Summary
Astro Botdeveloper Team Asobi has revealed that it initially considered an open-world design approach for the upcoming 3D platformer. As the largest, most ambitious game in the series to date,Astro Bothas been making headlines for its simplistic yet densely packed level design that echoesSuper Mario Odyssey. However, Team Asobi’s early discussions could’ve swayed the game’s structure in a starkly different direction.
Fans of theAstro Botseries were quite excited when Team Asobi unveiled its first full-length effort at PlayStation’s May State of Play. Prior toAstro Bot, the series was only featured in small tech demos and pack-in titles meant to show off PlayStation hardware. However, the upcomingAstro Bottitle will finally break the mold as a charming, fully-fledged platformer thatpays tribute to PlayStation’s rich lineage of games, while also standing out among the brand’s usual gritty action-adventure games.
Astro Botmarks PlayStation’s first revisit to level-based platformersfrom a dedicated first-party team since 2017’sKnack 2, but it could’ve strayed far away from that design philosophy. In a newinterview with Edge Magazine,Astro Botcreative director Nicholas Doucet stated that during early discussions for the game’s design, Team Asobi briefly considered making it an open-world title. Ultimately, though, the studio went with “a level-based approach” as it allowed it to exact “the most control over the game’s variety.“Astro Botis confirmed to offer over 80 levels at launch, which is on the higher end for a level-based platformer.
Team Asobi Considered an Open-World Design Approach for Astro Bot
While there areseveral great open-world platformers out there, Team Asobi clearly didn’t feel it would be the right fit forAstro Bot, and it may have been the right instinct. Every singleAstro Bottitle in the past has taken a level-based approach to its structure, and the resulting simplicity made them very popular with players who preferred fun and easygoing experiences. Sticking to that ethos was possibly Team Asobi’s best course of action, and the generally positive reception ofAstro Botmight have validated that notion.
Additionally, Team Asobi decided to remain true toAstro Bot’s referential nature with over 150 VIP bots based on characters from other PlayStation franchises, while also aiming to cleverly weave them into the game’s narrative itself. Interestingly, Doucet did remark in a prior interview that he could see a future where theAstro Botseries may not rely on the PlayStation referencesas much, which would be a hefty departure for the series, but one that should be interesting to see. For now, though, the studio is readying upAstro Botfor its September 6 launch.
