Looking for something festive to play on PS5 to keep the holiday vibes rolling? In our view, there's nothing better than Astro Bot's post-game Christmas level.
Once you've rolled credits on Sony's superb platformer, you'll unlock a new stage named Winter Wonder, and it's probably the most feel-good, most Christmassy thing you can play on PS5.
As you glide into the stage, Santa's sleigh flies alongside you, leading you to a snow-covered gingerbread village, where an explosion of jingle bells erupts in front of you as you land.
A total of seven Special Bots await rescue, each the reward for solving puzzles and exploring the level fully.
Regular enemies are wearing reindeer antlers, and many animal bots are bobbing along to the music and enjoying the festivities. It's so cheery and fun, even more so than is typical for Astro Bot, and it's the perfect Christmas playground to mess around in and absorb its joyful atmosphere.
However, Winter Wonder doesn't just stand out for its immaculate festive vibes. It also happens to be one of the best (if not the best) levels in the entire game.
Most of the stages in Astro Bot are relatively linear, though there are hidden areas and diversions to explore throughout the adventure. But this bonus level has a different structure; it's much more open, and utilises every power-up rather than leaning into just one or two.
It's a refreshing change of pace that means you end up spending much more time here than in the more straightforward levels.
Winter Wonder also can't be cleared until you find the majority of its 15 golden presents, each one igniting a light on the giant Christmas tree. They also reward you with those aforementioned Special Bots and festive goodies like Astro outfits and Dual Speeder skins.
To find them, you must explore each part of the level and solve all its miniature challenges. Each power-up has its own small challenge, puzzle, or platforming sequence for you to conquer.
It's a brilliant level because it takes advantage of every one of Astro's abilities, really showcasing the inventive mechanics and imaginative design present throughout the whole game, but concentrated into one cracker of a stage.
Some highlights include the rarely used mouse power-up, allowing you to shrink down and enter a tiny gingerbread town, and using the metal ball power-up to descend a chimney into a cosy living room.
Team Asobi outdoes itself in many ways with Winter Wonder, a level that acts as the perfect Christmas playground and, perhaps, a blueprint for more explorative, open-ended design in Astro's future.
If you're looking for something to play over the holidays, even if you already cleared it last year, we can't recommend it enough.