PlayStation VR-exclusive platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission was apparently a monetary success. The sport’s director, Nicolas Doucet, revealed in a dialog with former PlayStation exec Shuhei Yoshida on a current episode of the Recreation Maker’s Pocket book collection that the sport’s success got here as a shock even for the studio.
“It was an incredible mission as a result of we made it with none expectations,” mentioned Doucet, speaking in regards to the enjoyable experimentation that the studio was in a position to partake in through the improvement of Astro Bot Rescue Mission. “All we wished was to do the very best evolution of that prototype and assist VR present folks VR can do that, this, this, and that. We have been attempting to give you so many authentic concepts as doable.”
“We had no concept that it will really going to be a worthwhile sport and even take us some awards,” he continued. “In order that was a extremely very nice.”
Doucet additionally spoke about engaged on the subsequent Astro Bot title: Astro’s Playroom. For the reason that title can be a pack-in sport accessible digitally on each PS5 bought, the studio made use of the console’s distinctive options. This consists of the adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions on the DualSense controller.
“We made some demos as soon as once more and confirmed them to the world, identical type of factor,” mentioned Doucet.
He additionally not too long ago revealed in an interview with Famitsu that certainly one of Astro Bot‘s most beloved options – its VIP Phases – have been initially deliberate to be mini-stages. For context, VIP phases are those that function characters from traditional PlayStation franchises, like Kratos and the monkeys from Ape Escape.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was primarily the debut of the franchise. Being launched again in 2018 completely for the PS4’s VR headset, PlayStation VR, the sport was a showcase of nearly each type of gameplay trick that will be doable by making use of the distinctive medium.
The entire sport was designed across the DualShock 4 controller and the VR headset, and allowed gamers to expertise a third-person platformer sport from a novel perspective. Gamers would get to work together with the sport’s surroundings in distinctive methods as effectively, reminiscent of smashing partitions with headbutts.
Astro’s Playroom, alternatively, was designed as a less complicated 3D platforming expertise, this time round showcasing the assorted options of the PS5. All of its ranges have been designed round one of many PS5’s options, together with its inner {hardware}. Regardless of primarily being a tech demo, Astro’s Playroom obtained fairly a little bit of reward for being a genuinely enjoyable and accessible platformer.
Extra not too long ago, Astro’s Bot has been extremely profitable developer Staff Asobi. The PS5-exclusive title was well-received, and even ended up being the highest-rated sport on Metacritic for 2024. Take a look at our personal evaluate for extra particulars in regards to the title.