A little robot, a headset over your eyes, and platforms springing up all around you.

First thing, the preference ranking: chosen on gut feeling, Astro Bot only edges ahead of about one game in twelve. That is low. Really low. But look at the feel of a controller in hand: it explodes, ahead of 97% of games, right at the top. Desert island and attachment hold the middle. Against that, fun and art direction drop into the lower tier. There is the tension: the feel of play is near perfect, but immediate appeal does not follow. Caution, one to four votes per line, signals to confirm.

In the platformer field, Astro Bot stands as a technical showcase for VR, a game design demonstration built for the headset. That virtual reality exclusive status surely explains the low gut pick: few people lived it with a controller in hand, and the style carries poorly outside the headset.

So, who is it for? For you if you love pinpoint platforming and VR immersion that makes you turn your head to find hidden routes. Much less if you want a game you launch with no special gear.