Astro Bot Rescue Mission is one of the best PSVR games to date and ranks highly among the list of all VR games in general. Today during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, Sony announced a follow up named Astro’s Playroom, but neglected to mention any VR support for the PS5 title.
An official trailer should be up on the PlayStation YouTube eventually, but for now we embedded one that someone has ripped themselves:
The Astro Bots themselves date all the way back to the original Playroom demo on PS4 that used the DualShock 4 and PS4 Camera for interactive mini games. After that, when PSVR launched it came with another free collection of games: Playroom VR.
In Playroom VR one of the highlights was Robot Rescue, a short demo experience that showed what a third-person action-adventure platformer might be like. And it was so good, they made an entire game based on that concept: Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
But now, during the PS5 reveal event today, Astro’s Playroom showed a wide assortment of new locales, gorgeous and colorful gameplay, and the iconic Astro Bot once again, but neglected to confirm or deny PSVR support of any kind.
Obviously it could still get an optional VR mode, but as of now we have no indication if that’s the plan. In fact, as of the time of this writing, VR has not mentioned a single time other than a brief image of Astro Bot during the opening sizzle reel celebration for PS4. That’s it.
We will reach out to Sony for comment on Astro’s Playroom and if we hear back we will update this post with more information.
Well, this seems to have sprung up out of nowhere. Poland-based Monologic Games just announced a new VR adventure game named Ven, amd it looks delightful.
A brief teaser trailer for Ven was revealed yesterday. Similar to games like Astro Bot or Moss, it’s a platformer in which players embody one character in first-person and then control another in third-person. Cast as an intergalactic police officer on the hunt of some dangerous fugitives, you meet Ven, a young fox-like creature out to protect his home planet of Runnies (what a name).
Together you’ll venture across the planet to save Ven’s companions. That’ll mean jumping across platforms and navigating obstacles. Interestingly, the game is played with tracked motion controllers, allowing you to reach into Ven’s world and interact with him directly.
The trailer mostly shows off Ven’s jumping abilities, though it does look he’s armed with some sort of melee weapon.
Though you might not think third-person platformers would work well in VR, they often prove to be some of the most immersive and compelling titles out there. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, for example, remains one of PSVR’s best games thanks to its striking diorama-sized levels, sense of innovation and bond between player and protagonist. Hopefully, Ven might be able to pull off something similar.
Ven is due for release on PC VR and PSVR in Q2 2020. No word on a possible Quest release just yet but we’ve got our fingers crossed. We’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on this one.
Nicolas Doucet, the Creative Director and Producer behind PSVR exclusive ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission (2018), has been promoted to Director of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s JAPAN Studio.
As first reported by Gematsu, Doucet is said to continue his work as a creative director at SIE Japan Studio in addition to his new role. Doucet previously worked for Sony’s London Studio and Saffire Corporation.
Initially born as a spin-off of a mini-game called ‘Robots Rescue’ from The Playroom VR, Astro Bot Rescue Mission tasks you with guiding a patently adorable robot named ASTRO as you recover his robot pals who have been scattered among the stars.
The plucky little VR-native platformer has garnered some pretty impressive review scores since its launch in October 2018, boasting a Meta Criticcomposite score of [90/100], a [4.5/5] star user review rating, and a rare [10/10] score from our full review.
Astro Bot was also lauded with a few awards, including the best VR/AR game of 2018 Game Awards and the VR Game of Year at The Edge Awards in 2018, and notable nominations by BAFTA and SXSW.
Outside of The Playroom VR and Astro Bot, SIE Japan Studio is known for developing PS platform classics Ape Escape, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. Other VR games produced by the studio include Déraciné and Everybody’s Golf VR.
At the time of this writing, it’s unclear whether Doucet’s promotion signals a greater focus on VR games for the studio. Having an experienced VR producer at the helm may prove beneficial however as Sony makes strides to release PlayStation 5, and later, the second iteration of PlayStation VR.
Nicolas Doucet, the Creative Director behind 2018 PSVR hit Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, is now head of Sony PlayStation’s Japan Studio, it’s been announced.
