Theclosure of Japan Studioback in 2021 felt like a fundamental loss forPlayStation. Over the years, this developer crafted classics like Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, Wild Arms, and so many others. It became a quintessential part of the platform’s identity and filled its exclusive library with an unparalleled sense of variety. But, as Sony continued capitalizing on narrative prestige and live service gambles, Japan Studio’s place was brought into question.
It was such a regretful decision, and one that was brought up again and again following the release of Team Asobi’sAstro Bot. The masterful platformer has received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike, and in the months since its launch has won almost every major award under the sun. It is one of the best PlayStation games in years, and is a success because it was allowed to be everything we want a game of its kind to be.
Astro Bot Is A Love Letter To All Things PlayStation
To talk about this success, I caught up with creative director Nicolas Doucet at the BAFTA Game Awards 2025, where Astro Bot would go on to win in five categories,including Best Game. As predicted, his jovial love of creating and playing video games is infectious.
“We made [Astro Bot] without too many afterthoughts or calculations,” Doucet admits. “We only thought about making the best possible game to celebrate 30 years of PlayStation and to connect with the family audience. So it really came [to life] without really expecting any of this, but it’s amazing and means something must have gelled with people.”
I also asked Doucet about thesurprising absence of Final Fantasy-themed levels and cameos in Astro Bot. His response: “We’ll see.”
Doucet and game designer Gento Morita were almost giddy on the red carpet, meeting with such kind enthusiasm it felt like I was about to be pulled into an unsuspecting hug. But the root cause of that joy is creating a game that has not only pushed boundaries, it reminded many of us why we play video games in the first place. Astro Bot is not only a love letter to PlayStation, however, it’s also distinctly Japanese in its design, humour, and personality. It’s one hallmark that, according to Dolcet, isn’t a coincidence:
“We have people from the Gravity [Rush] team, we have people from Ape Escape, The Last Guardian, and things like that. This kind of spirit lives on through Team Asobi.”
“We wanted to reconnect with something that we felt we would be good at making in Japan, something that we could bring to PlayStation and gamers in general that would be different but still kind of striking that nostalgic chord. The intention was there, and we’re happy that it resonated with a lot of people.”
As a ride-or-die Gravity Rush fan, the closure of Japan Studio felt like a kick in the teeth, but in Team Asobi, it feels like a spiritual resurgence of sorts, with Dolcet saying: “We have a lot of people on the team who came from those years. We have people from the Gravity [Rush] team, we have people from Ape Escape, The Last Guardian, and things like that. This kind of spirit lives on through Team Asobi and it’s something that we take very seriously. That flame, that Japanese made in Japan you know, that special touch, it’s something we very much want to carry with us.”
But What Would Astro Bot Look Like If It Left PlayStation Behind?
While Astro Bot was celebrating for its countless PlayStation cameos and theming its entire narrative around putting a PS5 console back together, one question that lingers on my mind is what it will look like when such cameos have been exhausted. It’s something Docet and his team have also thought about, and it seems the path towards that future will be gradual.
“We, of course, want Astro to have his own identity, but also it’s a very fun thing to be able to continuously talk about the history of games. So it’s always a balance. It was a balance this time, and we’ll see what the future holds. We always try to think about both at the same time while also raising Astro as its own thing, because it needs to be up there with the greats.”
I leave Dolcet with a question about his acceptance speech at The Game Awards last year, in which he referenced the original Super Mario from Nintendo that planted the first seed of creativity that Astro Bot would one day grow from. In his eyes, video games, no matter what platform they release on or form they take, deserve to be celebrated.
“So many games are now part of pop culture, and we’ve never looked at other companies as competitors,” Dolcet admits. “Everybody’s inspired by each other, and it’s part of the common culture of making games. So we don’t look at it as, how would you say, a guarded garden, but it’s something the games industry needs to evolve.”
Astro Bot is a part of that shared ecosystem, with Dolcet finishing our brief chat by saying, “We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the 30 years of history behind us, so [Astro Bot] was a way to pay tribute and say thank you to everyone who brought us here in the first place.”
