Yes, i bought a PlayStation 5, and yes, I know I’ll regret it at some point, but let us not get into that right now, shall we?
My first completed PS5 game is this free one that came with the console. It’s clear that the main purpose of Astro’s Playroom is to show off the features of the DualSense controller, but in the form of a playable game. I have to say, the way in which the features of the pad are used here are incredible, from the feel of hail hitting the controller to the haptic feedback and variable-resistance triggers. I’m sure 99% of games will never use most of what it can do, but it’s a great tech demo.
It’s also a great game. It’s a platformer, with the aim being to ultimately collect all the jigsaw pieces and PlayStation related items across four main levels, with which to fill a sort of museum in the hub world. It’s not difficult, but it is varied. Each level is based around some element inside the PS5 console, like the GPU and the SSD, and so is themed to match. The SSD level is all neon and futuristic, for example, and scattered everywhere are little robots acting out various PlayStation games from the ages – most of which are lost on me because I’m not a fan of most Sony titles.
There are a number of nods to Mario titles in the gameplay too, with Mario Galaxy’s spin attack and Mario Sunshine’s FLUDD hover thing, and although it’s nowhere near as good as a Mario title (and Mario Odyssey still has the edge graphically, despite the gulf in power between the PS5 and Switch), it’s still a lot of fun.
I go into a lot more detail about the controller (and a bit more about the game) on Episode 43 of the ugvm Podcast.
