Editors’ Choice: Why Astro Bot Rescue Mission is One of the Best Games of 2018
The little PS VR game that could is one of the year’s best gaming experiences.
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| Editors’ Choice: Why Astro Bot Rescue Mission is One of the Best Games of 2018 |
You need to play Astro Bot Rescue Mission immediately.
It’s not just that the titular hero Astro is adorable (he is). It’s not even just because the levels are a marathon of creative platforming experiences (they are). It’s because in a year filled with excellent takes on the virtual reality medium, Japan Studio have expertly threaded the needle to create an insanely fun platformer that will stand as a landmark for what all VR games should aspire to be.
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| Editors’ Choice: Why Astro Bot Rescue Mission is One of the Best Games of 2018 |
After Astro’s buddies get abducted and spread out across different worlds, it’s up to you to help him find and rescue his crew members. It’s a fun premise on its own, but being transported into the unique and fully realized levels is a feeling like no other. It’s such a seamless platforming experience that had me twisting, turning, and poking my head around corners determined to save every last bot.
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| Editors’ Choice: Why Astro Bot Rescue Mission is One of the Best Games of 2018 |
I was shocked at how well I fit into the whole world as the player. On top of controlling Astro, the player adds a helping hand through the DualShock 4, which manifests within the game and serves as a specialized tool that made me feel actively part of the world in a way that no other VR title has before. This third-person perspective also creates a twist on traditional platforming, pushing you to move your head and body to help solve puzzles and guide Astro on his mission. It’s a perfect fit for PS VR, and you’ll find yourself forgetting the world around you while following alongside Astro.
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| Editors’ Choice: Why Astro Bot Rescue Mission is One of the Best Games of 2018 |
The worlds and levels are inventive, animated with crisp color and capped off with larger-than-life boss fights that had me feeling just as small as Astro. I found myself gawking at the quirky level designs and replaying worlds so I could take in every detail. Manipulating the environments to clear a path for Astro feels completely natural, the controls intuitive and easy to grasp just minutes into playing. I can honestly say I’ve never felt more comfortable in the PS VR headset, and not a moment went by that I didn’t have a smile on my face.
It’s always exciting to watch the creativity that springs from a new medium. As a platformer alone, Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a delightful and gratifying game that would be a joy to play even in 2D, but the way Japan Studio has wielded their understanding of PS VR catapults it into a new stratosphere of fun to make it an essential PS VR game, and one of the best gaming experiences of the year.
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