Astro Bot isn’t just a brilliant adventure platformer, it’s also an homage to PlayStation history. Sometimes that can make it feel like a Funko Pop branding exercise, but it’s also fun to see all of the nods to important games and characters from the platform’s past. That’s made some absences, like Final Fantasy VII, all the more noticeable, especially since they appeared in the PS5’s original Astro’s Playroom pack-in launch game.
Team Asobi studio head Nicolas Doucet, who directed Astro Bot, was asked about how the game’s over 300 bots were selected and created in a recent interview with Game File. “I was thinking, ‘Well, maybe half of the ones we’re wishing for will make it,” he said. “In the end, in fact, almost 100% are in, because these partners just raised their hand and said, ‘Absolutely.’”
But seemingly not all. On the subject of missing bots from Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Nier, Doucet was diplomatic about why they didn’t end up in the game. “It’s difficult to comment on that,” he said. “We really respect the choice of each publisher.” Other missing bots, like Twisted Metal’s psychopathic clown Sweet Tooth, were at Team Asobi’s discretion. “They advised us—they didn’t force us—and we agreed that it was better to leave this character out,” Doucet said citing conversations with former Twisted Metal devs. “Because, if you’re playing with your kids, we don’t want you to have to explain what this character does.”
Team Asobi recently revealed Astro Bot’s first free expansion at last week’s State of Play showcase, which will include additional bots representing Helldivers and Stellar Blade among others, as well as new speedrunning challenge levels. Prior to that, fans had already speculated on additional cameos coming to the game via references in its end credits. Those include Ubisoft’s Beyond Good & Evil and Assassin’s Creed and Koei Tecmo’s Rise of the Ronin.
We’ll see what other gaming nods, references, and deep cuts get added to Astro Bot in the future, and what the final number of bots ends up capping out at. While it would be neat to see its galaxy continue to expand with new worlds, getting an Astro Bot 2 sequel before the end of the PS5’s lifespan would be even better.
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