Astro Bot characters featuring "more animated" styles will don masks, as there were occasions when "LED eyes simply weren't effective."

Astro Bot is poised to premiere in just over a fortnight (Eee!), and in anticipation of this event, the creators have provided further insights into the endearing PlayStation character appearances we're eager to encounter upon launch. These are "digital renditions of well-known PlayStation-affiliated icons," and we've been informed that the count exceeds 150.

Notable icons from the depths of PlayStation lore that will make appearances in Astro Bot are characters such as God of War's Kratos, Aloy from the Horizon series, and the adventurous Nathan Drake from Uncharted.

In discussing these special appearances, Nicolas Doucet, the studio lead at Team Asobi, mentioned that these figures needed to present "an impressive sci-fi aesthetic" while also incorporating "elements like textiles or soft footwear". This led to moments where the team "felt a departure from the character's foundational design" might occur. Consequently, Doucet revealed that the studio "opted for synthetic materials like vinyl over natural ones, such as hair." The rationale is clear.

Similar to Astro Bot itself, a key aspect of the design for these guest stars focuses on the eyes. Doucet emphasizes that the eyes are "crucial". Yet, this emphasis led to complications with some of the "more animated" cameo creations, as "LED eyes simply didn't suit certain characters, given the heavy dependence on the original's pupil dimensions and hue." Consequently, characters like Crash Bandicoot's robot will be donning a visor "to overcome that hurdle."

Will it be a sleek strip across the peepers reminiscent of Zorro, or perhaps a full-face disguise echoing a robotic Halloween ghoul? Currently, that remains a mystery, but the anticipation to uncover the answer grows.

Regarding Astro Bot itself, a few of us have already had the pleasure of engaging with the soon-to-arrive PS5 game and were genuinely captivated. "Asserting as much might seem premature, but judging by the demo, Astro Bot may very well ascend to the pinnacle of my personal list for a game of the year," suggested John of Digital Foundry after spending some time with the early version earlier in the year.