Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a platformer for the PlayStation VR headset, in which the player controls a tiny robot while also being physically present in the scene as a giant observer. This dual perspective is the whole joke of the game: you have to tilt your head, peek around corners, poke it into pipes, and search for hidden robots, while your fingers on the controller simultaneously handle jumping and attacking. The controller itself is also part of the world and transforms into a grappling hook, a water cannon, or a slingshot. The level wraps around the player in every direction, and battles against giant bosses play out literally in front of your face. The gameplay itself isn't complicated and rests on the classic platformer formula: jump, aim, dodge, find the secret spot. But the game is built so that players catch themselves crouching down or craning their neck to see around an obstacle, and this physical involvement in the play is exactly what makes it an experience that can't be replicated on a regular screen.

Technically, this was a showcase of how well the PlayStation 4 can handle virtual reality when a game is designed for it from the ground up. The image is clean, the frame rate stable, and above all it doesn't make anyone motion-sick, which was rare during the first wave of VR titles. The visual style is colorful, clean, and playful, full of small jokes and references to PlayStation history. The music is cheerful and catchy, and together with the little robots' sounds it creates a mood reminiscent of the best Nintendo platformers.

The reception was enthusiastic, and the game quickly became the most common answer to the question of why you'd actually want a PlayStation VR. Reviewers called it proof that virtual reality doesn't have to be just a brief novelty but can carry a full-fledged game with a well-thought-out difficulty curve. Its influence is clear in that this is where the direct line leads to the later, much better-known sequels featuring the robot Astro. Today it remains one of the best VR games ever made; you just need the old headset to play it the way it was intended.