Summary
Astro Bot, as a character, seemingly started as a generic tool for Sony to showcase how their new consoles worked. The race of these little critters appeared in a demo to illustrate that they lived in the PS4 controller calledThe Playroom. They were used to a better degree inAstro Bot Rescue Mission, quite possibly the best VR game on PS4 and there was another spinoff for VR too calledThe Playroom VR.
Then there was the built-in game that came with every PS5,Astro’s Playroom, which operated more like a traditional 3D platformer albeit a very short one. Now, at long last, a more fully featured game is here aptly titledAstro Bot. It’s getting great reviews which is having fans already ask for more. So, what should appear in the next Astro Bot starring game?
6Difficulty Modes
Or Add A Health Bar
Surprisingly,Astro Bothas very few settings. The only one of note allows players to turn off the motion controls to switch it to the left analog stick besides a few sound and video settings. As a game aimed at all ages, especially the younger demographic, it’s wild thatAstro Botdoesn’t feature any difficulty modes.
Assist options are increasingly becoming more and more prominent in AAA games such as another recent release,Star Wars Outlaws. Also, Astro Bot will die in one hit except for boss fights when he is given two extra hearts. There’s no other way to earn those extra hearts which is strange. AnAstro Botsequel should include difficulty modes, assist options, or a health bar to help out struggling players and the hardcore players deserve a higher challenge option too.
5This Series Is In Dire Need Of Co-Op
Imagine Multiplayer With 300 Friends
The more mainlineAstro Botgames including this adventure,Astro’s Playroom, andAstro Bot Rescue Missiondo not have co-op options. It makes sense forAstro Bot Rescue Missionnot to include the feature since that is a PSVR game but it makes less sense for the other two examples. Sony has gone through a lot of platformer mascots, the last of which were the Sackboys from theLittleBigPlanetseries.
Those games were all about co-op and sinceAstro Botis seemingly the platformer successor, he and his fellow bots could use some multiplayer adventures too. Whether the sequel includes two-player, four-player or anything beyond that is up to Team Asobi.Astro Botis a delightful adventure that would just be more fun with a friend or two playing along online or on thecouch via co-opto strengthen those good vibes.
4More Heroe Stages
Renew Old Legends Through
One of the highlights ofAstro Botis the Hero stages. After defeating the bosses of the five main galaxies, Astro Bot can take on the form of characters fromApe Escape,God of War,Horizon,Loco Roco, andUnchartedfor themed levels. They are some of the most creative stages in the game, and a sequel all about forgotten and modern franchises would be a blast.
For example, there could be a stealth mission wherein Astro Bot has to infiltrate a facility like inSyphon Filter. There could be a stage wherein Astro Bot has to become demonic to take on a boss inBloodborneand the list goes on. Multiverses are still hot right now and Team Asobi should strike while the iron is hot. It’s a cheaper way for Sony to give props to their old franchises via levels in anAstro Botsequel instead of fully funding individual sequels like the aforementioned ones.
3Tackle Different Genres
Imagine An Astro Bot RPG
If theAstro Botsequel does not want to go whole hog on representing lost franchises then it could go another route to freshen things up. Team Asobi could test out other genres for some remarkable surprises. The core gameplay genre ofAstro Botis a 3D platformer but it goes outside of those boundaries in some stages. For example, most of the hero stages could be considered more action games than platformers especially the one themed aroundGod of War.
The first mission in the final act, PlaySquadron Go, is an old-school space shooter. There are even RTS-like elements in the game like whenAstro Bot summons his fellow bots at the Crash Siteto rebuild things or pave a new way forward. It’s a gameplay mode akin to thePikminseries and an actual stage fully themed around this concept would be one example for the sequel to test out. It would also be interesting to see Team Asobi test out a turn-based RPG like for aFinal Fantasy7-themed stageor boss fight.
2Name The Collectables
There Needs To Be More History Preservation
Another great thing aboutAstro Botis all of the VIP botsrepresent dozens of franchises from first-party and third-party studios. For example, there are plenty of franchises from Capcom includingStreet FighterandResident Evil, and Konami hasSuikodenandCastlevania. Rescuing bots may be fun but not everyone is going to know who obscure characters are like the hero fromSuikoden, Tir.
There is no biography section in the options to fully dive into where these characters come from. It’s kind of up to players to look this stuff up online which seems uninviting. The sequel should take better care to fully explain and celebrate these franchises in other ways besides themed bots. Nintendo does a quality job inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate with similar statue-like setups in their history section. Team Asobi could look at that game for help.
1Customizable And Quality Of Life Features
Go Beyond Costumes
These examples could be patched intoAstro Botright now via a future update. Whether that happens or not is up to Team Asobi, but these features should at least come up in the sequel. For example, an ability tocustomize the color of their Astro Botwould be nice beyond the costume setup especially if there is going to be multiplayer. The map at the Crash Site is not that useful as it does not show where individual bots are stationed.
If there is a HUB World similar toAstro Botin the sequel, a more detailed map would be nice and maps in stages would also be beneficial as there are none inAstro Bot. There is aphoto mode inAstro Botbut it is hidden and players have to collect quite a few Puzzle Pieces before they can unlock it, which will probably be halfway through the game. It seems counterproductive, so a fully featured photo mode at the start of the next game would be appreciated.
