Astro Bot on PS5 - Virtually Flawless - Digital Foundry Tech Review

Team Asobi creates unforgettable platform games and with Astro Bot on PlayStation 5, the developers have done it again with an outstanding effort that's up there with Nintendo at its best - with its own range of individual flourishes and features. The joy of video games is encapsulated in this beautiful game - as John explains in the DF tech review.

00:00 - Intro
02:13 - Resolution and Performance
04:59 - Unbelievable Physics
07:52 - Fluid Simulation
10:38 - Beautiful Graphics
12:46 - The DualSense Experience
16:54 - A Museum of PlayStation
19:11 - Sound and Music
21:57 - Wrap-up

[tayjn]

"Astro Bot is so good that it single-handedly reminded me why I even enjoy video games in the first place" god damn

[djtomoy]

this game looks like it came from an alternate universe where game designers still understand the concept of fun

[Hamsandwich]

I have a 4 year old and 5 year old who LOVED playing Astro's Playroom. As soon as I heard about this game, I pre-ordered. We moved their beds into the living room and gamed late into the night with them. It was such a joy to see them actually be able to play a game that's fun and engaging and simply, just joyful. Sure, there were game references they were missing (although they did see Aloy and screamed it out), they are experiencing what I also consider to be the best part about gaming. The mechanics of using light to find hidden platforms, seeking out hidden worlds, and even taking leaps of faith have all brought me right back to playing Super Mario Bros in 1995.

It sounds silly, but it almost brings tears to my eyes seeing my boys experience the magic of games that I remember from playing Super Mario Bros on SNES all those years ago. Now, when they're not playing, they're running around playing 'pretend Astro's' and it just warms my heart. One of my boys when I tucked him in last night said, "Brother and I are going to make video games. He'll do the music and I'll do the game." If that's not what life is about, I'm not sure what is.

I'm glad you saw the joy of this game too. It's a beautiful game during a weird time in gaming and a brilliant reminder of why gaming can be so incredible.

Wish you the best John and DF!

[preim]

Astrobot releasing to critical aclaim at the same time as Concord gets unceremoniously shot behing a shed is really something.

[nusoul]

AAA game with a team of less than 100 people, made in less than 4 years, takes full advantage of the hardware while providing solid performance, amazing haptics that actually enhance gameplay, and utterly unique mechanics. I really hope this game takes off and the industry sees that bigger and shinier does not mean better. We need more unique games built by teams that are enabled to achieve their own vision, not some board or team of investors. The fact that this game is releasing on the day of Concord's shutdown is very bittersweet. I hope Sony (and the rest of the AAA industry) is taking notes, and the sales actually reflect the review scores.

[zerlegend]

such physics with such number of particles without dipping the frame rate or not even going below 1440p in resolution is by itself an enormous achievement

[jamiecal]

Please god almighty let this sell incredibly, ridiculously well.

[doh]

I really don’t get why some people remark that this is a case of gameplay > graphics. This game is absolutely gorgeous, runs like a charm and oozes effects.

[Xerra]

Team Asobi sets the gold standard of what video games should strive to be. Interactive, flawless 60fps, and no uncertainty. They made a game that's worth every penny.
This game better win a ton of awards or I'll be very pissed xD

[JustVC]

Wow, a game running at good resolution, rock solid 60 frames, physics for basically every sh*t on screen and good graphic style...too good to be true

[anaguma]

Its kind of funny how the most technically impressive game making the most of current gen hardware is a cheerful platformer. 1000% buying this!

[nikhilgotmail]

Seeing those leaves flying all at once sent a tear through my eyes. Why don’t more games use physics like this? It makes the game feel so lifelike

[HuGiv]

Those are some of the best physics I've ever seen in a videogame.

[DJBV]

This game proves you don't need the latest ray tracing/path tracing to blow you away visually just a strong art direction

[ctrlectrld]

3:22 "there's no ghosting or reconstruction artifacts, or any other stability issues with the image quality; it just looks like a GOSH DARN CLEAN video game"

I felt that.

[CasualViewer-tf]

Probably didn’t cost $200 million to make either… Sony really needs to get back to more of this.

Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.

[XxPARTYBEARxX]

Guess we have another "Game of the Year" nominee in our hands.

[StillWeRide]

You just smile playing it. Almost zero load times. What a blast.

[icedcapplord]

A day one purchase for me. This game just looks engineered to make people feel joy and I hope Sony gets the most out of Team Asobi. Games like this are really needed considering this generation is quickly being defined by overinvesting on games that don't meet their audiences in the middle, especially in light of recent developments

[MichaelErard]

I’m in my 40’s and I couldn’t be more excited for this game! We need more of this style on PlayStation. Can’t wait for my preorder to unlock!