The upcoming Astro Bot will still have Crash Bandicoot in the game as a “VIP bot” even though Microsoft has acquired Activision Blizzard and the developer has even talked about the possibility of a PC version. This comes from the official PlayStation blog which confirms that Crash and other cartoony characters like the apes from Ape Escape will be present in the game.
Nicolas Doucet, the director of Team Asobi, confirmed that news and also talked about the challenges of including characters from other games and making their style fit in Astro Bot. And because the designs of Crash and Ape Escape don’t line up with the art style of Astro Bot, the characters will be wearing masks on their heads.
Crash has had a prominent identity on the PlayStation console, even if his new ownership puts him on the side of Team Xbox. It was speculated that this might result in his removal from the new Astro Bot game, but luckily, that doesn’t need to happen.
Crash also had a cameo in Naughty Dogs’ Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, when the entire first level of the original Crash Bandicoot was playable in the game.
Doucet was asked in another interview about the possibility of Astro Bot coming to PSVR 2, but according to the director, that isn’t going to happen because the vision behind the game doesn’t line up with it being a VR game.
Although he was quick to deny the possibility of a VR version of the game, when asked about a future release on PC, his response was that it was definitely a possibility and that the team would like to hear from PC players and what they think about having Astro Bot come to PC.
Sony has been porting its exclusives to PC once their sales level off on consoles, so seeing Astro Bot on PC sometime in the future isn’t just a possibility, it’s a likelihood. The Japanese company has introduced a new adapter that lets the PSVR 2 work on the PC and has also released a PlayStation Accessories app recently to let PlayStation Edge owners customize their controllers and improve their gaming experience on PC.
Astro Bot will come out on September 6, 2024, along with a new Astro Bot-style DualSense controller, on PlayStation 5 only.
