Astro Bot Sequel Wishlist

Key Takeaways

Astro Bot lacks difficulty modes and health bars, making it necessary for a sequel to add these features for all player types.
Co-op is missing in the mainline Astro Bot games, so a multiplayer update for the sequel would enhance the overall experience.
Astro Bot’s potential sequel should include hero stages representing various franchises and test out different genres beyond platforming.

As a seasoned gamer with decades under my belt, I must say that Astro Bot Rescue Mission has truly captured my heart and imagination. While I appreciate the game’s core 3D platforming elements, it’s the innovative twists on classic genres like the space shooter in PlaySquadron Go or the RTS-like stages that have me yearning for more.

Initially, Astro Bot seemed like a standard character designed by Sony to demonstrate their latest consoles’ capabilities. These tiny creatures made their debut in a demo known as “The Playroom,” which ran on the PS4 controller to show they inhabited this device. However, they were more fully utilized in the game “Astro Bot Rescue Mission,” widely regarded as the best VR game for the PS4. Additionally, there was another spinoff for VR called “The Playroom VR.

Following that, the pre-installed game on every PS5, “Astro’s Playroom,” functioned similarly to a classic 3D platformer, but it was quite brief. Now, we finally have a more comprehensive game called “Astro Bot.” This new release is garnering excellent reviews, causing fans to clamor for even more content. So, what features might the next installment of Astro Bot include?

6 Difficulty Modes

Or Add A Health Bar

It’s rather unexpected that the game Astro Bot offers only a handful of adjustments. The most significant one lets players disable motion controls and use the left analog stick instead, in addition to some sound and visual settings. Remarkably, for a game designed for a wide audience, particularly young players, it’s quite unusual that Astro Bot lacks different difficulty modes.

In popular AAA games like the latest title, “Star Wars Outlaws,” assist features are growing more prevalent. Interestingly, in the game “Astro Bot,” he can only survive one hit, except during boss fights where he is granted two additional lives. These extra lives cannot be earned any other way, which seems unusual. For a fairer experience for both casual and hardcore players, a sequel to “Astro Bot” could incorporate different difficulty modes, assist options, or a health bar. This would cater to those finding the game challenging, as well as those seeking a tougher experience.

5 This Series Is In Dire Need Of Co-Op

Imagine Multiplayer With 300 Friends

In simpler terms, all three main Astro Bot games – Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, and this adventure – don’t offer cooperative play options. It seems reasonable for Astro Bot Rescue Mission, being a PSVR game, to not include co-op, but it’s less clear why the other two games lack this feature. Over time, Sony has experimented with various platformer mascots, with the Sackboys from LittleBigPlanet being their most recent endeavor in this genre.

The games were primarily focused on cooperative play, and since Astro Bot seems to be the successor in the platformer genre, it might benefit from some multiplayer escapades as well. Whether the follow-up offers two-player, four-player, or even more gameplay options is at the discretion of Team Asobi. Astro Bot presents a charming journey that would simply be even more enjoyable with one or more friends joining in for cooperative play, either online or side by side on a single couch.

4 More Heroe Stages

Renew Old Legends Through

Among the standout features of the game “Astro Bot” is the Hero stages. Once you’ve vanquished the bosses from the five primary galaxies, Astro Bot gains the ability to transform into characters from games such as “Ape Escape“, “God of War“, “Horizon Zero Dawn“, “Loco Roco“, and “Uncharted“. These themed levels, filled with creativity, are among the most unique in the game. A sequel focusing on both forgotten and contemporary franchises promises to be an exciting adventure!

In other words, imagine that Astro Bot embarks on a secret operation, where he sneaks into a location similar to the one seen in Syphon Filter. At some point, there might be a level where Astro Bot transforms into something demonic to battle a boss, reminiscent of Bloodborne. The concept of multiple universes is trending at the moment, and Team Asobi should seize this opportunity while it lasts. It’s more cost-effective for Sony to acknowledge their past franchises by incorporating elements from them in future Astro Bot sequel levels, rather than producing standalone sequels like Syphon Filter or Bloodborne.

3 Tackle Different Genres

Imagine An Astro Bot RPG

If the sequel to Astro Bot doesn’t want to heavily focus on reintroducing old franchises, it might explore other game genres to keep things exciting. Team Asobi could experiment with various game types, which could lead to some unexpected delights. While the main genre of Astro Bot is a 3D platformer, it occasionally steps out of these boundaries in certain stages. For instance, many of the hero stages can be considered action games rather than platformers, particularly the one inspired by God of War.

In the concluding act of PlaySquadron Go, the inaugural mission takes on the classic style of space shooters. Notably, there are strategy game-like aspects integrated into the title, such as when Astro Bot calls upon his robot comrades at the Crash Site to reconstruct structures or carve a fresh path ahead. This playstyle resembles the Pikmin series, and a stage completely themed around this concept could serve as an intriguing test for the sequel. Furthermore, it would be captivating to witness Team Asobi experiment with a turn-based RPG style for a Final Fantasy 7-themed stage or boss battle.

2 Name The Collectables

There Needs To Be More History Preservation

One standout feature of Astro Bot is that it boasts a variety of VIP bots representing numerous franchises, both from in-house and external studios. For instance, you’ll find popular series like Capcom’s Street Fighter and Resident Evil, as well as offerings from Konami such as Suikoden and Castlevania. While saving the bots can be enjoyable, some may not recognize lesser-known characters, like Tir from Suikoden.

In the current setup, there’s no dedicated section that delves into the origins of these characters. This leaves it to the players to explore this information online, which might feel a bit unengaging. The sequel could make an effort to provide more comprehensive background information and highlight the rich history of these franchises in creative ways other than themed bots. Nintendo does a commendable job in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by including detailed historical displays. Team Asobi might find inspiration from this game’s approach for their own project.

1 Customizable And Quality Of Life Features

Go Beyond Costumes

These suggested enhancements could potentially be incorporated into “Astro Bot” through a future update, though this depends on Team Asobi. However, these improvements might ideally appear in the sequel. For instance, allowing players to customize their Astro Bot’s color beyond the costume options would add an appealing touch, particularly if multiplayer is involved. Additionally, the map at the Crash Site could be improved by displaying the locations of individual bots, as it currently lacks this functionality.

In a potential follow-up to the game, having a detailed map like that found in HUB World, reminiscent of Astro Bot, could greatly enhance the player’s experience. Breaking down each stage into smaller, mapped sections would also be advantageous as this feature is currently absent in Astro Bot. While there is a photo mode within Astro Bot, it is somewhat elusive and requires players to gather a substantial number of Puzzle Pieces before accessing it. Given that this might occur midway through the game, having an easily accessible, fully-featured photo mode from the start of the next game would be preferable as it seems inconvenient in its current implementation.

2024-09-11 18:54