All right, everyone, let’s mosey, as a long-requested character is finally coming to Astro Bot. The latest free update for Team Asobi’s adorable platformer will add five new challenge levels to the Vicious Void Galaxy map, bringing the total number of levels to over 90, with more secret bots to rescue.
While the name of one stage remains a secret, the other four are confirmed to be Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, High Inflation. Atsu, the protagonist from Sucker Punch’s forthcoming Ghost of Yōtei, has been announced as part of the bot lineup (coinciding with the PlayStation State of Play presentation focusing on the highly anticipated sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima), alongside two all-too-familiar faces: Cloud and Sephiroth.
The former shows up after completing High Inflation, and beating all five new levels unlocks the One-Winged Angel. The iconic Final Fantasy VII pair are hardly the only Square Enix representation — 2B from Nier: Automata and Chrono Cross‘ Serge are also due for a cameo in the game.
It’s a (final) fantasy come true for fans, who have been clamouring for their addition since launch. Astro Bot debuted with a whopping 173 cameos across PlayStation history, from more niche titles like LocoRoco and Legacy of Kain to popular franchises spanning God of War, Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more, so the lack of Final Fantasy VII, traditionally associated with the brand in both the 1997 oriinal and remake forms, came as a surprise then. It sure took a while, but hey, better late than never.
Astro Bot has received multiple free updates since its release in September last year, and continues to be a shining example of success despite its apparent AA scale. The PS5 exclusive beat various AAA titles to clinch four awards at last year’s The Game Awards, with Team Asobi president Nicolas Doucet attributing its success to smaller-scale development.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
