In an exclusive interview, Jamie Smith, Director of the Animation Department at Team ASOBI, shared a little about the process of creating Astro Bot
Launched last September, Astro Bot has been pleasing a large number of players who follow news from Sony and PlayStation. Described as “a celebration of the history of video games” by specialized critics, the game brings the nostalgia of platform games, in addition to containing appearances by several famous characters from the brand’s iconic franchises, such as God of War and The Last of Us, as well as exclusive stages dedicated to some of these games.
In an exclusive interview with RECREIO, Jamie SmithDirector of the Animation Department at Team ASOBI, shared a little about the process of creating Astro Bot, as well as the details that make up its gameplay; read below!
Astro Bot features many iconic characters from PlayStation history. How did the idea of including them in the game come about?
In our previous game, Astro’s Playroom, we added PlayStation consoles and accessories as special items for the player to find and collect. Player feedback was very positive, so with Astro Bot we wanted to build on this, but raising its quality level. So we decided to include over 150 special bots, all with unique costumes/props and animated stories celebrating the last 30 years of PlayStation. We created a special hub planet where, once rescued, all of these bots would live. At any time the player can return to this planet and see and interact with all these famous characters. We think it would be a really fun and fitting celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary.
Astro Bot is quite immersive, managing to take the audience into the game mainly thanks to the sensory elements, something that has been highly praised by fans. Were sensory elements a priority for you from the beginning? How did this development work?
Yes. At Team Asobi we’re always looking for fun and unique ways to use PlayStation hardware. So with Astro Bot we knew that DualSense would be key to the experience. We spent a lot of time having fun with prototypes of tactile and adaptive triggers. When we found something that felt great and unique, we developed those ideas into game mechanics. A great example was when we did a fun tactile test of letting air out of a balloon. From this small test, the inflator powerup was created. Using the adaptive triggers, the player can inflate and deflate Astro to reach previously inaccessible areas, but central to this is that exciting and unique tactile sensation of releasing air from a balloon. So we start with a sensory idea and then develop it into fun gameplay.
How is Astro Bot’s level design used and focused to surprise and challenge players throughout the game?
We want each level to be new and exciting. Like a new gift to unwrap full of surprises. With Astro Bot, from the beginning to the end of the credits, we are introducing new mechanics, new gameplay and new player experiences. That was really important to us because we didn’t want any repeats. Regarding challenge, we want Astro Bot to be accessible to all players, so we created a base game that can be played and enjoyed by all ages and then added extra challenge levels that really challenge more experienced players. We feel we have found the perfect balance for all tastes.
Since Astro’s Playroom, the character Astro has gained many fans and has become the official PlayStation mascot. Is this decision due to the success that Astro achieved through games, or was the intention of making him the brand’s mascot already present from the beginning?
Wow, thanks for the great comment! At Team Asobi we don’t really think that way, our goal is to make a character that is loved by players in the same way that all the other wonderful characters from PlayStation studios are, and it’s a dream to see Astro among all these other beloved IPs. What happens after that is up to the players and fans, but we really appreciate all the positivity and love being given to our little bot.
As the gaming industry advances, expectations for more realistic and complex games are making the release pipeline slower than it was a decade or two ago. What’s it like to go against the grain with a game that has a more playful look and less hardcore gameplay?
Our goal at Team Asobi has always been to make games for all ages within the PlayStation family of studios. Stylized, fun, and colorful characters and worlds that appeal to players young and old. Regarding complexity, we use the power of PlayStation 5 in other ways, such as ensuring the world is fully interactive and responsive to the player. We put a lot of effort into physics simulations, which means we can have lots of on-screen objects for the player to play with, water and oil simulations that the player can mix, and soft body materials that the player can run over and deform realistically. This ‘living world’, as we call it, takes full advantage of the power of the PlayStation 5. So while we chose not to have a visually realistic art style, the behavior of the environment makes it feel like a very consistent and believable world.
Astro Bot is full of references that, according to specialized critics, awaken a feeling of nostalgia in fans of PlayStation games. Does this open up the possibility of the Astro character appearing in other games in the future?
Good question. I guess you’d have to ask developers of other games if they’d like Astro to be included! However, we are extremely honored to be able to include all of the other wonderful characters from the game in Astro Bot. We still have to pinch ourselves when we see beloved characters from some of our earliest gaming memories running around in bot form in our game. It’s a true honor and privilege to have the trust of these characters and a pleasure to see the fans’ reactions when meeting them. We hope that parents who grew up with PlayStation can play alongside their children and, by rescuing these characters, can share some of their memories with the new generation.
Source: Recreio
