With the advent of the new PlayStation 5, Sony packed in a great game to showcase their newest behemoth of a console. Astro’s Playroom takes you on a journey through PlayStation history while firing on all cylinders to show off the new DualSense Controller.
Playstation Mascotte
Astro seems to be the go-to character to demo new tech in the world of PlayStation these days. After a short demo on the VR it mustered up enough attention to turn the cutesy looking robot and his friends into a full-pledged game instead of yet another tech demo. Astro’s Rescue Mission is in my opinion still the best game I played on the Playstation VR. This time around, Sony asked ASOBI team to repeat their magic with Astro’s Playroom and introduce all the new features the awesome DualSense Controller has to offer.
Built into your system
Astro and his friends live inside your PlayStation 5 in the hub that connects all the hardware. Each piece of hardware is actually a portal to a world inspired by the history of PlayStation. Four worlds conveniently centered around the four previous PlayStation consoles will take you on a trip of nostalgia. All while enjoying a great platformer, you will encounter countless nods to some of the greatest moments PlayStation had to offer through the years. Seeing some of Astro’s friends playing out scenes from Ratchet and Clank, Silent Hill, BloodBorne, and many more put a permanent smile on my face throughout the 5 hours it took me to complete the game.
Something around every corner
Astro’s playroom isn’t to be played in a straight forward way. The game wants you to take detours and even awards you with gifts. These gifts are either puzzle pieces to complete a mural in the central hub or artifacts. These artifacts are 3D models of the peripherals that came with the PlayStation the world is centered around. I did my best to find as many as possible and still managed to miss a lot so Astro’s Playroom packs replay value. Replay value for a free game is certainly bang for your buck.
DualSense full option
I first heard the announcement of the new DualSense features and wasn’t all that impressed, to be honest. After playing Astro’s Playroom and experiencing every aspect of the new controller… I was wrong in thinking these wouldn’t make any difference. The way the controller vibrates with precision makes for a lot more immersion if it fits what’s on the screen. At times they overplayed it a bit in Astro’s Playroom to the point I nearly got a cramp from holding the controller. The whole blowing in the microphone shtick to interact with the game isn’t new and feels a bit too gimmicky for my tasting.
The “haptic trigger” function of the DualSense is a true gamechanger in my opinion and perfectly showcased in Astro’s Playroom. The L2 and R2 triggers can now offer more or less resistance to corollate with what’s on the screen. When Astro is using two thrusters under his feet, the L2 and R2 buttons give resistance accordingly to how much thrust is used. In combination with the precise vibrations, this translates to a very natural sensation. When using a bow the tension of the trigger ramps up as you push it down which gives a real immersive sensation. When shooting a fire weapon the triggers feel like the trigger of the gun instead of just an ordinary back trigger. I was in awe each time I came across a section where this was featured in Astro’s Playroom.
Conclusion
ASOBI team did a great job of introducing each aspect of the new DualSense controller while also providing a great trip down on PlayStation’s memory lane. Although some features could’ve been toned down a bit to keep their appeal. Astro’s Playroom is an homage to what is and to what is still to come. The future looks bright…
