an exciting variety of mechanics and environments, Astro Bot is easily one of the best games that Sony has ever produced. — Jessica Conditt, Senior Reporter