After the success achieved with Astro’s Playroomthe delightful title included for free on PS5 to best illustrate all the potential of the DualSense, Team Asobi is ready for the return of its adorable little robot in Astro Bot.
The new PS5 exclusive, just as its predecessor already did, seems to be a real love letter to PlayStation fans, with numerous references to videogame IPs most loved by fans.
However, Team Asobi is keen to point out that a future sequel to Astro Bot (you can book it at a discount on Amazon) could also decide to do without these references, given that they do not represent the true identity of the franchise.
In an interview given to VGC during the Summer Game Fest 2024, creative director Nicolas Doucet considers Astro «a flexible IP», able to stand on its own and without necessarily needing the support of other IPs.
«When we started working on this game, we discussed whether or not we should rely on PlayStation. There were different opinions on this, with some wondering whether we should fly on our own with our own wings without being held back, but then at the end we could add this PlayStation “layer” — so why not?
This was our mentality. If we were to go on an adventure with solo in the future Starwithout PlayStation being part of it, I don’t think it would be a problem. As long as the core elements and qualities of the game are great, anything is possible.”
The creative director underlines that no type of backstory has been written for Astro Bot for this very reason: it’s about an IP that can potentially adapt to any type of project.
The only thing that must never change is the design of the protagonist, which in Nicolas Doucet’s precise words «must be respected»: for everything else, developers have carte blanche to always create unique experiences. With or without support for other PlayStation IPs.
In short, don’t be surprised if in the future you no longer see mentions of Kratos, Nathan Drake or even the hunter Bloodbornebut at least for the moment this “danger” does not exist.
Meanwhile, the creative director has already announced that Astro Bot it will be constantly updated over time, even with totally free DLC.
