PSVR, 2018 by Sony Japan.
From start to finish, my time with Astro Bot Rescue Mission was spent with a massive smile on my face, beaming out from behind my VR headset as I basked in one of the best 3D platform games I’ve played in a long time.
It’s no exaggeration to say this was a mind-blowing experience for me, not just because it was part of my introduction to virtual reality, but because of the sheer number of ‘wow moments’ Sony Japan crammed into it.
This is a world that’s so much fun to – quite literally – come into and be a part of, to explore and interact with, and ultimately fall in love with, and if there was ever a game to convince me of the virtues of VR, this is it.
Stepping into each of the game’s 20 stages, the player takes the perspective of a helper robot who controls the hero, Captain Astro, using a massive DualShock controller which mirrors your own, and moving their head to change camera angles as he scuttles around the environment.
I was struck by how real the illusion felt, as I found myself looking side to side and peering into corners to get the best viewpoint – or titling my neck backwards as Astro teeters along an overhead beam, or even standing up to see over obstacles! How crazy is that?
Cute little tricks like seeing the robot helper’s shadow on the ground help reinforce the player as a physical entity within this space, and as the game progresses you find yourself responding naturally to tasks like smashing barriers with a nod of the head, or leaning out of the way of projectiles; it’s all very physically tangible, very intuitive and very convincing.
Rescue Mission’s structure is always encouraging you to investigate your surroundings as, in addition to navigating the stage’s linear platforming assault course, you’ll also be searching for eight of your robot crew mates who are hidden high and low and often just out of normal sight in the alcoves of each level, or behind a mini puzzle or extra hazard to traverse.
You need to locate a certain number to progress, but they’re so much fun to find – and their adorable little reactions are so cute – that you’ll constantly be on the lookout for them and therefore constantly engaged with the environs, making for an all-encompassing VR adventure.
The stage designs in Astro Bot are quite incredible throughout, with practically each one adding something new and unexpected to amaze the player, be it through the sheer scale of objects you see, interacting with an enemy using your own body, or how virtual reality brings a fresh twist to tired old platforming clichés like the ‘mine cart chase’.
Meanwhile a variety of special weapons, shot from your on-screen DualShock, are acquired in certain stages by walking up to a big crate and slotting the controller into it with a satisfying clunk – these weapons include a grappling hook, water cannon and ninja stars, and they’re integrated masterfully into the game’s platforming as well as your attacking arsenal, and best of all into the boss fights, which are epic.
Captain Astro has a simple, clean set of moves, with attacks including a punch combo and spinning strike to take care of the basic enemies who populate each stage, often parachuting in to try and surround him and forcing the player to keep looking around for ambushes.
He can also fire a jet booster after jumping which lets him hover briefly, and this doubles up as an attack on enemies below – the beam is also useful visually for judging his position over a platform you’re trying to land on, particularly when the platforming gets really crazy.
These moves all feel well-suited to a virtual reality environment and compensate for the fact your attention is often split between looking at Captain Astro, looking around for hidden helper robots or at an obstacle elsewhere on the screen, and trying to aim with one of the game’s special gadgets to clear the way forward; it’s busy but never really awkward and helps give the game its gleefully chaotic vibe.
The difficulty level overall could be a little higher, with frequent checkpoints, multiple hit points during boss fights and a perhaps overly generous approach to falling off ledges – which sees the character wobble for a few seconds before going over – making much of Astro Bot quite easy, though it does hold its own with a few tough sections in the final world.
Some of those later stages really save the best for last, with a glitzy funfair and haunted graveyard in particular proving some of the most novel and most fun in the entire game; these settings are underused compared to more frequently seen underground caves and rocky canyons, but that helps make them special – even the reused settings get new surprises each time, so you’re unlikely to get bored of them.
I’m trying to avoid being too specific about some of the cooler stuff in Astro Bot in this review as everyone deserves the chance to experience anew as I did – it’s one of the freshest gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time.
Add into the mix a superb soundtrack by Scottish composer Kenneth Young and you have what I regard as the best 3D platform game of its generation, and surely a contender for the best virtual reality game so far: hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more from Captain Astro and co in the years ahead.
FINAL GRADE: [A]
Zeexlash 