Astro's Playroom

'Astro's Playroom (2020)' is a wonderful little showcase for the PS5 that highlights essentially all the features that make it stand out. It's also a nostalgic love letter to the PlayStation brand itself, sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who grew up playing those consoles. It's a short but sweet platformer that has you take a little robot on a tour of what's apparently inside the machine sat under your TV. There are four levels - 'Memory Meadow', 'SSD Speedway', 'Cooling Springs' and 'GPU Jungle' - and a secret final level that unlocks upon completion of the rest. You can tackle the levels in any order but the game is best experienced if you do them as I listed them before, both because they ramp up in difficulty and because they're each based around a specific console (so, in the proper order, you progress from PS1 to PS4). Throughout them, you collect coins, puzzle pieces and artefacts. The puzzle pieces add up to a colourful and creative mural that adorns the walls of one of the game's hub locations, a room which houses the various artefacts - which are consoles or console accessories from PlayStation's past - you've found so far. The coins are used to buy capsules that contain either a puzzle piece, artefact or statuette depicting the bots doing something PlayStation themed (which also occurs during the levels in the form of comedic video-game recreations). As I mentioned, it's a truly nostalgic experience. Each level is split into four segments which serve more as checkpoints than anything else, as the overall level flows seamlessly throughout and can usually be finished in one sitting anyway. If you do find yourself wanting to return to a specific point you've already unlocked, you can simply click on it in the map and you'll be instantly transported back to it. The PS5's SSD simply makes loading times nearly non-existent, which adds a truly 'pick up and play' feel to the whole thing. Each of the missions contains two traditional platforming segments and two mission-specific vehicle sections, the latter of which make use of the DualSense controller (itself a revelation) for their alternate control schemes. Sometimes you have to tilt to turn, sometimes you have to swipe to roll, sometimes you have to use the triggers to grab a handhold or tighten a spring; it's all intuitive and inventive stuff, even if some of it can get a tad frustrating. The way in which the game uses the DualSense itself is probably its highlight, as the controller never sits still for a second. Its haptics are able to make you feel what the character feels by providing different feedback when you walk on sand or skate on ice, for example. They works in tandem with the audio that emerges from the controller and it really does tie you into the experience, rather than distract or become an annoyance. The triggers are also phenomenal. They, too, behave differently in different situations, becoming harder to use if you're trying to crush something or pull back a bowstring and actively fighting against you if you're using a high-recoil machine bubble-gun. It's great stuff that I really can't praise highly enough. The game is supposed to be your first introduction to these features, as well as internal elements of the system's that I haven't touched on, and it does a fantastic job with this responsibility. In fact, it may do too good a job; other games don't use the features nearly as much or nearly as well, which sadly does make them seem quite vanilla in comparison to this. I think it will be quite a while before a developer manages to best this game in that regard, but I look forward to the day that it happens. Ultimately, 'Astro's Playroom (2020)' is an effortlessly charming, highly refined and properly enjoyable entryway into the next generation of gaming. It looks great and it feels great to play, too. It is quite short and it lacks a proper narrative, but it's excellent for what it is. 8/10.

This game is really good, but is lacking a story. That's the only bad thing I have to say for this game

Astro's Playroom is what happens when a tech demo accidentally becomes one of the most joyful platformers in years. Pre-installed on the PS5, it could have been a forgettable showcase. Instead, it's a love letter to PlayStation history and a surprisingly great game in its own right.

The controls are tight and creative, showing off the DualSense controller with real purpose. Every world is designed to highlight a different feature - adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, motion controls - and somehow, none of it feels gimmicky. It all works, and more importantly, it feels fun.

Each level bursts with charm and hidden references. If you've ever owned a PlayStation console, you'll find dozens of little Easter eggs tucked away in the background: old hardware, classic characters, even obscure accessories. It's nostalgia overload in the best way.

The visuals are bright and polished, the music is catchy, and Astro himself is irresistibly adorable. The whole game has the polish of a major studio platformer but the breezy heart of an indie.

Sure, it's short. You can finish it in a few hours. But every moment is crafted with care, and it's the perfect introduction to what the PS5 can do.

9/10. Short, sweet, and way better than it needed to be. Astro doesn't just play - he wins.

A platformer that meets the level of Mario Odyssey.... except it's about one tenth the length. But it comes free with the console so hard not to give it a 10/10. Incredible amount of ideas crammed in to one short game. Gorgeous presentation and astro feels amazing to control. Hopefully they release a fully fledged sequel!

Everything about this game just screams like a good time. Its bright colors, its surroundings, the ray tracing and the presentation - All around just a beautiful game. This game will mean a lot to playstation veterans and will remind you why you love playstation and its legacy.

For me It brought back so many memories from the good old days, where I would play games until late at night, being intrigued by the story or character design or just jumping around being to young to know what the hell was going on, but punching monsters and flying around was just fun. You know it would be a good time when you heard the start up of the playstation console you were playing at the time, especially after getting a new game, having been saving up for months, bringing it home and putting it in overly excited to start the game and get playing. This is what Astros playroom felt like to me every time I booted it up. It feels so similar and yet so new at the same time, and I just couldn't stop smiling each time I saw a new Easter egg for a game I knew, it felt like I was being brought back to a simpler time.

Despite my memories even newer players who have never owned a playstation system will come to love this short, but sweet game. As its a great platformer and an amazing illustration of how the dual sense controller can be used. I know this as my younger brother whom has not played a lot of these amazing games that's on display, loved using the dual sense from the first time I lend him the controller, and even just opening a crate, shooting a bow or finding a new Easter egg to tell him about was amazing and I loved every second of it, just discovering every small and big detail together.

I was actually slowly dying out on video games and on fewer and fewer occasions I would boot up my playstation, and just play something, as nothing really felt exciting anymore, and this free preinstalled video game rekindled that flame for video-games I had as a child. It was an absolute treat and I just got my first platinum on the new system, and I must say I'm in love with playstation all over again! It reminded me why I love video games, and its community so much.

In the end you know its an amazing game when you find yourself smiling even after the credits have rolled. What an absolute joy ride! This is why we are playstation fans, thank you Sony!

10/10.