Astro Bot Proves The Love For Creativity Is Still Very Much Alive

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Shahmeer Sarfaraz

I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.

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Years have passed, and video games are more photorealistic, mechanically advanced, and vast than ever. But let me ask you this: Are they decisively better? I’ll definitely be leaning towards the past.

Games back then genuinely tried to push the boundaries of what was considered normal. Today, the saturation of “more of the same” cinematic AAAs, battle passes, live services, and “bigger just for the sake of it” open worlds have overshadowed any form of evolution.

Still, every now and then, an extremely creative and unique game comes out that revives my faith in the industry. The current title is Astro Bot.

Why it matters: The industry is fixated on tried-and-tested projects, ignoring creativity and ingenuity to pursue large profits. Astro Bot shows the flaws of this strategy.

Astro Bot Has Won Many Hearts, Including Mine

I was deep in thought, lamenting over Sony playing it extremely safe with its blockbuster AAA games and the unsustainability of this model. That’s when I came across the State of Play announcement and went into it half-heartedly, wondering what other disappointment awaited.

Concord certainly proved I was right, but my depressing “I knew it” was short-lived. Along came Astro Bot, which blew the sadness right off my face. Ever since then, I’ve followed this game with the utmost interest and love.

My reaction to state of play
byu/Majid232 inplaystation

And I wasn’t alone. Praises from all over the world started flooding in; people appreciating this reveal were in extreme numbers. The game’s review scores and current Metacritic/Opencritic rankings prove this today. 

With glowing recommendations from across the globe, Astro Bot is currently the highest-rated Sony game, deservedly so.

It’s Everything I Wanted, And Then Some More

So, what exactly makes Astro Bot so amazing? For starters, it breaks all the conventions Sony has set in recent times. It’s a throwback to what Sony embodied during the PS1-PS2 era: experimenting with unique and creative titles that prioritized engaging gameplay.

Astro Bot has a straightforward premise: a robot on a world-hopping journey in search of his lost fellows. That’s it. But next comes the extremely creative platforming experience filled with beloved and nostalgic references, pleasing gameplay, unique power-ups and battles, and a ton of nonsensical fun.

Above all, it’s a reminder of Sony’s rich history and glorious past. The company wasn’t always a one-trick pony. It’s a love letter not only to all the fans but to the works of the developer’s predecessors while upholding the mantle of fun gameplay and imaginative freedom. 

The Desire For Creativity Isn’t Dead Just Yet

I can’t stress enough how important a game like Astro Bot is for today’s gaming industry. It’s not only a breath of fresh air and a fantastic game on its own, but it serves a much bigger purpose.

I’m now fully behind Astro Bot for Goty…i don’t care what other games get nominated.
byu/Bexewa inuncharted

The “big-budget blockbusters” model does more harm than good. Extremely lengthy development cycles, zero margin for error, and never straying from the tried-and-tested to avoid losses. While it seems to work on paper, all this created an inevitable stagnation.

Video gaming has become so pro-business that even a few millions in sales aren’t enough. Creativity means nothing; only profit does. An excellent example is what Microsoft did with Tango Gameworks. Hi-Fi Rush was a one-of-a-kind game beloved by all and sold considerably well, yet it was axed anyway.

Look guys, look, it's Microsoft.
byu/Party-Organization-9 inHiFiRush

In a situation like this, games like Astro Bot are considered extremely risky, and thus avoided. Sony went ahead with this risk anyway, and I’m glad it did. Not only did Astro Bot prove to the world that people still love creativity above anything else, but it wiped away the thought that only the tried and tested can succeed.

Games Like Astro Bot Are The Need Of The Hour

What does all of this tell you? We’re tired of the same old blockbuster AAAs and ridiculous live services. In a time where the industry isn’t paying enough attention to creative titles like this, Astro Bot announces it’s time to start doing so and take risks again.

No need to spend hundreds of millions; that’ll just take us back to square one. What’s needed are short titles that don’t take as much investment or time, and are used to test the waters. With AAAs releasing as planned while these short games pad the time in between, I believe that’s the best scenario.

Shahmeer Sarfaraz

Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.