An HR announcement from Sony itself confirmed the news this weekend. Doucet now carries the title Japan Studio Studio Director. The developer previously headed up Japan Studio’s ASOBI Team, which developed Astro Bot as well as its predecessor, The Playroom VR. The Playroom launched for free alongside PSVR in 2016 and featured several mini games, including one that grew into the full Astro Bot game.
We’re hopeful that this means Japan Studio’s future involves yet more PSVR projects. To this day, Astro Bot remains one of the best PSVR games available. The third-person platformer is bursting with charm and innovation, offering an absolutely delightful and powerfully immersive gameplay experience. In fact, the game currently sits at the top of our list of best PSVR games.
There’s plenty of potential for an Astro Bot sequel, for example. In fact, scrapped plans for the original game included local multiplayer, which we’d still love to see integrated into another title.
Of course, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is on the horizon, set to launch this holiday season. It’s very likely that Japan Studio is working on projects for the new console; could it perhaps also be preparing VR games to launch on the device? We know PS5 will support the original PSVR and we also know Sony is prototyping a potential new headset, but we’re yet to see a PSVR 2 formally be announced.
What would you like to see Sony’s Japan Studio work on next in VR? Let us know in the comments below!
The new lineup of games included in the bundle are PlayStation VR Worlds, Skyrim VR, ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission, Everybody’s Golf VR and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
Resident Evil 7 and Everybody’s Golf VR are new to the bundle this year, replacing Doom VFR and the WipEout Omega collection from last year David was a big fan of Resident Evil 7 on PSVR back when it came out in 2017. In fact, he struggled to find any serious criticism, so it’s nice to see such a polished experience make its way into the bundle this year.
It’s also important to note that the games included in the bundle are all digital codes for download, not physical copies. Also included in the box is a PSVR headset and a PS Camera. Move controllers are not included in the pack. While they aren’t essential for all PSVR games, some popular games like Beat Saber do require them. Some games in the bundle, like Skyrim and PlayStation VR Worlds, would also benefit from the Move controllers.
The pack also does not include a PS4, so you’ll need one of those (or a PS4 Pro) to actually use the PSVR equipment in the bundle.
We can all agree that Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is pretty special. If you’ve spent any amount of time with the game then you likely recognize how expertly crafted it is as not only a great VR experience, but an excellent platformer in its own right. Today, on the PlayStation Blog, Sony peeled back the curtain a bit on its development to show some in-progress photos from the dev process as well as shed some light on animation styles and level design.
However, the most interesting bit that you’ll notice in the image up above is that it looks like multiplayer support may have been in the game at some point. Right in front of the controller you can see two little differently colored robots scurrying around. If you remember the Robot Rescue game from Playroom VR, a free launch bundle of mini games for PSVR, that actually did have some limited multiplayer support. As a result, it looks like the team at Japan Studio Asobi! may have started development with that feature in mind.
Interestingly that’s never mentioned in the blog post though. Instead, they talk about how they outlined levels in plain blocks first before evolving them with upgraded art assets. And the gorilla boss at the end of the first world was actually originally going to be a dragon.
“To dress up each level, the choice of materials was particularly critical for the Art Director, Sebastian [Brueckner],” writes Nicolas Doucet, Creative Director and Producer at Japan Studio Asobi! Team. “He and the team tried various styles to find the best match for VR. Through continuous research characters, enemies, vegetation (right down to the rocks) created a super-tangible feeling. We injected each object with a digital DNA, such as printed circuits board patterns and LED faceplates. This gave the game a unique playful, digital identity.”
Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018), the VR platformer that’s still wowing PSVR users well after its October 2nd launch, took home the title of ‘Best VR/AR Game’ at last night’s Game Awards.
The category specified that the winner would be crowned this year’s “best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.” Other games competing in the category were Beat Saber, Firewall Zero Hour, Moss, and Tetris Effect.
Developed by Sony Interactive entertainment’s JAPAN Studio, Astro Bot is essentially a full length spin-off of a mini-game called ‘Robots Rescue’ that was part of The Playroom VR, a free collection of co-op mini-games bundled with PSVR.
The charming, well-realized platformer puts you in control of a robot named Astro, tasking you both with collecting his missing buddies with the help of an ever-growing array of unique tools that pop out of your DualShock 4 controller.
