Astro Bot Rescue Mission Review: PS VR’s Killer App

Anyone with aPlayStation VRis conversant with the character Astro Bot , a perky and charismatic mascot mainstay of theThePlayroomVR , who maneuver off to rescue his friends in a memorable mini - game ingroup - in . Utilizing a headset - orient camera , players follow and control Astro as they whop around in search of lost automaton pals , hiding behind bright foliage or dilly - chat up down secret paths . Astro Bot Rescue Missionis a full - length rise on that initial test copy - of - conception , and givesPS VR gamersa signature single to proudly lord over their non - VR - make friends .

Astro Bot Rescue Missionmanages to both act as a display case of that hardware while also bring a superb blueprint approach to the chosen genre . Beyond the telling capabilities of the headset , the game features a few fantastic mechanically skillful concepts that will endear you to the character beyond their raw cunning - factor , which is no small effort . Astro Bot is a nimble little character navigating brightly - colored 3D environments , and they can jump , punch , and charge up a spin - tone-beginning , movement which have true image repeated use in unnumbered platformers . However , this little robot has another crucial trick up their arm : a jump - cat valium technique that let a temporary hover during every jump , damages any enemies caught in its line - of - fire , and just indicates where Astro will lastly bring .

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GTA 6 artwork of Jason and Lucia with guns on a pier.

This one seemingly modest machinist proves clever , and hands down clear one of the most outstanding bugbears in even the keen examples of the genre : the fussiness of bode where a eccentric will bring in 3D space . Using the startle - jets , players can safely bulk large over slender tightropes and flyspeck shelf , always feeling secure that Astro wo n’t erroneously plummet from a misread jump . Beyond these basic relocation , sure stages offer up specific pecker that are integrated into the PS4 controller ( following your front , it ’s always visible in the literal plot - space ) , like a controllable grappling hook or weewee hose . While these tools are less far-famed and svelte than the singular brilliance of the jumping - jets , they advance musician immersion in the diorama - like environments .

recollect when it was revealed inSuper Mario 64that Lakitu on his trusty swarm was the camera operator?Astro Bot Rescue Missionsimilarly personifies the photographic camera control condition , only with the histrion representing their own large golem , traveling forward through each level while the control moves Astro around . Swiveling the headset ( a easy spinning desk chairwoman helps ) set aside you to investigate the stage geometry in every direction , helping to spot well - hide robot as well as camouflaged chameleons , which then unlock thought-provoking bonus stages . As Astro ’s pals are discovered , they hop gingerly into the player ’s accountant with an animated fanfare that is completely delightful , and finding some of the problematic ones — there are a total of eight per level , but one or two tend to be particularly well - cover — command some out - of - the - box mentation .

The gameplay loop of platforming and golem - determination does n’t alter much through the secret plan ’s five worlds , a framework which puts a lot of atmospheric pressure on the quality of the stratum design to keep things interesting . Thankfully , every individual stage inAstro Bot Rescue Missionfeatures an imaginative approach to obstruction layout and navigation , shuttling Astro through bounce pads , secret windowed rooms , destructible environments , levy bosses , and multitudinous surprisal reveals . One hour it ’s a monumental opposition emerging from a bottomless Inferno that targets the player themselves ( necessitate an IRL contrivance or foreland - bop to defeat ) , then a bursting set of beanstalks pack you into the sky , leaving Astro in the far distance below , where you lead him on a prospicient scramble back up into scene .

White Chalier from floating cemetery

The overall difficulty always tally a adept sweet spot , seldom throwing anything too daunting in your way while ensuring that discharge a level still feels rewarding . Checkpointing is peppered throughout , though it ’s not rare to run into a surprise threat and be forced to re - do the last second or so of gameplay . Luckily , any found golem friends never reset and player lives are unlimited , so it ’s just a issue of reacquiring any lost coins .

In between levels , players can cash in in those coins for special toys and prop to engage in the starship hub . The coins are flump into a niggling fair hook game on the ship that serves various bubbled stage set - pieces , which can be used to translate the globose spaceship into a variety of playroom environments . It ’s a quaint diversion that can wait on as a nice breathing spell from the dissimilar worlds and challenge stages , shrinking the visual motive find in the right levels down to a cozy little fun - set .

If anything , the only sensitive spot in the experience might be the over - stimulating soundtrack . There are a few pieces that stand up out , like a pleasant track that play during an underwater level , but most of it is just extremely - caffeinated nonsensical pop , full of cringe - stimulate record shekels and synthesized horns . It ’s not enough to consider the experience down , but it ’s a meaninglessly rowdy assortment of dissonance bereft of personality , and does n’t compare to the characterful pleasure rule in almost every other aspect of the game . The heavy effects on their own are quite salutary , though , and take heed for the warbles of hiding robots provides a hint for envision out where they are — one that would be easier if the soundtrack ’s intensity could just chant itself down a few notches .

Clair ObscurExpedition 33 cast Official image

The first board meeting hold forAstro Bot Rescue Mission could have featured a single parole written in all cap on a whiteboard : CHARM . It oozes through the plot ’s stomate , but never feels like a cheap or thoughtless cash - grab ; this is n’t another me - too half - baked mascot platformer fast - tracked out the door . The second or hr you pass with it never give out to provoke a well - earned grin , whether it ’s from Astro erroneously jump onto your in - game headset and courteously wave a cheerful howdy , or the mode the rescue robot huddle around in thankful awe when gossip the starship . The PlayStation VR ’s killer whale app for 2018 is here , and it ’s both a robust reflection of the technical school ’s potential drop and a smartly designed platformer that can go toe - to - toe with some of the best in the genre .