Astro Bothas been declared Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards. Released on September 6 of this year, it’s a PS5-exclusive platformer full of fun gimmicks and 30 years of PlayStation nostalgia. Upon launch, it received widespread critical acclaim, includinga 9/10 review fromScreen Rant. All that praise was made official tonight whenAstro Bottook home the Game of the Year trophy at The Game Awards, beatingElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Metaphor: ReFantazio, andBalatroin the category.
Selected by a combination of jury vote and public opinion,this is widely considered one of the most prestigious awards in the video game industry. The award was presented by last year’s winner, Swen Vincke, director ofBaldur’s Gate 3, and accepted by the game’s director and Team Asobi studio head Nicolas Doucet. Doucet expressed his gratitude to the decades of platformers that came beforeAstro Bot, whichalso took home awards for Best Action/Adventure Game, Best Family Game, and Best Game Direction during the ceremony.
Astro Bot’s Journey To Game Of The Year
A Welcome Surprise
Astro Bot’s critical acclaim was a massive surprisewhen it was first released. Somewhat of an emerging mascot for Sony’s hardware, Astro Bot (the character) was best known for starring in a series of tech demos included for free with PlayStation consoles. He finally got his own paid game inAstro Bot Rescue Missionfor the PSVR headset. While all of these games were well received, they were short, sweet, and served a purpose: to give new PlayStation owners something to play while they waited for their bigger, more expensive games to download.
37% Of Astro Bot Players Have Never Purchased A Sony Game Before
Astro Bot has sold over 1.5 million copies to date, but the really interesting news revealed is that 37% of buyers are new Sony users.
But thenAstro Botblew all expectations out of the waterwhen it came out earlier this year. Reviewers marveled at its creative platforming, its level of challenge, and its relentless nostalgia for 30 years of PlayStation hits. The only major issue most critics reported was that the game was too short - they didn’t wantAstro Botto end.
And it didn’t have to end. Since its release,Astro Bothas received several free updatesthat greatly expand on its content. First, there wasa series of five speedrunning levelsbetween October and November, challenging players to complete their trials as quickly and efficiently as possible. More recently, this was followed byAstro Bot’s Winter Wonder update, a free, Christmas-themed level with plenty of fun holiday surprises for players to discover.
Our Take: Astro Bot Deserves Its Laurels
Well Done, Team Asobi
Honestly,I didn’t see Astro Bot’s win coming. Like everyone else, I was thoroughly impressed with the game itself, not to mention all the free content it’s gotten since launch. But even if I thinkAstro Botwas every bit as deserving, I had my proverbial money onElden Ringbeing the first game to win GOTY twice, with secret hopes forBalatroto pull an indie upset and turn the Game Awards on its head. Still, I can’t deny thatAstro Botdeserves every bit of praise it gets. It’s an undeniably excellent, thoroughly lovable game.
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My only regret is that it’s a PS5 exclusive, and will probably always remain so.Astro Botdeserves a wider audience, but I’m not sure if that’s in the cards. I can’t imagine a game with such deep roots in PlayStation history would ever make it to other platforms. If nothing else, I hope that the creative joy that permeatesAstro Bot’s every pixel inspires a new generation of game developers to make the kinds of games they want, without fear, limits, or compromise.
Astro Bot
In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, Screen Rant confirms it is on the judging panel at The Game Awards 2024. Our editorial process is separate from our contributions to judging, and as such, our panel inclusion does not compromise our journalistic integrity.
