Nope. Is that a robot sent out into space? All I know is that people thought some new Rayman gig was coming from its credits.
So Astro Bot is effectively the evolution of a side-game that kicked off way back when the PS4 had launched. Take a look here for some detail:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astro_Bot_(series)
But effectively, the series properly kicked off with Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, a VR platforming game on the original PSVR. I've never played it, but from what I've heard it was a pretty interesting take on the platformer genre combined with VR, solidly taking the principles of 3D platforming and giving you a unique perspective as you were effectively in the same world controlling Astro. After that Astro's Playroom was a pack-in with the PS5, which was effectively a tech-demo for the PS5's hardware and the DualSense controller, it was a pretty fun but standard 3D platforming experience that tried to also show off how the DualSense could be used for haptics and gameplay.
Now Astro's Playroom I did play to completion, and while I wouldn't call it revolutionary when it comes to being a 3D platformer title, it was a fun time, but it was also the point where they started the whole references shtick. Astro Bot is effectively an expansion to what Astro's Playroom did, with more levels and ideas that build on what Playroom did. The game is pretty solid and a lot of fun, not gonna deny that at all. But it's not what I'd call revolutionary, though I won't deny I would like to see more of it simply because 3D platformers are a bit of a niche these days and having one that was as solid and fun as Astro Bot was is always a plus imo.
I think the point of controversy for some is how Astro Bot has become very referential. This started in Playroom, which I think most folks found endearing at the time given Playroom's role as a kickstart for the PS5 generation, so it was seen as a sortof lookback and kicking off of the PlayStation's history at that big moment. But Astro Bot, solid as it is, I know some folks find the references to be a bit distracting and besides the point. I'll admit personally don't mind it too much (mostly because there's a lot of now-obscure franchises I liked that got shout-outs), but I can see how some might feel that game might not getting to shine on its own merits as a consequence. That being said, I think even without the references, the presentation of the game is still pretty charming and I think that's why it gave me a sense of joy I don't really feel with a lot of first party PS titles these days, it had the vibe of the older eras of PlayStation.
Anyways, there's my ramble on Astro Bot, charming and fun, but not exactly pushing new territory.
or War Is Over by John Lennon, if I had to pick something you'd find in a spotify playlist
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