Astro Bot devs ditched an 'expansive' open-world game because a 'two-course meal' beats eating 'a lot of food at a buffet'

Astro Bot developer Team Asobi initially considered an open-world design but opted for a focused, level-based approach for the hit VR platformer, prioritizing a tightly polished experience over expansive content.

Astro Bot developer Team Asobi initially considered making the hit platformer an open-world game early in development but decided against it in favor of something more focused.

Speaking to the BBC, director Nicolas Doucet reveals that Team Asobi entertained the idea of an open-world game early in development but felt a more segmented, level-based approach was best for the project.

"It's also a very good string to add to a bow," Doucet says. "Game production can be very complex with a lot of things that go well and a lot of things that don't go well when you have to pivot all the time and find the best way forward. And it's really good to have a modular game in which you can swap things around – you can even drop a piece, replace it with something else."

Doucet's comments follow a rather tasty metaphor about turning away from a game that offers 40 hours in an expansive world in favor of 12 to 15 in a tightly polished game.

“You can eat a lot of food at a buffet, or you could just go for that two-course meal," he says. "That's really going to be small but just the right amount, but this one is going to be memorable. So, in fact, you could say that you have more for your money with the buffet, but what's the last memory you take away with you?"

Doucet goes on to say it's likely related to being bloated after eating too much, which is something I and—I imagine—plenty of you might relate to.

All in all, Doucet's hunger-inspiring comments speak to a design philosophy of creating something short and sweet to avoid depth for the sake of it. Doucet has spoken before about shooting for "12 to 15 hours of condensed fun" over 40 hours with bloat "you feel like skipping." Given the slew of struggling live-service games we've seen over the years and Astro Bot's own glowing reviews, it's hard to argue.

We gave the platformer a perfect score in our own Astro Bot review, in fact. We said: "Astro Bot doesn't just deliver on the promise and potential displayed in PS5 pack-in demo Astro's Playroom, but soars above and beyond to serve up a near-perfect platformer to rival – and possibly surpass – the best of Super Mario's Mushroom Kingdom romps."

*Fancy a feast? Here's how to unlock all Astro Bot collectibles, including Bots, Puzzle Pieces, and Warps. *