C'mon as you said yourself the DS version playing with the digi pad was just plain bad. I knew nobody that played it like this and even I used the DS thumb thing (that Nintendo recommended for this game) to play it on the DS.
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Astro Bot' Is a Nintendo Quality Platformer That's Also a VR Stunner - Waypoint
- Thread starter patapon
- Start date
C'mon as you said yourself the DS version playing with the digi pad was just plain bad. I knew nobody that played it like this and even I used the DS thumb thing (that Nintendo recommended for this game) to play it on the DS.
I don't think any of the Mario comparisons really fit either. I think Astro tried to do something different and it works for them. It's a platformer of course and some of the designs are similar. I will say I'm having more fun with Astro than I've had with Mario games in a long while.
Yeah hyperbole is bad then too I guess? Don't know what you want me to say really, I think quite a few games this year and the last few were given more credit than they deserve- I'm still scratching my head about Ni No Kuni 2 to this day for example. But this thread is about Astro Bot so...
It really is, I covered this in my full review also. The game feels like an evolution of the platforming genre and takes it in new directions and integrates VR as a core element, without VR it would not be as impacting, delightful and so damn addictive.
Also excellent soundtrack, you really nailed the feel and added so much to the presentation and levels, super work.
i'm just saying if you want to argue that astro bot would be impossible without VR, maybe mario 64 without analog sticks isn't the best comparison, since the second one did happen, and while obviously it doesn't feel as good to control mario in a 3D game with the dpad, it wasn't impossible.
this is why the mario thing was a mistake from the beginning, it sets expectations way too high. i guess claiming something is a good 3D platformer wasn't enough for the reviewers/those who wanted to hype up the game.
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I am surprised about the industry reception of this game. It is like like 3d platformers are not important unless Mario it is the main character. Astro Bot has gotten a similar reception while being a game for VR, and this is hard to see. I presume having the name of Sony and a loved character for VR users behind it helps, but I remember Tearaway and its reception, or Lucky Tale. I remember all the people talking about Yooka Laylee, and fewer people talking about A Hat in Time, and at the end was the opposite. But there are others 3d platformers each year, and no one talks about them :(
Mario 64 without 3D graphics is probably more apt since we're talking about the dimension of gameplay.
An orthogonal/isometric Mario 64 w/sprite-graphics wouldn't be quite the same even though it's technically possible to port its levels to that perspective (adding a bit of transparency/occlusion when needed).
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I really like the game but finding all collectibles is already challenging in Level 1-2.
Maybe you should play the game while standing and not on a chair.
Maybe you should play the game while standing and not on a chair.
The most famous video game character and franchise of all time would have gotten more coverage!?!? SHOCKING!!!!
While I agree that if you take the VR away, it would take away from the game a little, don't get me wrong, it would still be a really good platformer, just not as fantastic as when in VR.
The use of the 3D space, level design and the sense of presence the player has in VR is like nothing else. It really hit for me in World 2-1, when the level grows upwards on a beanstalk high into the sky and wraps around you in places, so you have to navigate Astro above you or below you and around the back of your head, physically turning around to see where Astro is. It's very cool.
The sense of scale is so impressive too, with the beanstalk towering above you, same goes for the bosses, they look huge in VR, something which you definitely don't feel when watching it on a TV.
Player interaction is also something VR adds over playing on a TV. Having the player be a physical presence in the world and having levels that require you to headbutt walls, dodge enemies that target you, not Astro and use the DS4's tools to help Astro progress through the level, is all extremely well implemented and this along with the charming art style and level of polish, all add up to make Astro Bot a unique and bloody brilliant game.
The use of the 3D space, level design and the sense of presence the player has in VR is like nothing else. It really hit for me in World 2-1, when the level grows upwards on a beanstalk high into the sky and wraps around you in places, so you have to navigate Astro above you or below you and around the back of your head, physically turning around to see where Astro is. It's very cool.
The sense of scale is so impressive too, with the beanstalk towering above you, same goes for the bosses, they look huge in VR, something which you definitely don't feel when watching it on a TV.