In our review, Road to VR Executive Editor Ben Lang called Astro Bot a “superb game; the promising result of tasking a group of clearly talented game designers and developers with building a game around a brand new medium like VR.”
Continuing:
The game expertly executes every idea it brings to the table. There’s charm throughout, derived from excellent animation, art direction, FX and SFX, right down to the interactive credits sequence. Astro Bot Rescue Mission claims our first 10 out of 10 because it’s full of smart VR game design, and plays to the platform’s strengths while avoiding its weaknesses. In addition to having the right amount of content to leave the player with a truly satisfying experience, it’s hard to imagine many ways in which the game could have been better made.
Sony is launching a new PSVR bundle in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland next week. The ‘Mega Pack’ includes the headset, camera bar, Skyrim VR, Doom VFR, Astro Bot, and WipEout: Omega Collection. It also includes the PlayStation Worlds VR demo reel which gives you a taste of what’s possible in VR.
What the pack doesn’t include is Playstation Move controllers. If you want your hands in VR, you’ll need to buy those separately. They aren’t useful for Astro Bot or WipEout, but for Skyrim VR, and PlayStation VR Worlds and many of the best PSVR games on the store they really take the VR experience to the next level, so we highly recommend buying them too.
The company hasn’t announced the price yet, but given the pricing of the other similar PSVR bundles we’d expect it to come in at around £200-£250. This is a box that will be under many European Christmas trees this year.
Skyrim VR [9/10]
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is the whole game brought into virutal reality – DLC and all. This is no “experience” or experiment, this is the whole >100 hour game and all of its gameplay mechanics. We were highly impressed when we reviewed the game, stating:
For a game that wasn’t originally designed for VR at all and has been ported first to the least powerful of the big three VR platforms in the PSVR, Skyrim VR is nothing short of impressive. This really is the Skyrim that you know and love, but now you can enjoy it like never before with the immersive presence of a VR headset. With a large variety of control schemes to choose from and hundreds of hours of content, this is a game that all RPG fans should play as long as you can look past the sometimes glaring issues. And if you don’t own a PSVR yet, luckily there’s a new Skyrim VR bundle with your name on it.
DOOM VFR [6/10]
DOOM VFR is not a port, it’s an entry in the popular gore shooter franchise made specifically for VR. While it provides some great VR action, there are some problems on the PSVR version. As we stated in our review:
While Skyrim VR made a great case for the VR port, Doom VFR brings us back to the drawing board. On PSVR, the game has its moments, largely thanks to the foundations it was built upon with the 2016 original. In the end, though, the real fight is with its awkward control setups that eventually led me back to play with just a standard gamepad. Though the foundations of a hugely enjoyable shooter are intact, VFR’s struggle with the platform’s limitations makes it feel like the VR support is holding it back more than anything.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission [8.5/10]
Astro bot is one of those games that proves that 3rd person platformers can work just as well as 1st person games in VR. We really enjoyed reviewing this game, concluding:
Astro Bot is not here to reinvent the wheel or claim the throne as VR’s killer app; there are enough games trying to do that already. Instead, it fuzes the thrill of seeing a virtual world come to life with the dependably engaging gameplay of one of gaming’s most beloved genres and explores what that can mean with fascinating results. It’s a refreshing reminder of just how astonishing VR can be when there’s nothing in your way, and it’s an absolutely essential experience for any PSVR owner.
WipEout: Omega Collection [9/10]
WipEout: Omega Collection is the Wipeout you dreamed of back in 1995. As we stated in our review:
Wipeout VR is an eccentric mix of new and old; a series delivering on the same kind of regular reliability it has for over two decades but from an entirely fresh perspective. Everything you love about Wipeout is here but with a new lease of life, from the violent crunch of combat to the twitch-like reactions needed to navigate the many courses from the seat of your vehicle. It’s both Wipeout as you love it and as you’ve never seen it before, and one of the very best games you can get on PSVR yet.
