Every time I had fun with the game, it always ended in me encountering an area that is simply impossible for me to finish. This includes all the aforementioned key areas of levels with physical mandatory controls, but also some minor elements that appear briefly through the game. Further mandatory physical interaction with the controller includes blowing into the microphone and flicking your finger to launch Astro like a slingshot. Whilst there are serious problems, I personally found these to have a workaround that made them doable. The core quest in Astro’s Playroom is to retrieve the four main artefacts across four different, diverse levels. Each level is split into four key areas, two of which are reliant on a feature of the DualSense, all are mandatory to complete the levels.
The Bot holding a feather refers to the game’s boxart, while the moment where he falls off and is saved by the bird references the E gameplay demo. At the Checkpoint overlooking the first mud pit, you’ll two a Bot with a Net looking for a Bot with a siren on its head hiding in a bush. This references 1999’s Ape Escape on PS1, made by SCE Japan Studio. Ape Escape is notable for being the first PlayStation game to require a Dual Analog/DualShock controller; you couldn’t play it using the launch gamepad.
On the right-hand side of the rocket launch pad at the end of Turbo Trail, you’ll find a Bot with yellow ears, a tiny bot on its back, and nuts and bolts in its arms alongside a wrench. This references the 2002’s Ratchet & Clank on PS2, developed by Insomniac Games. The wrench refers to Ratchet’s melee weapon, the Omniwrench, while the Bolts refers to the currency in the Ratchet games. After s8.com of the Hang Glider, on the left you’ll find a massive sword stuck in the ground.
Celebrating 30 Years Of Playstation With A Nostalgic Look
I handed the controller to my sister asking her to do the area for me, with the expectation this would be a one-off. Astro’s Playroom is a technical demo and free platforming game bundled with every PlayStation 5, and the gaming community could not get enough of its cutesy art style and homage to the brand’s history. Japan Studio wanted to give early users a taste of the hardware’s capabilities and showcase the improvements of the DualSense controller to give them a definitive next-gen experience. As a final reference, the music when climbing up the Memory Cards and CD-ROMs to get to the boss fight is very similar to the music that played when viewing the T. In the PS1 at the start of the level, there’s a memory card with “Ken’s” written on it. This is a reference to Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation.
Astro’s Playroom lets you control Astro on a 3D platforming adventure across 4 different components of the PlayStation 5. You can go through Memory Meadow, a cloudy realm of wind and storms. Or visit the Cooling Springs, featuring a beach party setting and a surprise ice level later. You can also visit the GPU Jungle, which, as the name implies, is more of a jungle ruin to play around in, and the SSD Speedway with its neon sci-fi backdrop. After beating both versions of the T-Rex the credits will start to roll, where you can collect some coins.
Checkpoint 3
Puzzle Piece 2/4 – In this same pinball area, knock out the 6 bowling pin enemies around the center bumper to make this puzzle piece appear. Puzzle Piece 1/4 – In the first pinball area, roll into the spot on the back left to get boosted to a rail with this puzzle piece at the end. Puzzle Piece 2/4 – Back on the main path, you then ride a circuit board through an area with electric rail obstacles. Midway through you can find this puzzle piece, basically right in your way. Artifact 2/2 “PlayStation Game Disc” – After jumping the gap with the bowling pin in front, go to the right across the pair of moving platforms to find this artifact. Puzzle Piece 3/4 – After the checkpoint where you slide down a slope, this puzzle piece is to the right across the grey quicksand.
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.
These aren’t just any items but other accessories and items from PlayStation’s history. Collecting all the items feels like you’re a curator at a PlayStation museum. I had a bunch of games and PS+ when I got my PS5 but I still played through 100% of this and got the Platinum before I even got to any of them.
Videos And Photos
It didn’t change the core of the game, but it made the overall experience better. Astro’s Playroom could easily have been a simple tech demo, and in a way it is that. Its main function is to demonstrate the possibilities of the DualSense.