It holds the Guiness World Record as the first platform video game in true 3D, beating out Super Mario 64 by an entire year. Every function and feature of the controller gets a little time in the spotlight. Pervasive and distinct rumble effects steal the show, from the tiny sensation of Astro’s footsteps to thundering moments like an Indiana Jones-style boulder chase. The triggers offer resistance as you charge your jumps in a frog suit or operate the levers on a toy machine. Sliding your finger across the touchpad lets you direct your movement as you roll around in a ball.
It’s a phenomenal thing, taken even further with adaptive triggers that provide meaningful, forceful feedback. Been with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur’s Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I’m not gaming, I’m probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.
Each of the four worlds are split up into four levels that are interconnected with each other. Two of these levels involve regular platforming whereas the other two involve a special power-up suit which makes use of the DualSense controller’s capabilities. Another example is the ball suit in which the player must swipe the touchpad to guide the ball.
Some platform games require a lot of skill and combination movements, which can be frustrating to master. For mb66 , set time aside to help them learn and practise the skills. On its own, Astro’s Playroom would be a fun platforming distraction fit for younger gamers or families. Its world is vibrant and wonderfully detailed, and it looks exceptional on the PS5.
This zone’s suit is the Frog Suit, again controlled with the Adaptive Triggers and the SIXAXIS. I’ve developed an incredibly annoying habit while playing Astro’s Playroom. In the PlayStation Labo area below the entryway is a device that lets you view all your Artefacts up close. The device is a PocketStation, a peripheral for the PS1 that was part Memory Card. Sold exclusively in Japan to popular demand, it could also be used for extra functionality in games such as Final Fantasy VIII and Monster Ranch. ” Trophy, awarded for finding all the Puzzle Pieces in SSD Speedway, is named after 1999’s Omega Boost for the PS1, developed by Polyphony Digital, the team behind Gran Turismo.
Those who hop into Astro’s Playroom today will be met with a message that a “mysterious portal” has opened up in the center of the game’s collectible hub, the PS LABO. It also teases that a selection of gatchas, or collectibles that can be earned via an in-game arcade machine, have been added, too. Maybe the most impressive piece of the PlayStation 5 hardware is its new controller, but it’ll only be as good as the games that support it.
Ps5 Pro Added To Astro’s Playroom In New Update
The game is free for all PS5 console users and is designed to be enjoyed by gamers and families alike. Astro’s Playroom launches November 12th, bundled with the PlayStation 5. In-between the D-Pad lights described above is a camera on a hemisphere. This is taken from the PlayStation Eye for PS3, which is itself unlockable in the Bot Beach level of Cooling Springs. Several of the game’s Trophies reference taglines for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
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Astro’s Playroom first launched in 2020 as a pre-installed PS5 exclusive that highlighted the DualSense controller’s features. The platformer also paved the way for the successful Astro Bot, Team Asobi’s hit game from 2024 that earned numerous Game of The Year awards. While Astro Bot may have eclipsed Astro’s Playroom, it seems developers have not forgotten about the adorable Astro’s first adventure, as the robot’s first game recently received new content. We know you’ve just got your brand new PS5 console and you’re probably excited to experience all that it has to offer. That said, we really recommend you don’t rush through Astro’s Playroom, as it’s an experience that deserves to be savoured.
On the right-hand side of the CRT pile at the end of the level are some Bots huddled around gaming on a CRT. The game they’re playing references Ridge Racer, released in 1997 for the PS1 and made by Delphine Software International. The title screen has close similarities to the original Ridge Racer and sequel Revolution, particularly the latter with a full-screen chequered flag. In the second pink field area you’ll find a large rabbit-like robot jumping over the play area.
This PS5 pack-in most certainly hues closer to a technical showcase, essentially a loosely-structured sandbox to mess around in and discover what the PS5 has to offer. But it has enough collectibles, creative ideas, and genuinely exciting uses of the DualSense that PS5 owners shouldn’t brush this one aside in the launch lineup. After months and months of hearing how the DualSense would immerse me like never before, Astro’s Playroom put promises into practice and impressively proved what’s possible with the PS5’s new controller. If I could, I would like to play the whole thing all over again. That is basically it, a game that even small kids (6y) can play and enjoy.
The game is about making assets and even entire games from scratch. Immediately to the left of the Wires that start this level is a water tank showing a Bot in a shark tank that’s circled by two dangerous Pirhanas. This references 2016’s PlayStation VR Worlds for PS4, developed by SIE London Studio as the launch game for the PS VR. The London Heist level would be expanded into a full game called Blood & Truth in 2019. After going through a small round room with Shock Orbs in it, you’ll go up a tall shaft with fans trying to push you into Shock Walls.
The song “I Am Astro Bot [Playroom Remix],” which repeats the title and plays on the opening menu, is enough to make it a catchy earworm. Astro’s Playroom has this infectious charm, even down to its main character, who is so cute and loveable. Sony is losing money because it does not have a plushie of an Astro Bot.
By unlocking these 4 hidden characters in Astro’s Playroom, you will be able to take them with you into the new game, Astro Bot, and add them to your starting crew. Being cheeky robots ourselves, we thought it would be fun to turn this into a treasure hunt riddle and see how long it would take anyone to figure it out. What a big surprise to see it took the community less than 3 hours to clear that riddle.
The smooth, 60-frames-per-second gameplay makes controlling Astro a real treat. While none of the sequences are terribly difficult, there’s enough of a challenge here to keep me busy for around six hours as I chase the Platinum Trophy. The fun is to explore locations, jump between platforms and perform simple puzzles. From time to time, we also find enemies that we can avoid or overpower with fast punches. Is improved force feedback and the same funny little collection of gyros and touchscreens carried over from the DualShock 4 really the next-gen difference? I’m not entirely sure, and it may well prove to be another false dawn that, like HD rumble on the Switch, is a pleasant addition that soon fades into the background.
If you ever wanted to earn a platinum trophy, this is the game to do it. Hopefully, we get more of this when Astro Bot comes out soon. A tech demo shouldn’t have this much of a following, but that’s the power of Team Asobi’s Astro’s Playroom.