Astro's Playroom (PlayStation 5) review "Jamboree"

Chances are you already plan on buying a specific title to go along with your PlayStation 5 console, thus giving no reason to fiddle with the free little game that comes with the system. If that's the case, you may want to reconsider. Astro's Playroom is essentially a demonstration at heart, but it's one that strives to actually be worth your time and effort.

Previously seen in the PS4's Playroom, Playroom VR, and Astro Bot, Astro's Playroom brings back the AR Bots, cutesy white robots. The protagonist, Astro, is a robot who you will guide through the many sections of the console. Literally. Whereas 2013's Playroom fiddled with the idea of AR Bots playing in and around your DualShock 4 gamepad, this iteration takes it further by having them live inside your PS5 console. This is immediately addressed when the game begins, starting in a dim room with a controller. Astro leaps from the pad, where you control him through an easy, straightforward tutorial on the basics of 3D platforming; the whole thing is very akin to a 3D Mario title. A minute later, Astro gets plopped into a hub area, connecting to "worlds" that are based on interior pieces of the system. Seriously, the cooling fan has its own world.

These aren't just throwaway concepts, either. The devs put actual thought into these locations in terms of flow and themes. The aforementioned cooling fan world, called Cooling Springs, starts Astro on a beach, as AR Bots are having a good time under the sun and where you can take a swing at several opposing robots wearing lifebuoys. Just beyond that is a building with a really big fan as its structure that... well, it just blows sand in your face. But keeping with the theme, the more progress you make inside this building, the more its scenery switches to something appropriate. The sunny beach atmosphere gives way to freezing temperatures, igloos, and penguins. You can even skate on ice and spin jump like a figure skater! Another humorous thematic world is SSD Speedway, a place that commences in a swift highway with flying vehicles, but eventually stretches out into space.

As all that is unfolding, the game is trying to convince you that the console's controller is the new hotness. Sony's recognizable DualShock pad, now called the DualSense in this latest incarnation, is an updated version of the PS4's DualShock 4 with some adjustments. Along with all the defaults you would expect, like the four shape buttons, analog sticks, and shoulder buttons, comes the return of the center touchpad, with the LED light now tucked inside it. So why would something like Astro's Playroom show off the DualSense's capabilities if it's basically a DualShock 4 variant? It's all about the rumble.



You might have heard several terms thrown about to describe the DualSense's prowess, such as haptic feedback. If you're not sure how that works, it's essentially a very precise method of rumble from the controller in an attempt to mimic what's occurring within the game. What happens when you walk through rain? It's like every individual drop is hitting your character, from their respective angles. How about the previously mentioned ice skating? It feels like the skate's blades are driving a line through the middle of the controller. Not stopping there, you'll even have moments where you either have to apply more or less pressure on a button; when you're revving up the boosters in a spacecraft segment, for instance, you actually have to press down harder on the triggers since it feels like weight has been added for this specific occasion. Stuff like this is what easily separates DualSense from its previous models.

While it's easy to view Astro's Playroom as purely a tech demo, it's also easy to come to the conclusion that it's a genuinely fun game the more you play. In terms of level designs, it doesn't break any new ground in that it's a very standard platformer that takes cues from the 3D Mario titles; it even has several things you can fetch, from coins littered everywhere, to more specific stuff that requires a keen eye on your surroundings. On top of that, dying is very trivial. There's checkpoints galore, meaning when you die, you're only seconds away from your undoing. While this might sound questionable in some other games, this gives an opportunity to be more at ease here, allowing you to enjoy the sights and sounds of this entertaining adventure.



It's also one that openly celebrates the history of PlayStation. The game is loaded with references to basically every well-known IP, gadgetry, and whatnot you can think of that has made an appearance on a Sony video game console. Think of a popular series and the AR Bots are likely spoofing or paying tribute to it somewhere while Astro is platforming. Special Tactics and Rescue Service members peeking at a zombie through a door? It's here. A certain bearded father with his son? They're chilling beside the beach in a boat. Look hard enough and you'll even spot an AR Bot throwing an infamous controller around like a boomerang. There's just so many homages. And if you're serious about actually beating the game, the references go deep in its climax.

But here's the absolute best thing about Astro's Playroom: you don't need extensive background knowledge to fully enjoy this. It doesn't matter if this is a successor to a series of games or that there's a bijillion video game references. Remove all those elements and what's left? You still have an enjoyable little 3D platformer beaming with life and variety. Depending on your pace, you can complete Astro's Playroom in about five or six hours, but doing so while having a blast with its worlds. It gives off that sense of wonderment you might've had playing video games for the first time: being transported into creative, unique, colorful environments where you get to experience fun, quirky worlds with the simplest approaches. You're just hoppin' and joggin' around platforms, boppin' enemy noggins along the way. And sometimes that's just good enough.

Featured community review by dementedhut (December 26, 2021) Happy holidays and a happy new year!