Player interaction is also something VR adds over playing on a TV. Having the player be a physical presence in the world and having levels that require you to headbutt walls, dodge enemies that target you, not Astro and use the DS4's tools to help Astro progress through the level, is all extremely well implemented and this along with the charming art style and level of polish, all add up to make Astro Bot a unique and bloody brilliant game.
In a few years people are going to believe that this game was actually made by Nintendo.
It looks phenomenal but I am getting increasingly annoyed at the limited language used to talk about any game that falls outside of the usual AAA fare.
It looks phenomenal but I am getting increasingly annoyed at the limited language used to talk about any game that falls outside of the usual AAA fare.
A large number of reviewers and players have said the same thing. It's completely fine for people to consider the game top tier and some not.
I get what you're saying, but this game is kinda the opposite of hyperbole. It was ignored by most and only got some positive comments when people reluctantly try it, journalists included.
so which is better, Mario or Astro Bot??? i need to know for a friend who is asking and we are in a hurry pls
seriously though, can we just drop it? it's a completely unnecessary conversation. i love some of the old Mario games, they are very nostalgic to me... but i don't think about them at all when i play Astro Bot. it's a different game. obviously it takes stuff from Mario games, but what platformer doesn't..? a platforming game that actively avoided taking from Mario would most likely suck.
Astro Bot is one of the most fun games there are, as are Mario games. both can exist in peace.
seriously though, can we just drop it? it's a completely unnecessary conversation. i love some of the old Mario games, they are very nostalgic to me... but i don't think about them at all when i play Astro Bot. it's a different game. obviously it takes stuff from Mario games, but what platformer doesn't..? a platforming game that actively avoided taking from Mario would most likely suck.
Astro Bot is one of the most fun games there are, as are Mario games. both can exist in peace.
It took a while but it's good to see more mainstream gaming sites covering Astro Bot. I'm also seeing plenty of online ad's & trailers.
It feels like PSVR is almost having a relaunch with so many quality titles now hitting the platform. Can't wait for Tetris Effect and Blood & Truth. Plus of course the Dreams beta.
It feels like PSVR is almost having a relaunch with so many quality titles now hitting the platform. Can't wait for Tetris Effect and Blood & Truth. Plus of course the Dreams beta.
The Dreams beta will have VR support? I know VR was upgraded to be a day-one feature for the full release - at least I think it was! - but if it's in the beta also that would be great.
Not if your experiences weren't good.
In what way tho? Sickness or just not impressed? If it's the former this game has less motion than most, if it's the latter then this game is one of the most impressive titles. Some might say the most impressive.
There's a demo for this game FWIW. If you can borrow a headset again you can try that first at least.
I'm sure people will say that there are many other worthwhile VR games but I'd certainly recommend to anyone on the fence to try before they buy in this regard. Better to do that than to buy an expensive peripheral that you barely use or even can't use because it's uncomfortable.
They've said on one of their streams that the beta won't have VR support.
This is accurate. I could write an article about how my favorite color is blue and more people would click on it. VR does seem to do better, traffic-wise, in video form.
This game has probably generated the most positive praise this year from those who have played it. i feel that even GoW wasn't quite as enthusiastic as this.
Maybe being a huge Mario fan may also bias your opinion on comparison with said games.
Maybe being a huge Mario fan may also bias your opinion on comparison with said games.
Oh dear. The comparisons kinda make a bit more sense now.
"The comparisons to Mario are appropriate, but Mario 64 is the wrong game. One of my favorite Mario games is Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS, a game that, when it's eventually ported to Switch or another platform, will lose something in the transition. I'm sure it's a perfectly fine platformer in 2D, but the 3D element wasn't just a gimmick. Nintendo designed the levels to take advantage of the depth perception players got from 3D, making it easier to jump and navigate the world. It also focused on tight, contained spaces in which players only spent a little while in each stage, but they were dense with secrets and easter eggs. Astro Bot feels like the spiritual successor to Super Mario 3D Land in every conceivable way, design to aesthetic, and helps explain why I fell in love."
Completely agree. Astro Bot is to VR what Super Mario 3D Land was to 3D effect. This is a much fairer statement and less inclined to hyperbole. You don't compare something to Super Mario 64 lightly.
