Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony kicked off a battle of Marathon of gaming reveal this calendar week with an excitingState of Play stream . The 30 - second broadcast shed some light on what ’s coming to the PlayStation 5 in the back one-half of 2024 and beyond . We pick up anextended look atConcord , stupefy a release appointment for Bloober Team’sSilent Hill 2remake , and learned more about Supermassive’sUntil Dawnremake . But the most exciting declaration of the show was n’t a live - overhaul gun for hire or a game pushing photorealistic visuals . It was a cute little robot who steal the show .
Astro Botgot the final slot during the State of Play stream — and for good reason . Sony uncover a delicious trailer for its upcoming platformer that had social media buzzing . Even this morning , you ’ll chance “ GOTY ” ( game of the year ) trending on X ( formerly Twitter ) and posts preemptively crowningAstro Botas 2024 ’s best plot .
“ Astro Botis on the nose the kind of affair I dearly neglect from Sony,”John Linneman of Digital Foundry tweets . “ I ’m overjoyed that they were pass on the chance to make it . I ’m truly excited for it . potential GOTY nominee if it ’s as adept as I ’m hoping . ”
Linneman ’s thoughts likely repeat what a draw of excited fan are feeling right now . It ’s not just thatAstro Botlooks like an unbelievably refined , adorable platformer — it ’s that it feels like a return to a lose era of PlayStation that players have long been long for .
Blast from the past
I grew up with a few video recording game console , but I have especially hold dear memories ofmy original PlayStation . innumerous hours were spent go from boulder inCrash Bandicootor flying around inSpyro the Dragon . I ca n’t say you how many times I played through the first two vocal inPaRappa the Rapperor wrecked cars inTwisted Metal . Every biz I played felt entirely distinguishable from one another . My oddity and imagination were always piqued , and I imagine those feelings helped plough me into the creative person I am today .
All of the games list above were first - party plot issue by Sony . The company had a ridiculously full publication strategy at the time , stand everything fromApe Escapeto2Xtreme . That would preserve into the PS2 era with oddball launch titles likeFantavision(a game that got agreat PSVR2 sequel last yearwithout Sony ’s publishing living ) . Sony really hit its pace in this generation , firm up a horse barn of great franchises let in Jak and Daxter , Ratchet and Clank , and Sly Cooper . It also gave us one - off masterpieces likeShadow of the Colossus , which would go on to be one of the gaming industry ’s most influential releases .
That started to change duringthe PS4 geological era . Sony started to become much more selective in its publishing , focusing its attempt on a collection of intrust studios and IP . PlayStation ’s first - company lineup gradually began to pin down with that alteration . We figure a growing stress in cinematic adventure games and undecided - human race titles that pushed the PlayStation ’s technical school . championship likeCrash Bandicootstarted becoming a oddment . Instead , franchises like God of War , Horizon , and The Last of Us took over .
That ’s why something likeAstro Botcomes as a plesant shock . It ’s the kind of originative cut that PlayStation has lento vacate over the years . And though its not as out there asI.Q. : Intelligent QubeorHohokum , it ’s unlike enough from what we ’ve been get under one’s skin to provoke some cheerfulness from those who miss the eclectic day of first - political party Sony publication .
Though I ’m thrilled to seeAstro Botthriving as a franchise , it ’s distressing that it ’s one of very few title like it in Sony ’s arsenal . Sackboy is still kicking around and Insomniac occasionally still send away aRatchet & Clank game(though a leak docket of the studio apartment ’s upcoming secret plan show that its work on several Marvel games for the foreseeable future ) . IfAstro Botflops and Sony decides to move away from the dealership , there wo n’t be much impart for player looking for originative first - party plot like it .
Sony could stand to diversify its flimsy portfolio , though its well-heeled to see why it might want to stay buttoned-down . secret plan development has become implausibly expensive for companies pursuing console - sell blockbusters . gamble are much more costly when they do n’t pay off these days . Why release a recess game about a rap Canis familiaris when you could rerelease thesame two Last of Us gamesover and over ? Until major publishers start funding small-scale games with lower budgets and orbit , secret plan likeAstro Botwill continue to be outlier outside of Nintendo ’s empire .
Still , I offer a plea to Sony amid a wave of excitement forAstro Bot . Video game can offer an important originative mercantile establishment for both kids and adults . At their best , they can invigorate us through inventive design . That feeling still survive in PS5 ’s current first - company program library , but the experiences are narrowing ; it ’s like going to an amusement park with one ride . I yearn for the day when PlayStation game likeAstro Botno longer feel like an exception to the convention .
