Hello everyone. How have you been over the past few weeks? Enjoy your holidays and happy gaming this summer!
Today, I am very pleased to give you another update on behalf of the little robots of Team Asobi. Astro Bot before its launch on September 6. Check out our new trailer for some cool features we’re keeping secret.
New game trailer released
Let’s start with a new world and new gameplay, introducing Handy-D, a cheeky monkey on Astro’s back that allows Astro to climb, swing, and smash with his giant hands. This is a returning mechanic that we’re taking to a more complete level by incorporating it into the core platforming.
You’ll also find Muteki (which means invincible in Japanese), a fitting name for Astro’s iron armor that allows him to roll through thorny areas, squeeze into tight spaces, or be shot like a cannonball! Finally, you’ll also get a glimpse of Astro transforming into a tiny mouse, making the world and every step around him seem huge via the DualSense wireless controller. One of our favorites right there!
Also seen in this new trailer is how the bots you rescue will impact your adventure. There are a total of 300 bots to rescue in Astro Bot, 150 of which are PlayStation guests. We put a lot of love into the design of these characters, so they recreate funny moments from their respective games, so no matter who your favorite PlayStation character is, you’re sure to have a laugh along with them. Once rescued, these little bots can team up to perform group actions that let you explore more of the hub planet. In the video, you can see several PlayStation characters teaming up to form a wall run for Astro to reach higher places.
And finally… the part that so many of you have been wondering and asking about since we shared our first trailer: Hero gameplay! Yes, at a few key moments in the adventure, Astro will be able to borrow some special abilities from some PlayStation heroes. In this video, we can see Kratos sharing the awesome Leviathan Axe for Astro to use in a God of War crossover level. We won’t say much more about this as we believe it’s one of the coolest features to discover for yourself. We just hope you find this a faithful and fun tribute to the source material. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the game teams who believed in us and supported us to make this big PlayStation anniversary a reality.
There’s still a lot more we haven’t talked about yet! So we can’t wait to see your reactions when Astro lands on September 6.
Before we go, we have a few more announcements to make:
Be sure to collect your 4 special Bots in Astro’s Playroom, which comes preloaded on your PS5. Once rescued, you’ll be able to bring these bots into the new game and add them to your starting lineup. And in the final hours before Astro Bot’s release, we’ll be hosting a special celebratory countdown inside Astro’s Playroom. Come check it out.
Speaking of the final countdown, as we inch closer to Astro Bot’s September 6 launch, you still have time to pre-order the game and get early access to costumes and paints for the DualSpeeder as well as the Digital Soundtrack and Digital Art Book if you pick up the Deluxe Digital Edition.
Behind the scenes of Astro Bot
And finally, we invite you to watch our series of behind-the-scenes videos. These are short and sweet, a fun way for us to sit back and reflect after months of hard work. We hope you enjoy them too. Here’s how they’ll roll out:
Episode 1: Crafted Gameplay
Members of Team Asobi discuss what it takes to make a fun platform game.
Episode 2: Tech Magic (TBA)
Discover how Team Asobi uses technology to create magical moments.
Episode 3: PlayStation Fiesta (TBA)
Learn about the birth of PlayStation cameos and the level of collaboration required with other PlayStation Studios to make this celebration a reality.
Episode 4: Full of Seduction (TBA)
We focus on the cool features of Astro Bot, from graphics to animations and every other charm.
Episode 5: Becoming Asobi (TBA)
An inside look at the work at Team Asobi and a look at some of the studio’s young talents.
And that’s it!
All we have left to do is thank you for all the months of interest and support leading up to this launch. It’s been an exciting journey from a pre-loaded demo to taking Astro to the big stage. But it would never have happened without the encouragement of you, the players.
On behalf of the entire Asobi Team, thank you from the bottom of our hearts our little robots.
