Astro's Playroom (2020)

3D PLATFORMER - Play as Astrobot and see the history of PlayStation, while experiencing all the wonderful new features of the DualSense controller.

PROS:

++ Completely free.

++ Great controller showcase. Brilliantly showcases the new features of the DualSense controller (Haptic Feedback & Adaptive Triggers).

++ PlayStation references. A love letter to Sony fanboys. There are tons of references to Sony franchises and Sony consoles & paraphernalia.

++ Fun platforming. Each of the four levels were fun and exciting to play.

++ Atmosphere. Made me feel like a little kid again.

CONS:

-- Length. Since it's a tech demo, the game is unfortunately very short and there's not much reason to keep playing after completion.

As a long-time fan of 3D platformers, it seems the only love they get these days is as glorified tech demos for new hardware. This game definitely exceeds expectations, considering it's free, and it serves a a unique triple-purpose as an advertisement for its own hardware, a sort of user's manual for folks who may not understand computer components, and a museum of all things PlayStation. As a big nerd, I really enjoyed this tribute to all the old hardware and classic games.

At first I was thrilled by how varied the mechanics and gameplay were, but as it wore on I realized there wasn't much depth. I went ahead and collected all the museum pieces but was not compelled to do any other post-game content - which is mostly stuff like time trials, which I just find to be a chore.

Played digital version on PS5.

The pack-in game has become a lost art. Back in the day, a game that came with your system would encapsulate all the promise and excitement one could expect from your recent purchase. Super Mario Bros. basically taught people how to play platformers on the NES, Sonic the Hedgehog showed off the speed of the Sega Genesis, and Wii Sports helped explain the new way to control games on the Wii. Especially with the last few console generations, I've felt a sort of malaise. Every few years, buy the new system with slightly better graphics, and you'll basically know what you're getting.

But with Astro's Playroom, Sony attempts to reintroduce itself as a gaming company, presenting both the impressive legacy that they've already amassed with the previous console generations, while also showing off how they can still surprise in the future.

With Astro's Playroom, Sony brings back the exciting joy and promise of a new console. Astro's Playroom does this with an always ambitious and exciting platformer, one that had me smiling from the moment I began the game. It's too simplistic to call Astro's Playroom a tech demo, although that is technically what it is, it's a celebration of the past and the future. Astro's Playroom is only four levels, each with interesting new game mechanics that made me excited about what is coming for this system. For example, one level introduced a climbing mechanic that made me curious to see how that's integrated in a new Uncharted game, or the sensitive trigger buttons that made me excited to play a shooter with this system. Astro's Playroom is constantly impressive, but also makes you think of the possibilities for these mechanics.

But this is also the first time in a while that I can remember Sony embracing their past in this way. Each level is centered around a different console, making each level a burst of nostalgia for a different period of the PlayStation's life. Throughout each level are wonderful references to almost every PlayStation game you can think of, and I was always surprised to remember just how vast Sony's library of games has always been. This isn't just Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter references. I lost my mind when I saw a Jumping Flash! reference in the first level, and received a trophy that made fun of Heavy Rain. I mean, there's references to tech demos and to past E3 conferences. Nothing is off limits here. There's a clear love for the history of Sony here that I haven't seen the company push this way before, but it almost reminds me of the same care Nintendo often has for their past games.

That might be the best compliment I can give Astro's Playroom: it reminded me of how wonderful it felt opening a new Nintendo console on Christmas morning, putting in the latest Mario game and seeing what huge shifts in gameplay were coming. This is like opening a Nintendo 64 and putting in Super Mario 64. While it's certainly not as groundbreaking, it gives me that sort of level of excitement that I rarely feel with video games or new consoles anymore.

A new console purchase should be an exciting opportunity and new beginning, and Astro's Playroom finds a way to present that. This is one of the most joyous platformers I've played in years, and some of the most fun I've felt exploring a gaming world in quite some time. Astro's Playroom not only reminded me of how much I've adored Sony's systems over the last few decades, it made me excited about the future of gaming in general.

Gameplay= Mechanics, gameplay options (freedom), repetition, goals, difficulty

Story= plot, engagement, characters, world-building

Presentation= graphics, animation, environment/character design, Art direction, Script, music

Gameplay: 5/5

Story: Kind of (N/A)

Presentation: 5/5 Such a great run down memory lane for all things PlayStation. I give this category a very strong rating because of the way in which it presents the controller and other highlights of PS5. I never thought I would describe the vibrations on my controller as textures such as sand and ice.

I highly recommend this game for all PlayStation fans and loves of the 3D platformer genre.