Date Released: 19 November 2020
Date Played: 25 February 2022
Astro's Playroom is the sequel to the magnificent Astro Bot that was released on Playstation VR. This time around the game is simply a glorified tech demo for the new Dual Sense controller that's included with the console. Don't let that fool you though, this game was developed by Japan's Studio Team Asobi, and those guys know how to make a magical experience.
At it's heart, Astro's Playroom is a 3D platformer with collectathon elements. Normally, this is one of my least favorite genres in existence unless it's done spectacularly well; and luckily, that is most definitely the case here. This game comes pre-loaded on every PS5, so if you're lucky enough to have one, you have no excuse not to give this game a try.
You play as the adorable Astro as you jump, pull, punch, and platform your way through a short game that serves as a love letter to Playstation's history. There are so many unbelievable details that reference not only the consoles and peripherals that Sony has released, but also a huge amount of beloved games that are certain to live fondly in the hearts and minds of almost any gamer out there. The game's 4 worlds are themed around the previous console generations. You'll grapple through jungle environments, ski over icebergs, blast in your lunar lander, and hang-glide as you collect 3D models of the PS1,2,3,and 4 consoles and their accessories. Along the way, you'll see many vignettes of Astro's friends acting out scenes from storied franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Tekken, Devil May Cry, Bloodborne, Journey, Uncharted, Silent Hill, The Last of Us, and more. There are even some pretty obscure references in there like Vib-Ribbon if you're part of the "deep cut" scene. Trying to figure out what games these are referencing are almost as much fun as the game itself and I loved every one of them. Each world focuses on some different aspect of using the Dual Sense controller and it's new functions. You'll get to climb as a monkey, bounce as a frog, steer a spaceship with, and fly around as you get the hang of all the new features your controller has. Of course, the platforming segments are fantastic as well and play exactly like you would expect. As you collect different coins, items, and puzzle pieces, you'll be able to view them all in the game's hub area called PS Labo which serves as a museum. Jumping, punching, and climbing over all the awesome equipment you've collected will yield various secrets and Easter eggs. So, if you're enjoying the experience, it's certainly something you'll want to do.
Being a PS5 game, everything looks unbelievable and the attention to detail is unlike anything I've ever seen before in any video game. You'll see that every inch of every surface has had a ton of thought and care applied to it. For example, the grass on the ground is ribbon cable, and the leaves are PCBs. It really feels like you could spend hours just looking at the game's textures and and the interesting things hidden everywhere. All of the characters and enemies are bursting with personality, as are the environments. Everything is so friendly, colorful, and vibrant that it's a bit overwhelming in all the right ways. Even the music is phenomenal. It brings back familiar themes from the first Astro Bot game as well as incorporating those memorable Playstation console startup sounds from all the previous generations. The soundtrack is catchy and has fantastic lyrics focused around the components of the PS5. One stage will have lyrics about the GPU, another is CPU, but it think the instant classic, "SSD" takes the cake for best song in the game. My daughter was walking around the house singing it for the rest of the day. So, it definitely has the mark of approval. There isn't a wasted byte of information in this game and every aspect of it was put to good use.
Conclusion:
Even though this game wasn't as mind blowing and paradigm shifting as the VR Astro Bot game, it's still a fantastic, but short experience. I was able to 100% complete the game and get all of the trophies in around 3 hours. The game is stunningly beautiful, breaming with nostalgia, and really fun to boot. It's probably the best tech demo ever made and if you have a PS5, you already own it and should give it a shot. I really hope Sony continues to put out more Astro Bot games because they are kind of giving Mario a run for his money. If that's not a good complement, I don't know what is.
Final Status: Completed (100%)
Final Score: 9/10 (A perfect first game for PS5... but too short)
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