It’s well known thatAstro Botis a love letter to all things PlayStation. From mascots like Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot, to modern heroes like Nathan Drake and Aloy, to niche characters like Arc the LadAstro Botreferencesthem all. ButAstro Botis far more than just a big piece of fan-service, delivering plenty of original gameplay features all its own.
WhileAstro Bottakes inspiration from both classic and modern 3D platformers, its gameplay is wholly unique, offering plenty of power-ups and mechanics that can’t be found in any of its contemporaries.Astro Bot’s presentation is also a major strength, and there’s one element of that presentation that could easily lay the groundwork for a creative level in a hypothetical sequel.
Astro Bot’s Great Music Should Pave the Way for a Music-Themed Level
Astro Bot Has a Reverence for Music
As any fans ofAstro’s previous appearanceswill know, music has always been a highlight of theAstro Botfranchise, and that’s certainly true for its latest entry.Astro Bot’s main theme gives fans everything they could want from a modern mascot platformer, delivering a joyous, catchy melody that captures the bright and leisurely essence of the game. This central theme is then tweaked throughout the game to better capture the atmosphere of a level’s theming, such as the cave-based levels having a more mysterious musical tone.
Another highlight ofAstro Bot’s soundtrackcan be found in each galaxy’s final level. These five levels each revolve around a specific PlayStation franchise, such asGod of War,Horizon, andUncharted. Along with wielding iconic weapons and powers from these franchises and fighting through environments based on the respective series, players are treated to a remixed version of each IP’s musical theme.
On top of all these direct examples ofAstro Bot’s clear reverence for music, the acclaimed platformer also pays homage to PlayStation’s long history of music-related games. Belovedrhythm games likePaRappa the Rapper,Um Jammer Lammy, andPataponare all referenced inAstro Botvia its VIP Bots.
Astro Bot 2 Should Feature a Music-Themed Level
In the aforementioned final levels of each galaxy inAstro Bot, players are given a new temporary mechanic inspired by the PlayStation franchise that the level revolves around. For instance, in theGod of Warlevel, players are given Kratos' Leviathan Axe that can be used for both melee and ranged attacks. IfanAstro Botsequelever happens, these levels need to make a return, and it’d be fun to see Team Asobi experiment with more distinct types of gameplay mechanics, such as those found in music-based games.
In a hypotheticalAstro Bot 2, it’d be great to see a level based solely around a game likePaRappa the RapperorPatapon. Rather than Kratos' axe, Nathan Drake’s gun, or Aloy’s bow, these levels could grant the player temporary rhythm-based powers that they’d use to make their way through the themed environment. WithAstro Botalready having such a clear reverence for music and classic rhythm games, this gameplay integration would feel like a natural evolution for the series.
JOIN ASTRO IN A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSIZED SPACE ADVENTURE
The PS5® mothership has been wrecked, leaving ASTRO and the bot crew scattered all over the galaxies. Time to ride your trusty Dual Speeder across more than 50 planets full of fun, danger and surprises. On your journey, make the most of ASTRO’s new powers and reunite with many iconic heroes from the PlayStation universe!
Blast off on a supersized adventure
From sandy beaches to lush jungles and piping-hot volcanoes, explore a myriad of memorable planets in search of Astro’s lost crew!
Power up your platforming
With your new powers, battle out a whole new roster of quirky baddies and huge bosses. Feel every hop, punch and crack through your DualSense wireless controller.
Join the PlayStation celebration
Reunite with over 150 iconic PlayStation heroes and celebrate 30 years of PlayStation history!
