Alongside the launch of PlayStation VR in 2016, there was a free downloadable title
called The Playroom VR, a collection of six different games,
serving as showpieces for what could be done with the technology.
One of the most interesting games in the bundle was a 3D platformer called Robot Rescue.
Now two years later, Sony’s Japan Studio expands on this idea
with a full-length game called Astro Bot Rescue Mission,
a delightful adventure that makes excellent use of the hardware.
The story is simple and straightforward.
It starts with several robots relaxing on their spaceship
when they are suddenly attacked by a giant green alien.
After a brief struggle, the alien manages to steal their PSVR visor,
damaging the robots’ ship in the process.
As a result, pieces of the ship and all the robots get strewn across the galaxy.
It’s now up to you and the lone remaining astro bot to travel to different planets
to rescue his companions.
Astro Bot plays much like a typical 3D platformer,
however guiding your little robot pal in VR
gives an exciting new perspective.
You and the controller are contextualized as essential parts of the world.
You take on the persona of a larger robot, with the camera seeing through your eyes.
This perspective feels especially unique as you actually need to move your head
to see around obstacles
or to keep track of the astro bot when it jumps below you or moves behind you.
It creates a great sense of scale, making it feel like you’re actually there.
It’s also worth noting how well the robot moves and controls,
even at bizzare angles where it can be hard to see them properly.
Your interaction with the game goes beyond simply being the camera or controlling the robot.
There are several instances
when you need to physically interact with the environment as well.
For instance, there are moments when you need to headbutt a wall in order to progress,
dodge cannonballs, or headbutt a soccer ball back at an enemy.
Some of these effects can add a slight disadvantage
like temporarily cracking your screen or
covering it in slime, forcing you to shake your head to clean it off.
They’re nice little touches that make the journey all that more immersive,
and these moments are used sparingly, so they never become overly intrusive.
The DualShock controller plays a big role as well.
Besides using it to simply move the astro bot,
you also gain upgrades that attach to the in-game controller.
A grappling hook can pull out platforms or it can be extended
to form a tightrope for your robot friend to walk across.
A nozzle can spray water to put out flames,
and shurikens can cut spider webs or chop wooden blocks.
While the game does a great job of taking advantage of the hardware,
we did run into a few issues when our controller would act up,
appearing upside down within the game or losing its center position,
requiring you to stop to recalibrate it.
Certain abilities that use the touchpad also have problems registering from time to time,
particularly when using shurikens.
Overwall though, these are just minor distractions.
The levels take place across five different worlds with four levels per world, followed by a boss fight.
Each individual level offers up unique challenges and environments to explore.
Vertigo-Go takes place in a construction site
high above the clouds, complete with moving cranes, while Beachside Boogie
starts on a tropical beach
then quickly takes you underwater to traverse the sea floor.
The game does a good job introducing new ideas as you move from level to level,
keeping things feeling fresh for the majority of its duration.
The bosses found within each world are huge spectacles
that require coordination between you and your robot to take down.
The first is a mechanical gorilla.
To defeat it, you need to have your robot companion chip his teeth with punches,
then you need to forcefully yank them out one by one with the grappling hook.
As the game progresses,
the bosses get more impressive and creative with each new encounter.
Of course your main goal within each level is to find and rescue the missing robots.
The difficulty of locating them varies.
Sometimes they can be in plain sight, while others require a bit more investigation,
which is great since it encourages you to thoroughly explore your surroundings.
Each level also hides a chameleon, and finding it unlocks new challenge levels for you to tackle.
These challenges usually focus on a mechanic you’ve recently learned
like throwing shurikens or dousing fires while trying to rack up a high score.
There are some though that focus more on platforming,
and these can be more difficult, especially if you want to set a good score.
Besides traveling to different worlds, you can visit the astro bots’ spaceship.
Here you can spend the coins you’ve collected on your travels
to play an arcade-like crane game
and collect mini-figures to place in several dioramas.
It’s nothing special, but it's there if you’re interested.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a good platformer with tight controls
that’s greatly enhanced by making the most of VR.
Platforming, exploring environments, and fighting bosses,
are all given additional layers of depth and scale
that feel completely fresh and unique.
Not only is it a good proof of concept for the PlayStation VR,
it’s a legitimately great game, and one of the best uses of the technology so far.
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