Astro’s Playroom is a 3D game Japan’s Studio Team Asobi developed. Astro’s Playroom is a 3D enhanced video game with a single-player mode. Sony Interactive Entertainment published it for PlayStation 5 on November 12, 2020, after the publisher announced it on June 11, 2020, during the PlayStation reveal event. Astro’s Playroom is a sequel to the Astro Rescue Mission that comes with every console and plays as a free tech demo for the upgraded new DualSense controller. Astro’s Playroom’s releases did not happen at once. After its first release on November 12 for selected territories, including Australia and Japan, Astro’s Playroom was released worldwide on November 19, 2020, a week later.

The developers started working on Astro’s Playroom in early 2018 as tech demo series for the new DualSense controller for PlayStation 5. Astro’s Playroom’s creative director, Nicolas Doucet, confirmed that over 80 demos had been designed for the DualSense controller during Astro’s Playroom development. As a way of celebrating the PlayStation 5 brand, Astro’s Playroom combines game appearances, features, and elements of different PlayStation 5 franchises over the years. Astro’s Playroom also imitates characters from third-party series developers like Konami, Activision, Capcom, Square Enix, and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Since Astro’s Playroom’s release, the general reviews have been favorable. The praises have come mainly on the game’s variety, the enhanced use of the DualSense controller, and the celebration of the PlayStation franchise.

The Gameplay Of Astro’s Playroom

Astro’s Playroom 3D-rendered platformer is a single-player game played with a DualSense controller. Astro’s Playroom’s adventurous story involves movements and navigations among paths, objects, environment, and, importantly, fighting enemies. Astro Bot can jump, hover, punch, and spin his attacks against enemies in Astro’s Playroom. In addition, its haptic feedback feature sends vibrations that give real-life sensations for movements and actions like rainfall or walking on an object. Astro’s Playroom’s storyline starts in CPU Plaza, a hub world that provides access to four worlds themed after Cooling Springs, Memory Meadow, GPU Jungle, and SSD Speedway, the four components of the PlayStation 5 console. Astro’s Playroom also has Network Speed Run for players to compete in time trials and PlayStation Labo, an inventory for all of the player’s collectibles.

Astro’s Playroom’s celebration of the PlayStation brand is evident in its 3D rendered representation of the Labo area, which houses artifacts showing its histories, such as consoles, accessories, and controllers. The player in Astro’s Playroom can collect coins, artifacts, and puzzle pieces. The four worlds have four levels each that are connected. Two of the four levels are about regular platforming, while the other two involve using the DualSense controller’s power-up suit’s capabilities. There are rewards for completing each world. Astro Bot receives an artifact inspired by previous PlayStation home console sequences at the end of a world. When the player completes the four worlds, a new world is opened called 1994 Throwback, inspired by the PlayStation’s first demo disc. In this world, the player must fight a boss designed after the T-Rex tech demo. Once the player wins the boss in this fifth world adventure, the credits will roll, and the player will get PlayStation 5 era artifacts, the DualSense controller, and the PlayStation 5 console as their rewards.

Adaptive Triggers And Rumble Feedback

I have been playing Astro’s Playroom for a while. I enjoy the game’s real-life sensations resulting from the haptic feedback and vibrations for the player’s actions, movements, and navigations. Astro’s Playroom elicits rumbling representations on the DualSense controller according to what is happening to the player at that moment. For example, imagine rain falling on Astro Bot’s head, causing shaking trembling of the controller complemented by rain sounds from the speaker. Whatever action Astro performs is always befitting feedback, like zipping into a new suit, controlling the ship’s thrusters, and walking on objects. The vibrations and sound feedbacks connect you with the game on a deeper level, making you more responsive to situations around you.

Fun Action Moves In An Adventure

Astro’s Playroom is a game that will keep you engaged with the adventure-based action story. Seeing tiny robots doing their thing will make you feel like you are in the game. The graphics, objects, and overall game appearances are a sight to behold whenever you play. The player can jump, hover, spin attacks, and hit the enemies with a superman’s speed. Many times, I will stop and admire the graphical settings of objects and the environments. The locations are presented in a way that makes it easy to navigate, and you will enjoy movements with your controller. 

Massive Rendering Of PlayStation Memories

Astro’s Playroom will get you locked in if you are ever into PlayStation games. The developers did almost a perfect job in bringing back memories of the dozens of PlayStation games. I am surprised how such massive throwback renderings can be packed into one platformer game. It makes Astro’s Playroom more enjoyable to play. The artistic representations, style, and music expressing several releases of the PlayStation brand brings you a brand new PlayStation experience. Almost everything in Astro’s Playroom represents one thing or the other in previous PlayStation games.

Astro’s Playroom Is A Delightful Play

Astro’s Playroom is just fun playing. The objects, characters, and collectible pieces all make a fun experience. Although Astro’s Playroom allows you to shut down the sounds and DualSense feedback at the system level, if you prefer to play without the vibrations and all, the experience is still the same. There is plenty of things to discover in Astro’s Playroom; artifacts, puzzle pieces, and an abundance of Easter eggs. You can deny how beautiful the game is.