ASTRO BOT gets its first Final Fantasy cameos
Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed new cameo characters for the PlayStation 5 action game, ASTRO BOT, including some that pay tribute to the world of Final Fantasy.
This is particularly surprising as ASTRO BOT was noticeably missing characters from Square Enix’s range of games upon launch, with the only character appearing so far being Gex.
Though the reasons behind what amounted to an effective ban on using Square Enix characters were never fully confirmed, developer Team Asobi had previously stated that they respect the rights of any publisher to choose whether their characters could be referenced in ASTRO BOT.
Whatever the initial reason, it now appears that Square Enix have come around to the idea of allowing characters from their IP’s to be used.
The addition of Square Enix characters to ASTRO BOT will start with three fan-favorite characters from two of their most popular franchises.
The first newly showcased “VIP Bot” is designed to be a clear homage to Cloud Strife, the protagonist of the legendary role-playing game, Final Fantasy VII.
ASTRO BOT, developed by Team Asobi, was released in September of 2024 and has been met with widespread critical praise.
A core part of the game’s appeal is its function as a celebration of the entire history of the PlayStation brand.
Throughout the game’s levels, players can rescue over 100 different “VIP Bots,” each one a small, robotic interpretation of an iconic character from a first-party or third-party game with a strong legacy on PlayStation consoles.
The new addition of characters from Final Fantasy VII is particularly significant due to the game’s historical importance to the PlayStation brand.
The release of Final Fantasy VII on the original PlayStation in 1997 was a monumental event in the video game industry, helping to cement the console’s success and introduce RPGs to a massive new global audience.
The new Astro Bot version of Cloud features the character’s signature spiky blond hair and wields a large, Buster Sword-style weapon.
The developers have also recreated some of Cloud’s famous battle animations for the small robot.
The bot can be seen swinging its massive sword and performing an attack that is a direct reference to Cloud’s ultimate Limit Break, the Omnislash, known in Japanese as “Chōkyūbushinhazan.”
Also making an appearance is Final Fantasy VII’s antagonist, Sephiroth:
The third and final new Square Enix based addition to ASTRO BOT is NieR: Automata’s 2B:
The Cloud, Sephiroth and A2 VIP Bots arrived as part of a free update released on the 11th of July which also included five new levels, expanding the game’s level count to 90.
© 2024 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., Developed by Team Asobi, Astro Bot is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.
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