Astro’s Playroom Review A Uniquely Tactile Platformer That’s The Beating Heart Of Ps5

I can’t say I had very high expectations for Astro’s Playroom, a game that comes free with every PlayStation 5 console. I figured it might be a cute series of minigames, akin to the robot-themed minigames in the PlayStation 4’s pack-in title, The Playroom. That PS4 game was the sort of thing you boot up once, mess around with for 30 minutes, and then forget it exists. nhà cái s8 with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur’s Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I’m not gaming, I’m probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.

To make it appear, you must stand on top of a big plant near the edge of the level, just behind the Bloodborne Hunter Bot. Inside the capsule, another Special Bot (Lady Maria) appears to be trapped and needs rescuing. The fun is to explore locations, jump between platforms and perform simple puzzles. From time to time, we also find enemies that we can avoid or overpower with fast punches. Astro’s Playroom, like many modern games, features hidden trophies that add an extra layer of intrigue and challenge for completionists. These trophies are not explicitly revealed in the game’s trophy list, requiring players to delve deeper into the game’s mechanics and secrets to uncover them.

Up Next: Every Playstation Easter Egg In Astro’s Playroom

Astro Bot is, among other things, a masterclass in how to make a sequel to a game. Although the game does go out of its way to demonstrate the various abilities of the DualSense controller it’s also a celebration of all PlayStation consoles up to this point. Sony Interactive Entertainment realized that shipping Astro’s Playroom as a free demo could set the bar high for what a true next-generation game should feel like. There are not many games released in recent memory that have utilized the DualSense controller, like Japan Studio. The fun gameplay mixed with the nostalgia is a potent mix of a successful game.

It is easy to dismiss Astro’s Playroom as a child’s game, given the artistic design; however, it is more than that and can appeal to a larger audience. While it isn’t necessarily hard, some levels are quite challenging. As Astro, players must clear hordes of enemies by spinning toward them or, in some cases, using a gun to get through. Other ways to defeat enemies are by jumping and hovering above them and hitting them with Astro’s lasers.

Most of them involve collectibles and completing specific parts of the story. Here are Metacritic’s 10 lowest-scoring video games released in 2025. The song “I Am Astro Bot [Playroom Remix],” which repeats the title and plays on the opening menu, is enough to make it a catchy earworm. While it’s not the game’s fault, it makes every exclusive PS5 game feel like it lacks DualSense exclusivity.

How To Find The Grand Tourist Special Bot

Some Special Bots require specific actions or interactions to be rescued. This might involve using the DualSense controller’s features, such as blowing into the microphone or using the touchpad to manipulate objects. Other Special Bots might require solving simple puzzles or completing platforming challenges.

It differs by having longer handles, concave analog sticks with no rubber coating, a ridge on top of the L2 and R2 buttons, and a green Analog button light. The international version of the controller lacked the dual rumble motors, hence the name difference. Using discs meant that developers had much higher storage capacity than with cartridges, allowing for the inclusion of movies (often called FMVs) and higher-quality music. They were also much less expensive to manufacture, making it less of a risk to make a small run of games, bolstering the number of more experimental and niche releases on the system. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it.

It refers to the “Lonely Rolling Star” track from the official soundtrack. Both the game and the Trophy involve rolling a ball around so that it gets bigger and bigger. The “Cool Hoarder” Trophy, awarded for getting all the Puzzle Pieces in Cooling Springs, is named after 1996 PS1 game Cool Boarders, developed by UEP Systems. Cool Boarders was one of the most popular PS1 games, spawning four sequels.