Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a 2018 platform video game developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4's PlayStation VR headset. It stars a cast of robot characters first introduced in The Playroom, where they appeared as robots that lived inside of the DualShock 4 controller. In the game, the player teams up with Captain Astro and goes on a quest to rescue his lost crew scattered across different worlds. 

The game was released in October 2018 and received critical acclaim, with praise for the game's use of the DualShock 4 and its varied level design. It is the first game in the Astro Bot series, and was followed by Astro's Playroom in 2020 and Astro Bot in 2024.

Gameplay
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a 3D platformer where players control Astro Bot, a small robot navigating various levels using a DualShock 4 controller. The game is designed for VR, so players experience the game world from a first-person perspective, essentially becoming a giant robot that interacts with the environment. This includes actions like smashing walls with head-butts, dodging attacks, and using the headset's microphone to blow petals around. 

In each level, the main objective is to rescue Astro's crew, scattered throughout the game's five worlds and twenty levels. Players also face bosses at the end of each world, which require a certain number of rescued bots to challenge. 

Each level also hides Space Chameleons, which, when found, unlock special challenge stages that add extra content to the game. Additionally, players can discover Magic Chests containing gadgets such as a Hook Shot, Water Gun, Tight Rope, Magic Light, Machine Gun, or a Slingshot. These gadgets help Astro navigate through levels, providing tools to manipulate the environment in various ways.

Development
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was developed by Japan Studio's Team Asobi division. Due to popular demand and fan feedback of the mini game called "Robot Rescue" in The Playroom VR, Japan Studio decided to make a fully fleshed game based on the mini game. Astro Bot Rescue Mission was developed in 18 months by a team of 25 people. The music was composed by Kenneth C M Young.

Reception

Astro Bot Rescue Mission received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. As of July 2019, Astro Bot Rescue Mission is the highest-rated VR game in history according to Metacritic, and the 6th highest-rated PS4 game in 2018. The game was especially praised for its use of the DualShock 4 controller's features and varied level design.

Chris Dunlap's 10/10 score on GamingAge stated that "Astro Bot Rescue Mission is an extremely fun and engaging game, and a dynamite addition to the growing PSVR library." PSU.com said "Easily the best platformer and PS VR game on the market this year."

Accolades

Sequels

Astro's Playroom 

A sequel, Astro's Playroom, was released for the PlayStation 5 as a launch title that is pre-installed on every console and serves as a tech demo for the new DualSense controller.

Astro Bot 

Astro Bot is the most recent entry in the Astro Bot series and was released in 2024 for the PlayStation 5 in celebration of PlayStation's 30th anniversary. The game received universal acclaim from critics.

References

External links
 

2018 video games
3D platformers
Astro Bot
Japan Studio games
PlayStation 4 games
PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games
PlayStation Network games
PlayStation VR games
Sony Interactive Entertainment games
Single-player video games
Team Asobi games
The Game Awards winners
Video games about robots
Video games developed in Japan
Video game franchises introduced in 2018
Video games scored by Kenneth Young
Video games set in outer space
Video games set on fictional planets