Astro's Playroom - Review

 A fun, nostalgia filled tech demo.

Console: PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 is a pretty expensive piece of tech, so it's nice that every console comes with a free game/tech demo: Astro's Playroom. A sequel of sorts to PlayStation VR’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission, this platformer serves as a great introduction to what the PS5 and its DualSense controller offer while providing buyers with something to play right out of the box.

But does that make this pack-in title a game worth playing? Astro's Playroom is clearly designed to showcase the console you just bought, but that doesn’t get in the way of it being an entertaining, if brief and nostalgia-heavy, 3D platformer. 

Let's dive in.

Astro's Playroom is a simple, almost classic, 3D platformer. As such, there isn't much of a story to speak of. You play as Astro, going through four different stages and finding all sorts of PlayStation collectibles. Not much more to it than that.

The game is, however, rich in atmosphere. The entire title is a love letter to PlayStation, which you can feel right from the get-go. The game opens with you sending Astro from your controller into the console—a pretty neat concept, if I do say so myself. Each level represents a part of the PS5 while also harkening back to one of the four older PlayStation consoles. For example, the beach/water level, Cooling Springs, represents the PS5's cooling system while simultaneously paying homage to the PlayStation 3.

The graphics and art style of the game are excellent—colourful, with lots of intricate details and lighting effects. It’s the PS5, after all. The console is capable of a lot, and a more stylised, dare I say cartoony, look really pops off the screen. You don’t have to worry about the pesky realism that, while impressive, can easily break the illusion when something is off.

Speaking of details, the game has some delightful ones. The 'grass', for example, isn't actual grass. It looks like it, but on closer inspection, you see that it's actually plastic, and the 'flowers' are little PlayStation controller symbols. The most fun detail? The little robots scattered throughout each level. These little guys are incredibly charming, especially when they dress up as characters from PlayStation games. I've spotted Ellie & Joel, Kratos & Atreus, Pyramid Head, and more.

Kratos & Atreus on holiday after their long journey up the mountain.

Gameplay-wise, Astro's Playroom is what you’d expect. Each level consists of four stages, alternating between traditional platforming and 'vehicle' levels. The traditional platforming stages are the best. Astro can run, jump, and punch to get around. Instead of a traditional double jump, Astro has a 'glide' of sorts. Laser beams shoot out of his feet, giving him extra air-time, which can also damage enemies and break objects. It’s not groundbreaking, but it does the trick, and with how tightly Astro controls, I have no complaints whatsoever.

These levels are well-designed with a solid flow. At no point did I feel that the jumps were too difficult, the gaps too big, or that the game demanded too much from the player to progress. Even the secrets can be found fairly easily if you follow basic exploration principles, prioritising fun over challenge.

However, I do have gripes with the 'vehicle' sections. As I mentioned, two out of the four stages involve controlling a 'vehicle', from a robot monkey to a small rocket ship. I'm not a big fan of these stages. This is where the PS5's DualSense controller comes into play with all its bells and whistles. The monkey, for example, is controlled through a combination of adaptive triggers and the built-in gyro. Yes, it shows off what the controller can do, but it doesn't make for the most fluid gameplay experience. I found most of these sections rather tedious to control, and their respective stages were not particularly enjoyable because they prioritised gimmicks over level design.

This is one of many ways in which you can see that Astro's Playroom is clearly designed to show off what the PS5 can do. It’s a technical showcase first, a regular game second. Beyond the controller features, the game highlights the incredible load times and overall performance of the console. I thought this tech demo aspect might start to grate on me, perhaps even detract from the experience, but surprisingly, it does not.

One of the 'vehicle' sections. Climbing a wall using a monkey robot suit.

Instead, it's the thick layer of PlayStation easter eggs and nostalgia that becomes overwhelming. Yes, I understand that celebrating PlayStation’s history is one of the game’s goals, but at some point, it just becomes too much. The collectibles, stored in a special room, are all PlayStation consoles and accessories. All the little trinkets are PlayStation-themed, and more. It's nice at first, but the novelty wears off after a while, and it started to feel intrusive.

If you, unlike me, have been invested in PlayStation for much longer—having more than just a PS5 and a hand-me-down PS2—you might feel the nostalgia more strongly and be more invested in it. For me, though, a little less PlayStation pandering would have been preferable. If the game itself weren't as enjoyable as it is, I might have thought they were using nostalgia to cover up any shortcomings.

Conclusion

I've seen it written that Astro's Playroom is the best pack-in game since Wii Sports. I don't know if that's necessarily true, but one thing is certain: it is a very entertaining game. It’s well-made, looks good, plays well, and is a lot of fun despite its short length. Although it’s partly a tech demo for the console, this aspect never felt intrusive. However, I did find the PlayStation pandering a bit much, but that’s just my personal taste; you might not have any issues with it.

If you've got a PS5, you've got Astro's Playroom, and there's no reason not to give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.