A Visit to Astro's Playroom
Plus, some highlights from the first day of Summer Game Fest 2024
Astro’s Playroom
Last week during their State of Play presentation Sony announced Astro Bot, a new game set to expand upon the world introduced in Astro’s Playroom in 2020. I recall hearing about Playroom quite a bit during the initial coverage of the PlayStation 5 launch since it was a free pre-installed game included with the console, but by the time I got my own PS5 earlier this year I had completely forgotten about it. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m on the hunt for shorter titles that can act as a side dish to some of the larger games taking up time during the week, and Astro’s Playroom seemed to fit that bill. After digging into it I completely understand why this little guy is getting his own full game.
At the core, this is a simple 3D character platformer - something that Sony used to be the face of in my childhood. You see, I wasn’t a big Mario kid growing up. Instead I was all about Crash, Jak, Ratchet, and Sly. Playroom comes from that lineage with its key innovations being the use of the PS5’s DualSense controller and the unbridled joy in all things PlayStation.
I’ve yet to experience any other game that takes advantage of what the DualSense can do. Actually, I don’t even think I realized it had a microphone built in until playing this, so it does a great job of exposing what all it can do as well. My favorite implementation was navigating around obstacles in a rocketship that is incredibly reactive to the DualSense’s triggers. It feels hyperbolic to type out, but the precision of the triggers combined with the controller’s vibration motor had me locked into that portion of the game in a way that truly surprised me.
However, the most fun part of the game is easily all the easter eggs scattered throughout the worlds. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on how into Sony’s marquee franchises you are, but it reminded me of how much time I’ve spent with PlayStation’s stable of characters and what they have meant to me. This is riding on all the goodwill built over the years, and for me that’s a lot. For those who aren’t as familiar with the characters of Sony’s past I don’t think it pulls away from the core experience. At worst, you’ll see a bunch of cute robots doing weird out-of-context stuff. Astro’s Playroom dips deeper into the nostalgia pool with a series of collectibles celebrating the history of PlayStation too. There are plenty of 3D recreations of old PS tech to find throughout each level that all brought a smile to my face.
Just to be clear, Astro’s Playroom is mainly a tech demo to show off the features of the console you just bought. But it also has a level of polish and charm that is undeniable. If you have a PS5 and haven’t checked it out yet it’s more than worth the two hour and $0 investment.
Summer Game Fest Highlights
As I write this, we are still in the middle of Summer Game Fest, the series of events that have stepped up in place of the now dead E3. After just one day of presentations there’s already enough to fill someone’s backlog for a year! Below are a few highlights that I’m personally excited about.
Blumhouse Titles
We got a short showcase of what Blumhouse Games, a new division of the titular movie production studio, has been cooking up and I came away impressed. I really appreciated the variety of styles both visually and gameplay wise they were able to show off in the 2-minute reel.
Wanderstop
In the newest game from the creator of The Stanley Parable you play as fallen fighter Alta as she manages a magical tea shop. It looks all sorts of cozy...until it doesn’t.
Deer & Boy
There isn’t a whole of information about Lifeline Games’ first title Deer and Boy, but the reveal trailer gives off a “what if Inside was cute” energy and I’m here for it.
Skate
Yes, EA is still working on the fourth Skate title. Yes, they announced that playtesting is coming to consoles later this fall. And yes, I’m very excited to give it a try when it eventually comes out.
But really I’m just thankful we got another Tim Robinson sketch ripped straight from I Think You Should Leave.
Thank Goodness You’re Here
Thank Goodness You’re Here! a new title published by the beloved Panic, makers of the Playdate, got an official release date of August 1st. Described as a “comedy slapformer” this one has charmed its way to the top of my wishlist.