Astro Bot Director Addresses Challenges in Commenting on Absence of Final Fantasy Cameos

Astro Bot is a remarkable tribute to PlayStation, showcasing the brand’s rich history primarily through the inclusion of bot versions of many cherished characters from both first-party and third-party franchises. Despite featuring an impressive array of 150 VIP bots, the game regrettably misses some significant characters.

One notable absence is the iconic Final Fantasy franchise, which does not appear in this platformer at all. Although players could find some Final Fantasy 7 Easter eggs in 2020’s Astro’s Playroom, Astro Bot lacks any representation from this beloved series. In a conversation with Game File, Nicolas Doucet, director of the platformer and head of Team Asobi, refrained from giving a definitive answer regarding the absence of Final Fantasy characters, hinting that Square Enix was reluctant to permit their inclusion in Astro Bot.

“It’s difficult to comment on that,” Doucet remarked when questioned about Final Fantasy’s lack of presence in PlayStation’s offerings. “We really respect the choice of each publisher.”

Given Final Fantasy’s longstanding association with PlayStation throughout its history, fans have understandably expressed disappointment regarding the franchise’s omission from Astro Bot, especially considering the game’s rich tapestry of characters from various other franchises.

However, Astro Bot will soon introduce more VIP bots, even if they are not related to Final Fantasy, with free DLC scheduled to release this fall.

Players can enjoy Astro Bot on the PS5. For more insights, check out our review of the game here.

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