The PS5 was released in 2020 in a year when a lot of people needed something new to occupy their minds with. Launch games for the console included a remake ofDemon’s Souls,Sackboy: A Big Adventure,Godfall, and many others. Among those games, one stood out and it was free with every console with a quick download:Astro’s Playroom.
It was a new adventure hot off the heels of the PSVR game starring Astro Bot calledAstro Bot Rescue Mission.Astro’s Playroomwas a mini-platforming adventure that had quite a bit of substance to it beyond demonstrating the new capabilities of the PS5 from load times to rumble features. Years later,Astro Botis here to test the PS5’s features even more, and here are some examples.
6The Motion Controls
From Flying Your Controller Ship To Flipping Robots
The motion controls are what Team Asobi seemingly loved when developing this game. The biggest example comes with the entry into every level wherein players can guide their controller like a spaceship,collecting coins and puzzle pieces inAstro Bot. When players rescue bots in stages, they can give them a little flip to make them excited. It doesn’t add anything to the gameplay but it is fun to watch.
There are more intricate moments using the motion controls as well like tilting the controller to climb up cliffs using the Monkey power-up inAstro Bot. The tilt controls can also command platforms to bend to the player’s will to guide things like water down a slope. There are too many examples to name but if the motion controls are irritating, there is an option to put all motion abilities onto the left analog stick.
5The Rumble Feature
Feel The Weight Of Puzzles
Of the three current console controllers, including the Switch and Xbox Series X/S as competition, the rumble features in the PS5 controller are the most supportive. Whether the titular hero is running through leaves or snow, players will feel that resistance while exploring. The feedback can help engage players in their activities.
It’s so much more than that though as the rumble feature can also solve puzzles. For example, some tiles hide hidden passages and the rumble feature will clue players into which one to hit and these tiles are quite prevalent throughout the entirety.Az-Tech Trail is an early level example inAstro Botwhich feels like a forgotten stage in an Uncharted game.
4The Adaptive Triggers
From Shooting Guns To Blowing Fans
The R2 and L2 buttons deserve some recognition beyond the normal rumble features of the controller. There is tension whenever players have to pull a lever or crush something with the triggers like back at the HUB World of theCrash Site inAstro Bot. It’s very satisfying to pull the Gashapon machine with one trigger and then destroy the pulled ball with the other.
The triggers are used well in levels too like one of the first hidden stages players can find inAstro Bot’sLost Galaxycalled Fan Club. There are no power-ups in this stage and instead, the triggers control fans throughout the level. Pulling the triggers will lock fans into place while releasing the triggers will start the fans up again to launch Astro Bot upward. There are other examples too, like with varying power-ups including the gun from theUnchartedHero stage, but the point is the triggers aid the experience.
3The Sound
Listen To Bots Nearby
The sound is one of the most incredible things in the game from the effects to the soundtrack. Every stage feels lively thanks to the music especially when players are trying to take down bosses likeMighty Chewy inAstro Bot. The soundtrack aids the engagement but that’s not so much a feature of the PS5 as it is a feature of the game itself.
The controller speakers are an example though because lost bots can often be heard from a distance in the controller. A pair of headphones will aid in their search as well. It should also be mentioned that players can blow into the controller to simulate wind which can often jumpstart turbines in levels although that may be more an example of motion support than sound support. Compared to the other PS5 features, the controller’s sound support is one of the lower ones but it is still important in Astro Bot.
2Capturing Moments For Later
How To Unlock Photo Mode
Capturing screenshots or video footage natively has been a thing since the PS4 and Xbox One era. It’s gotten even better in the current generation for when players want to capture moments be it in a stilled frame or a video.Astro Botincludes a photo modealthough players have to work quite a bit to unlock it via collected Puzzle Pieces. Once they do, they can press up on the D-Pad to activate the camera.
There are photo booths set up in some levels that will grant players extra coins if they use the camera to capture it. It’s also fun to capture moments at the Crash Site with rescued VIP bots if players also unlock their extras via the Gashapon system. For example, players can get a bathtub to soak in while Mr. Mosquito, from his self-titled game, attacks Astro Bot. Capturing this fun moment is a small victory for the game.
1Jumping Into A Level
Does Anyone Remember This Feature?
When the PS5 was unveiled in 2020 during a press video, there were several PS5 features discussed including an ability to jump into incomplete levels or side quests. Sony clarified that it was up to the discretion of developers and publishers to use this feature. One of the games demoed wasSackboy: A Big Adventurewhich made sense since it was a level-based experience.
It’s a great idea for Astro Bot as well since there are dozens of levels and some of them are brutally difficult. From the PS5 home screen, players can launch right into a level without even starting the game through menus. Likemost PS5 games, the process is lightning fast and it’s something players should keep in mind.