Completely agree. Astro Bot is to VR what Super Mario 3D Land was to 3D effect. This is a much fairer statement and less inclined to hyperbole. You don't compare something to Super Mario 64 lightly.
This will ruffle some feathers lol, but if you don't get this, you don't know video-game history IMO
let's frame it a bit different then: as a huge platformer fan i thought it was good but not more.
I'm gonna reply to this and use it as an explanation, again, why the Mario comparisons are apt and legit.
I too am a huge Mario fan. The thought of not owning a platform that Mario is on makes me sad. I bought a Switch for Odyssey. I've owned all the major Nintendo platforms (no GB brick model 2 or whatever)...
I'm also a huge VR fan. When I was playing Lucky's Tale, I could see how much more could be brought to the game. It was lacking in so many ways. I thought to myself, "this isn't gonna get rectified until Nintendo does VR." I honestly thought this was a true statement.
That's exactly why Astro Bot being compared to Mario is both apt, warranted, and communicates more than just quality level. The devs have done the job of Nintendo long before Nintendo gets to it.
All that said, I'd say only Mario64, not even my favorite recent Mario - 3D World, has points above Astro Bot.
Found the reason Dipro didn't like the game. He hates VR.
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If you check the game's |OT|, YouTube videos, Reddit comments, etc you will notice that the game has met and even surpassed these high expectations with flying colors. The game is very deserving of all the hype it has gotten, plain and simple.
Even with this game, Ace Combat 7 and Deracine I still can't justify buying a PSVR when I already have a Vive.
But glad we're getting more VR talk thanks to quality titles such as this one.
But glad we're getting more VR talk thanks to quality titles such as this one.
No lies detected, game got my excited like a kid!
Just got myself a PSVR two weeks ago, finished Astro Bot and DOOM so far.
Astro Bot was spectacular.
DOOM was initially very turn off as soon as I played with the default controls, then a friend pointed out that you can have smooth camera movements and have access to the left stick via the settings.
And boy, shit clicked, I almost did the entire campaign in one sitting, it was short but sooooo good.
Apparently those settings weren't available day 1 on Version 1.0, wtf lol.
Just got myself a PSVR two weeks ago, finished Astro Bot and DOOM so far.
Astro Bot was spectacular.
DOOM was initially very turn off as soon as I played with the default controls, then a friend pointed out that you can have smooth camera movements and have access to the left stick via the settings.
And boy, shit clicked, I almost did the entire campaign in one sitting, it was short but sooooo good.
Apparently those settings weren't available day 1 on Version 1.0, wtf lol.
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I sorta bought a PSVR on a whim and then Astro Bot the next day and it is magical. I can't describe how much it made me smile and the good time you can have with it.
Ugh. My PSVR and other game backlog is so huge, but I really want to literally dust off my PSVR and get this.
I don't know how the demo starts or what it covers, but I can tell you the full game ramps the hell up. By the time you beat it you'll think that first world was just a demo in itself.
Well there's also Firewall, Farpoint, WipEout, RE7, Rush of Blood, Inpatient. Lots of good exclusives.
I think the VR tech is more amazing than the game itself to be fair. Granted, I've only begun the third level, but for me the real amazing thing is using your head as the camera and seeing things you couldn't see before. Totally reminds me of the kind of stuff Nintendo likes: new ways to play.
You only did three levels, you'll later notice that the game makes a great use of the VR tech. :)
It's like a perfect mix of both, the game itself is good but it also uses VR efficiently.
I didn't hear anyone mention Pacman.
But I see you do seem to agree that if this had the Mario moniker attached to it, for a VR game, it would have been afforded a level of coverage greater than what most VR titles have come to expect.
I don't see what the issue is comparing one game to another. It isn't taking anything away from Mario 64. If anything, it's an acknowledgement of the relative importance of that game with its impact on the shift from 2D to 3D gaming. With Astro Bot, having the level wrap around you and navigating Astro through platforms in a manner that is second nature in VR but would be utterly rage inducing on a flat screen. That and the level of polish and charm the devs brought to this game is unlike anything that's been seen in PSVR. It's that same feeling that I and many others experienced when playing Mario 64. The comparison is an apt one.