PSVR Review – Astro Bot Rescue – It’s a ME, ASTRO BOT!

So if Astro Bot Rescue has taught me anything, it is that I sincerely wish that Nintendo would throw its hat into the VR arena.

Astro Bot Rescue is in every single way a perfect game, a 10/10, no questions asked.

It feels like a direct sequel to Mario 64 mixed with Super Mario Galaxy all rolled into a perfect package.

There is so many elements ripped right from the pages of Nintendo I am stunned they are not getting sued.

To date, we have not had a more polished and visually stunning VR game. Many have tried, and even amazing stand outs like Resident Evil 7 all suffer from the low res blues that is common with so many VR games.

Bland textures, grainy darkness, and horrible edges that look like teeth on a chainsaw.

Next to none of that is present in in ABR.

All 5 in game worlds are unique, and offer typical Mario like experiences. From ice worlds, under water levels, to the final worlds lava filled jump fest. It is all here in spades, and all works so bloody perfectly.

The controls are a perfect mix of both traditional 3^rd person platforming, and a mix of VR touches from using your head to break barricades and kill enemies, to your controller becoming a Swiss army knife of tools.

It is worth mentioning too, that controller integration in Astro Bot is the best I have ever seen in VR.

Each level you “snap” your controller to a mold on screen, and it is rendered just like your DS3 controller in you hands, except all shiny and with glowing buttons.

You see the sticks move in VR 1 to 1. Same for button presses.

As you rescue your little stranded robot buddies, they fly around the screen and ultimately land and reside in your controller.

It is a real cool sight to behold.

The gadgets you acquire too are very well designed, from throwing stars you throw by sliding your hand over the touch pad, to a water cannon that is used to grow flowers or put out fire enemies.

Traveling through the 5 worlds that encompass 20 levels, and 5 boss fights was pure joy.

I could not wait to get to the next level to see what they had come up with.

The water levels we so incredibly well crafted and the fluid effects were just stunning.

And the boss fights themselves had an amazing sense of scale and depth. Be it fighting a giant King Kong like gorilla, or a shark the size of a Megalodon.

Sound presentation was outstanding as well, with a soundtrack that has been stuck in my head for days, to the sound of your rescued buddies flying overhead and behind you, it truly shines in simulated Atmos.

For the collector out there, there is a ton to do as well.

You have 8 robots to rescue spread over 20 levels. A hidden chameleon in each of those 20 levels, which unlocks a bonus challenge stage per each reptile.

As well there is a play area in which you can spend your coins in a claw game machine to unlock collectable statues (over 110). But it goes farther than that.

In the play areas you can go to each of the world from the claw games collections, and the items you collect will appear as interactive play toys.

So you are pretty much collecting things to build your play world.

Lastly is the challenge levels. 20 in total, that consist of a pile of short games spread over the 20 levels from the game. From timed races to gadget challenges to redoing the boss fights with a perfect goal in mind. All garnering you another 2 rescued bots each.

My only negative about Astro Bot is it was over in a heartbeat.

While clocking in at about 6 hours, it was still too short and I wish there was 50 more levels to play.

I hope Sony uses this success of ABR to spin up a new VR franchise, because I could see myself playing Astro Bot for a lot of years to come if they do.

An amazing 10/10 and a 100% must own for all PSVR users. You will not be sorry.