Astro Bot channels the pure game design of Nintendo, as PlayStation turns towards families

Few games generated as much joy in the room of their Summer Game Fest demos as Astro Bot, the latest from Astro’s Playroom and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission developer Team Asobi. During my three quarters of an hour or so with Astro Bot I just about cleared all of its demo. I say “just about” because, while the main missions accessed from its galaxy-style menu were a family-friendly breeze, a couple of other hidden, bonus missions were far from it, offering a challenge to rival some PlayStation platformers of old (looking at you, Crash Bandicoot).

Astro Bot previewDeveloper: Team AsobiPublisher: PlayStationPlatform: Played on PS5Availability: Out 6th September on PS5

“This level in particular,” explains Nicolas Doucet, Asobi studio founder and creative director of Astro Bot, while noodling around in an early, flamingo-themed world, “we want it to be enjoyable for everyone – but potentially, for a very, very young child, we almost wanted it to be like a playground, and that would be the one thing they play.”

At the same time, he continues, “we’ve got to think about the difficulty curve and the challenge of the whole game, which is why outside of the main path leading to the boss, you have these extra challenges – and that’s where you find a lot of PlayStation characters too.” One of those characters, of course, is Bloodborne’s Lady Maria, something Doucet told me had “no secret meaning,” despite many fans’ hopes it might be some kind of hint at a much-desired Bloodborne sequel, remaster, or PC port.

Back to that playground idea though, which, as Doucet explains further, it becomes clear to me is an example of the kind of considered, design-forward thinking for which Team Asobi has begun to earn a reputation. On each level there are little items, objects, or elements of environmental design that serve no purpose other than to be fun to interact with. On that first level, for instance, petals swoosh in little pools of water, a mischievous rodent creature pops up and then hides whenever you approach it, and a diving board springs you up, high above a big pool, which contains more secrets for the more determined players who want to complete the level fully.