Francis ParcoTwo weeks after The Game Awards, I can’t help but look back at how far Astro Bot has come since 2013. Ever since the PlayStation 4’s release, Astro Bot and his fellow AR Bots have pretty much become unexpected mascots of modern PlayStation… and they did not always come from conventional full-fledged games. Also considering Christmas Day is about to arrive, I’d like to invite you to take a look back with me at how Team Asobi’s bot has indeed evolved during the past 11 years.
From Humble Tech Demo Beginnings
The first PlayStation video game that Astro and crew made their first debut in wasn’t even for a conventional standalone title. Launched as a pre-installed PlayStation 4 tech demo in 2013, enter The Playroom. Being included with the PS4, it naturally launched alongside the console on November 15, 2013. The tech demo game took advantage of the PS4 controller’s light bar, the touchpad, and the required PlayStation Camera for a set of Augmented Reality minigames.
While Astro himself did not yet exist, his fellow bots sure did. In the Playroom, you are able to also play around the with the bots and do stuff like flicking the touchpad on the controller to flick out the tiny bots and even suck them back in the controller. Furthermore, the PS4 controller’s lightbar is what the PS Camera tracks, and not only can you take a look at all the bots inside the controller, but they also react if you cover the light bar. There’s even a dog-like bot known as Asobi that you can mess around with. In fact, Team Asobi back then was a part of Japan Studio before being spun off as its own company following Japan Studio’s closure in 2021 (via GamesIndustry.biz).
But the DualShock 4 controller wasn’t the only way to play The Playroom. With either a PlayStation Vita or compatible phone/tablet (and the PS4 Second Screen app), you can draw objects and insert them into the game for the bots to interact with. Additionally, The Playroom also received a few extra DLC in the following years including Toy Maker and the Ninja Bots mini game.
On a quick personal note, I have a bit of a blurry memory playing this tech demo around late 2013/early 2014 at a friend’s house. I never got to play my copy on my PS4 Pro since I never got to buy a PS4 Camera during the past seven years.
Another Tech Demo but in VR
This next tech demo game is going to be a brief section since I never owned a PlayStation VR headset (nor any VR headset). Around the time the PlayStation VR headset launched for PS4 in October 2016, Japan Studio released The Playroom VR. It’s the same idea as The Playroom in terms of the PSVR headset’s hardware capabilities being demonstrated through several minigames and the VR Toy Wars add-on. Though before anyone can fully dismiss The Playroom VR as just another tech demo, a particular minigame called Robots Rescue would unknowingly be the catalyst for an entire franchise nearly 10 years later.
This mini game was Astro Bot’s (or Captain Astro) first appearance, marked by blue stripes and blue cape to set him apart from his fellow bots. Push Square reviewed the minigame that involves rescuing 20 scattered AR Bots. They praised how the unique gameplay utilized the DualShock 4 controller for Virtual Reality and expressed the potential of the minigame as its own full-fledged title.
Astro’s First Standalone Game
During the two years since The Playroom VR, Japan Studio undoubtably took the praise of Robot Rescue to heart and in 2018 released the next PSVR title in the franchise: ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission. The game took the bot rescuing and expanded it across five worlds. Instead of rescuing 20 bots, it became rescuing 200+ bots and fighting new enemies/bosses along the way.
In the end, ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission scored an 89 on OpenCritic, cementing the game as a prime title to pick up a PSVR headset. 2018 however, wouldn’t be the last that PlayStation fans would see of Captain Astro and the AR Bots.
A Next Gen Console Return
Thus far, the franchise went from a console tech demo to a VR tech demo, and then to a full-fledged VR game. Even as COVID-19 ravaged the world in 2020, PlayStation’s rising robot star would return and bring some alleviation and entertainment in the early pandemic era. This time debuting on the new gen console the PlayStation 5, Astro Bot made his awaited return in Astro’s Playroom. Just as The Playroom and The Playroom VR were tech demos for the PS4 and its headset, Astro’s Playroom has been a pre-installed tech demo game for the new PlayStation 5 when it launched on November 12, 2020.
Naturally, the game was made to demonstrate the hardware of the PlayStation 5, especially with the haptic-centric DualSense controller. Though instead of playing through a new set of minigames, Astro’s Playroom featured four regular levels that not only are named after the PS5 hardware, but also themed after past PlayStation consoles. The devs went as far as to go from the player rescuing bots to having certain bots dress up as iconic PlayStation characters. This time, the players traveled from world to world, picking up collectibles and unlocking various “artifacts” that chronicled the past PlayStation systems and their accessories. Feel free to read our review for additional details.
Other than a later content update adding speedrun levels, it would be a few more years before Astro made another return…
The Ultimate (Non-VR) Astro Title
Fast forward to earlier this very year, Astro and crew made yet another touchdown back into the gaming world… and PSVR won’t be involved at all this time. Named after the titular character, Astro Bot was revealed at the finale of May 2024’s PlayStation State of Play. From here, the Astro hype train carried throughout the spring and summer towards the game’s September 6 release day. This marketing hype featured new updates to Astro Bot’s predecessor, where one new “Special Bot” became unlockable every month until September. Oh, and have I mentioned the title’s reveal came ahead of PlayStation’s 30th Anniversary?
Before we knew it, launch day finally arrived and Astro Bot attracted universal acclaim. With a 94 average score, Astro Bot became the highest-reviewed game of 2024, only behind the Elden Ring expansion: Shadow of the Erdtree by one point (both games have curiously traded places as of December 22). Even I had the honor of Astro Bot being my first game review article, deeming the title “… a 3D platformer every gamer should play, not just for PlayStation fans.” This is the biggest Astro game yet, with over 300 bots to rescue across 100+ levels. Not only did the VIP bots dressed up as PlayStation (and third party) characters get the spotlight, but Astro also got to play as several of these bots as well.
Post-launch Path of a Winner
But the game’s success didn’t stop there. In the past three months, Team Asobi continued Astro’s post-launch support. Several new speedrun levels were announced up to November, bringing even more bots to Astro’s crew (via PlayStation Blog). And if that was not enough, Astro Bot scored a double whammy during the holidays. A new Christmas-themed DLC level was released the same night that Astro earned a seat at The Game Awards.
And oh boy was Astro’s seat at the TGA a special night for fans to celebrate. Astro had some considerably stiff competition at TGA, going up against high performers including Black Myth Wukong, Balatro, Shadow of the Erd Tree, and Metaphor: Refantazio to name a few. Yet against all odds, Astro Bot didn’t only win awards for Best Family Game, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Game Direction, but the wins included the ultimate Game of the Year award on Thursday December 12.
What of Astro’s Future?
As of now, Astro Bot’s future remains uncertain, at least in terms of future games and content. So many questions to ask. Where will Sony and Team Asobi take Astro Bot? Has he indeed become the new mascot of the Playstation 5 and of the entire brand? Will Team Asobi announce even more post-launch content/more VIP Bots yet to come, or is the Winter Wonder level the last of the PS5 exclusive’s content updates? Further questions can be pondered over the potential lasting impact on the rest of the industry Astro’s GOTY win may have, and if/when will Team Asobi possibly port Astro Bot to PC (as reported by VGC).
As usual, everyone will just have to wait and see what the upcoming year of 2025 will hold for Astro after the holidays. But one thing is certain: no one would’ve imagined the tiny, adorable bots would go from tech demo characters in 2013 to GOTY winner(s) 11 years later.
What do you think of Astro Bot’s 11-year history? Where do you predict Astro could go from here? Let us know below!