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Astro Bot PS5 review: One of the best games Sony has ever made

Astro Bot highlights the importance of play. It’s Super Mario Bros. for a new generation of video game fanatics, at once an introduction to common video game mechanics and also a significant challenge for seasoned players.

Perched atop a lone DualSense, Astro scours 50 total planets and collects other bots by punching them — you know, in a friendly way — and then storing them inside the touchpad of the on-screen controller before dumping everyone on a secure world. Stages are designed around these unique mechanics and the diversity on display is impressive, from a spooky castle filled with toxic-green ghosts and invisible platforms, to a deconstructed space station in a delectable cosmic setting, and an entire planet built out of giant, neon-lit casino props. Sony Interactive EntertainmentOn the cute side of things, Astro reacts to his environments with endearing animations like shivering in the cold, quivering in fear and tapping his tiny metal feet in excitement, and his bot friends are similarly expressive.

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