Wow, what an enjoyable review! 🎮 First of all, I understand your anger after Path of Exile 2, those games can sometimes drive you crazy 😅 It's great that you describe Astro Bot so sincerely. The ‘casual’ and fun style of the game really appealed to me. I definitely agree with what you said about the funny designs of the bosses (especially that octopus with snorkel 🤣) and the easy-to-learn patterns. Relaxing games like this are especially good for stress relief!
The collectables and boat rescue mechanics are also very cute. It's admirable that they created such a cute world even for adults. The simple control system is also a big plus - there's nothing like playing without fiddling with complicated buttons. ✨
I also agree with your criticism about the price. $60 for a 10-15 hour game is really salty. Compared to Epic open world games, you're right. But as you said, it's definitely an experience not to be missed when it's on sale. I hope new players enjoy it as much as you do! Lastly, I laughed at the part about staying ‘sober’ 😆 I guess it's a situation that every gamer experiences internally...
I was apprehensive to buy it but one day I figured I would just splurge. Even though I have already finished the main story I found myself going back to it again last night to get a few of the things that I missed on my first playthrough and over time I may just end up getting all of the lost bots. It's really easy to just jump back in and play since you only need to know 3 buttons and one of them is used very sparingly.