From the very first time we previewed an early build of ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission, it was clear that there was much care and craft behind the work. At its October 2018 launch, the finished game not only didn’t disappoint, it saw critical praise, quickly becoming PSVR’s top rated title and even one of PS4’s top titles overall for 2018. The reception was a testament to the undeniable art and skill of the creators at Sony Interactive Entertainment’s JAPAN Studio. But how did they succeed where so many others struggled? For the latest in our Insights & Artwork series, we spoke with Astro Bot’s Creative Director and Producer, Nicolas Doucet, who gave us a glimpse into the game’s design process and a look at some of the artwork which guided the way.
Update (July 19th, 2019): Over at the official PlayStation Blog, Nicolas Doucet today shared some additional background on Astro Bot’s development, which seemed fitting to include here to add to this deep-dive background on the game’s creation. Doucet shared a look at a ‘mecha spider’ enemy prototype which was ultimately cut from the game but lived on through similar mechanics which manifested in the ‘bamboo stack’ enemy, which the team found “simpler, clearer, more versatile, and gratifying to shoot.”
Image courtesy SIE JAPAN Studio
He showed how level segments were built modularly, which allowed them to be rearranged and even repurposed where needed. A segment of the Canyon stage was pulled from that level and visually adapted to fit right into the Volcano level.
Image courtesy SIE JAPAN Studio
Doucet also elaborated a bit on Astro Bot’s cut multiplayer mode, which was clearly a tough decision but seems to have ultimately worked out in the game’s favor. “It was probably the hardest cut we ever made, and it created some controversy within the team, especially because it felt like we were taking something of quality away,” he said. “But at times, such decisions are necessary for the greater good and there is no more regret today as it allowed the game — and the team — to reach new heights.”
Continue reading below for our deep-dive with Doucet on Astro Bot’s development.
Editor’s Note: The big, beautiful pictures and exclusive artwork in this article are best viewed on a desktop browser with a large screen, or in landscape orientation on your phone. All images courtesy SIE JAPAN Studio.
Winding Roots
Original Article (November 7th, 2018): While Astro Bot has only been out for a month now, the game’s origin stretches at least back to 2013 when JAPAN Studio released THE PLAYROOM, a piece of PS4 bundleware which was designed to show of the console’s then new camera peripheral. The Playroom included a series of mini-games where the studio’s adorable ‘bot’ characters were heavily featured. When PS4’s next major peripheral came along—PlayStation VR, which launched in 2016—JAPAN Studio was tasked with creating The Playroom VR. Just like the game before it, The Playroom VR was bundled as a showcase, and included a series of VR mini-games with the bots back in action.
JAPAN Studio’s ‘bots’ were a fixture in THE PLAYROOM VR (2016)
It was there in The Playroom VR where Astro Bot’s foundation was solidified. One mini-game called ‘Robot Rescue’ had players guiding one of the bot characters around a fantastical world from a third-person perspective, but still embodied the player as a first-person character in the game world. Looking back today, the fundamentals of ‘Robot Rescue’ and Astro Bot are one in the same, but with the latter, JAPAN Studio had the time and resources to fully explore what the mini-game could become.
“To be honest, [‘Robot Rescue’] was the odd one out as all other games [in The Playroom VR] were built as quick-fire party play.” Nicolas Doucet, Astro Bot’s Creative Director and Producer, tells Road to VR. “As we released The Playroom VR, the gamers inside us loved ‘Robot Rescue’ because it is a game closer to classic gamers’ taste re-invented for VR, so we wanted to make a full game.” As it turned out, the interest in ‘Robot Rescue’ wasn’t just from within the studio. “The vast amount of [player] comments on the forums, videos, and petition gave us the boost we needed to go full steam. So shortly after releasing our DLC for The Playroom VR, we started working on Astro Bot Rescue Mission.”
Image courtesy SIE JAPAN Studio
18 months later, and with a peak development team of 25, Astro Bot was born. Packed full of smart VR game design, a distinctly ‘playable’ feel, and enough meat to feel satisfied by the end, Astro Bot is the first game we’ve rated a 10 out of 10.
A game like Astro Bot doesn’t just happen; it’s the product of talent, time, and direction.
