Astro Bot: Tips for 100% completion

by: Jason - posted: 9/6/2024 12:00:00 AM

Don’t forget to rotate the camera

A lot of my tips are going to sound basic, and they are, but even during my playthrough of Astro Bot I often forget the little things. One of which is rotating the camera around to see the world from different angles. You’d be surprised how easy it is to miss a hidden area or secret collectable simply because it was hanging off the side of a ledge that was just out of view of the default camera angle. Don’t make yourself motion sick, but do be mindful to take a bird’s eye view of your surroundings periodically along the way – there’s secrets in them there levels.

Rescue-able bots are listed in order

It took me a couple of levels to realize this, but the bots that you and Astro will be rescuing across the galaxies are listed in order of their appearance on each level. So, if you look at the list on the menu screen, if you have a question mark sandwiched by pictures of two bots you’ve already rescued then you missed one. More specifically, you missed one at a location between where you found the bot before and after it. So, do a quick backtrack and find that missing bot, instead of having to return to a level later.

Punch everything

Astro can interact with tons of objects on each planet, but sometimes his most basic action is the best option. As you are exploring each level, take care to give objects a nice little love tap. No matter how cute or cozy an object may appear to be, it deserves a good punching. Trees? Punch them. Log stacks? Punch those too. Cute little creatures? Definitely punch those. You just never know what may be hiding on, within, or beneath them. For instance, I had no idea that you could double-jump laser cut, and then punch wood logs on a particular level, which revealed a cord that could be pulled.

Pay attention while flying into a level

Loading into a level, despite being super-fast, is my time to check my phone for any important notifications, or pop-in to check on my infant son. I quickly realized I was missing out on collectables when I was having trouble locating a puzzle piece on one level. It was showing as the first piece on the list, and I simply couldn’t comprehend how I had missed it. That’s because I missed it on the flight in. Keep that DualSense in your hands, those seat belts fastened, and your eyes peeled for those precious collectables when entering a level. Perhaps more importantly, don’t forget (like I did) that the DualSense has gyroscopic motion controls, which means you’ll need to lean the controller left and right to steer your ship as you grab those coins and puzzle pieces. And if you miss something, don’t fret, just pause, and do a quick restart of the level, but don’t be asleep at the wheel next time.

Explore each solar system map

There are multiple star systems in Astro Bot, each with multiple planets (levels) for you to explore. But what you may not realize initially is that each star system map is also a treasure trove of secrets waiting to be discovered. Instead of beelining from planet to planet, take time to fly around each map and you’ll find secret levels, challenges, and more that should not be missed. You would eventually figure out that you were missing something in your quest for 100%, but the earlier you start exploring, the sooner you can pop that Platinum Trophy.

So, there you have it, a bit of wisdom from the lessons I learned early in my 100% completion playthrough. I hope they help you in your Astro Bot adventure, and for you speedrunners – a quick PSA that Team Asobi will be adding speedrun challenges by the end of 2024.

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