Astro's Playroom Reviews
Astro’s Playroom is a celebration of PlayStation past, and showcases PlayStation future with its use of Dual Sense. It is a fun platformer that is short enough to not get stale, and long enough that it is bonkers that it is free and preinstalled on your PS5.
It's incredibly hard to sleep on this one, as it literally comes free with every PS5, but I can recommend this as the first thing you play on the console without any hesitation. Make the time for it to see where this generation's headed. You won't regret it.
Astro's Playroom is an excellent showcase for the new PS5 DualSense controller, plus it's also an enjoyable platformer with charming presentation and lots of neat cameos to discover. The fact that it's free is just icing on the cake.
All in all, this game is perfect for what it sets out to do – make it clear the power the PS5 has while also making the game fun and enjoyable. It falls short, though, with the difficulty spiking only at the very end, and none of the four-section paths providing much challenge. It is a must-play if you want to experience all the PS5 has to offer next-gen players though.
In a year that’s already brought us some stunning platforming titles, Astro’s Playroom feels like another well-oiled cog in a larger, towering machine. The nostalgia is enough to carry this one though and as someone who’s grown up with gaming since the early Amiga days right the way through to Sony’s 5 different PlayStation consoles, Astro’s Playroom is an incredibly fun, beautiful trip down memory lane.
Astro's Playroom is way more than a tech demo: it's fun and brilliant, definitely worth playing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A highly enjoyable introduction to the PlayStation 5 but also a charming celebration of the entire history of PlayStation, even if it's something you'll only ever play once.
Astro Bot has replaced Knack as the cute Sony mascot and I'm okay with it. Although Astro's Playroom isn't a killer app, booting up your PS5 and playing it for free is a great way to get accustomed to your shiny new toy from multiple angles.
On its own, Astro’s Playroom would be a fun platforming distraction fit for younger gamers or families. Its world is vibrant and wonderfully detailed, and it looks exceptional on the PS5. But in all honesty, this isn’t so much a game as it is a showpiece for what the DualSense controller can do. And as a result, this isn’t so much a review, as it is an opportunity to highlight how well the features on the PS5 controller work.
Despite clinging to some underwhelming gimmicks, Astro’s Playroom is a cute-n-capable platformer and a respectable assemblage of PlayStation antiquity included in every PS5.
Sony leans into its PlayStation past in this frequently innovative, supremely charming old-school 3D platformer.
As well as being an excellent demonstration of the future ahead for owners of the PS5, Astro’s Playroom serves as an excellent, albeit brief platformer. You’ll find that just as the game really begins to come into its own, it ends, and that’s an almighty shame, but will likely you leaving salivating at the prospect of what is to come for Astro Bot and friends.
Yes, Astro’s Playroom is included on the console but don’t let it slip off your radar. You’re getting a brilliant platformer on day one that’s an homage to the PlayStation legacy. Throughout four stages, you’ll experience everything the DualSense offers and also a great lead-in to the generation. Since the introduction of the DualShock nearly two decades ago, the controller has marginally improved the experience. Now, I feel like we’re seeing a true revolution thanks to the Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Touch the DualSense uses to immerse players in exciting ways.
Astro's Playroom is the best first touch anyone can have with the next-gen capabilities of the PS5. And It's not just a free demo of the console but a damn fine and entertaining platform game filled with a nostalgia trip inside the history of PlayStation.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Astro’s Playroom is a stellar showpiece for PlayStation 5
I’ve been going back to Astro every now and again during my time with the PS5, the quick loading and options to launch to certain zones from the system’s main menu making it easy to spend a few minutes hunting down missing collectibles. But my main takeaway is that I really hope the DualSense is used properly for the life of the console and not just by Sony. I’m sure a lot of the third-party launch window titles will make decent use of its features, but if pushed properly this controller could be a huge selling point for Sony. The HD Rumble on Switch Joy-Cons was used well during the console’s early days, but has now seemingly fallen way down the list of developer priorities.