“One thing to establish first is that [JAPAN Studio’s] ASOBI Team is articulated around four key pillars that define the emotions our games must convey. They are ‘Magical’, ‘Innovative’, ‘Playful’ and ‘Inclusive’. These words are to be considered in their broad meaning and anything we create should be relatable to these four key pillars.” Doucet says.
Months of Experimentation
With that framework in mind, the team set aside one-third of the game’s development time for experimentation, before locking in key mechanics and interactions.
“We prototyped lots and lots of mechanics for the first six months, as we always do. We then assembled the entire game from the various successful ideas,” says Doucet. “These prototypes happen over a very short time and are mostly made by programmers working on their own. We then gather everything that is fun and that gives us our tool set for interactions. We only bring art in once the gameplay is robust so there is no temptation to rely on graphics before the fundamental gameplay is proven.”
Doucet and the team specifically set out to make sure Astro Bot was more than just a third-person platformer thrown into a VR headset.
“[…] there was a strong desire for the game to not become a traditional platformer in panorama view. That would have no value for PS VR,” he says. “[…] so a checklist of ‘VR-ness’ was created, such as verticality, lateral gameplay, volume play, perspective play by leaning your body, proximity play to create a bond, far-distance play to create dramatic moments, and also physical play via the player’s head, blowing mechanics, etc.”
Astro looks at the player’s avatar.
Central to the game’s “VR-ness” is the way that it embodies the player as not just a camera but an actual character that’s present inside the virtual world. That’s reinforced especially with the PS4 controller which is motion tracked inside the game and becomes as critical to the gameplay input from buttons and sticks. This happens primarily through ‘gadgets’, virtual tools that attach to the in-game controller allowing the player to uniquely interact with both Astro and the environment.
“It was important that these gadgets worked on several layers, at least three strong use cases to be precise,” Doucet says. “This is why the water gadget for example can be used to grow vegetation, activate propellers, and also harden lava. All of these use cases have a direct correlation with platforming (they essentially create a path for Astro and support the various ‘VR-ness’ [we were seeking].” In fact, there were a few gadgets—like a magnet and a vacuum cleaner—that got cut because they didn’t meet the bar of interactivity that the team had set.
PSVR exclusive ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission has been making waves among critics and players alike since its release at the beginning of the month. The game now ranks among PS4’s top titles—VR or otherwise.
Update (October 15th, 2018): It appears reviews are still rolling in, as Metacritic now puts ‘Astro Bot Rescure Mission’ as the 5th highest rated PS4 game. Based on 38 critic reviews, the game still holds a 90 out of 100 rating, although it has since moved past ‘Monster Hunter: World’. The original article follows below:
According to popular review aggregator Metacritic, Astro Bot Rescue Mission has averaged a review score of 90 out of 100 among 36 critic review, and 9 out of 10 among 207 player reviews. In both categories that marks the game as being ‘Universally Acclaimed’ by Metacritic’s standards.
The game has risen to the #1 rated PSVR title of all time, according to Metacritic, and also one of just a few PSVR titles to hold a 5 out of 5 player rating on the PlayStation Store.
Looking into Metacritic rankings for all PS4 games (VR and non-VR) helps contextualize this achievement.
Among PS4 games released so far in 2018, Astro Bot ranks 6th, in the company of titles like God of War, Divinity: Original Sin II, and Shadow of the Colossus [2018 remake].
Looking at all PS4 games ever, Astro Bot ranks #23, alongside titles like Monster Hunter: World (2018) and Fez (2014).
Worth noting is that Astro Bot reviews by critics are in line with player ratings too, whereas some games see a significant difference between the two. It isn’t clear exactly how Metacritic breaks tied critic scores in their rankings, but if they opted to use the player review score as the tie breaker, that would bump Astro Bot up to the #5 slot for PS4 titles released in 2018 and to #17 among all PS4 titles.
While PSVR certainly has a handful of other quality games, Astro Bot seems to have achieved new levels of interest, garnering reviews from major gaming publications—rather than just smaller or VR-specific publications—including The Washington Post (9/10), IGN (9/10), Game Informer (9/10), Eurogamer (‘Recommended’), and Variety (unrated). For our part, Astro Bot is the first VR game we’ve given a 10 out of 10, for reasons we elaborate on in our review.
