The 3D platformer pays homage to three decades of the Japanese console in a "magic" universe "inspired by the games I grew up with", says creator Nicolas Doucet
Players take a mini robot with a bobbling antenna on whimsical adventures to dozens of planets, fighting unusual enemies including a mean octopus wearing a snorkel. Image credit: Philip FONG / AFP©
Cute and colourful "Astro Bot", a hotly anticipated game released by Sony on Friday, shows how PlayStation has become too reliant on dark cinematic titles, fans and critics say.
The 3D platformer pays homage to three decades of the Japanese console in a "magic" universe "inspired by the games I grew up with", its creator Nicolas Doucet told AFP.
Players take a mini robot with a bobbling antenna on whimsical adventures to dozens of planets, fighting unusual enemies including a mean octopus wearing a snorkel.
But the contrast with PlayStation hits such as "God of War Ragnarok" and "Spider-Man 2" highlights Sony's recent focus on serious storylines and hyper-realistic graphics, which several players and reviewers feel has gone too far.
"Astro Bot on PS5 looks great, a much-needed taste of Nintendo whimsy on a console usually dominated by the realistic, gritty, and grounded," gaming podcaster Colin Moriarty wrote on X.