The new Astro Bot Team Asobi's announcement was one of the most exciting at State of Play. For the developer, it's the biggest project the team has ever worked on.
Team Asobi discussed this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, who also see it as a kind of new beginning for the franchise as a whole.
“We wanted to make a big game,” says Studio Head Nicolas Doucet. “This is really about taking things a step further—actually, several steps further—and telling Astro’s grand story. We call it Astro Bot because we see it as a new beginning. This is a really, really big game. I think for us, it’s the biggest game we’ve ever made.”
However, when it comes to size, it's not just about scale, but also about the experience. Team Asobi aims to offer players a fresh experience every 10 minutes. "Astro Bot" is described as a kind of "fiesta" that brings together or draws inspiration from numerous PlayStation icons, including Kratos, Nathan Drake, Ratchet, and PaRappa the Rapper.
"There will be more. We'll talk about what they mean for the game over time, but yes, there will be a big reunion. There are many characters from the PlayStation universe who cross Astro's path. It's obviously an Astro Bot story, with Astro as the main character, but there are many PlayStation characters who play a role."
In concrete terms, players can look forward to over 80 brand-new levels spread across 6 galaxies. There are also over 300 Astro Bots to rescue, over 150 cameos, and 15 new Astro Bot skills. Composer Kenny Young also returns to contribute the soundtrack. There will be no in-game transactions or multiplayer mode.
“Astro Bot” will be released later this year for PS5.
This will be a highlight this year, I'm really looking forward to it!