What makes the Playstation 5 appear as a new “special” console? In addition to a significant increase in performance when compared to the Playstation 4 which has been around for at least the last 7 years, which then evolved into games that can now run at higher resolutions complete with ray-tracing support, Sony also continues to push for the latest controllers. they stretcher. Controller technology is so new and modern, they don’t even hesitate to ditch the name “DualShock” that has accompanied the release of the Playstation for the last 4 generations. They named it DualSense, a controller that is claimed to have a more immersive gaming experience, right into your hands.
Of course, all these claims would feel like nonsense if Sony couldn’t prove it from the very first release. The best and most reasonable solution? Releasing the Playstation 5 with a video game that will immediately showcase this technology optimally, what potential gamers can anticipate in the future, while still supporting the various performance improvements carried by the previous generation Playstation 5. This responsibility must be borne by Team ASOBI with their latest game – Astro’s Playroom.
So, what does Astro’s Playroom actually offer? Why are we called the game that appears like a celebration of creating, especially for Playstation’s activities over the last 25 years?
Generational Celebration
With a position that can almost be called the “mascot” for the Playstation outside of Knack in the Playstation 4 era yesterday, Astro’s Playroom will bring you into the Playstation 5 architecture as a “playground”. The world is divided into four different levels, each of which represents the technology on which the Playstation 5 is a mainstay. With a small hub called CPU Plaza, you can dive into GPU Jungle, SSD Speedway, Cooling Springs, and Memory Meadow. Each of these worlds of course comes with a different theme while maintaining the aesthetics of the enemy, world, and environment that we know from the Astrobot series so far.
Even apart from the name he is carrying, each level usually refers to a specific Playstation. Because of the system, it is divided into 4 different levels, where any artifacts that arise are usually associated with the console. Do you still remember the Playstation 2 Memory Card, Multi-Tap Playstation 1, PSP GO which was not popular in Indonesia, to the Playstation One which was equipped with a portable television? The replica of almost all the accessories, consoles and handheld devices that were released is now available in the Astro Playroom with a little interactivity in it.
Still not enough? They even provide a room called the Playstation Labo which will be filled with all the artifacts and puzzle pieces you find, which have made the history of Playstation even more radiant over the last 25 years. You can also see how other Astro-bots also carry out activities related to the Playstation itself, from enjoying VR, admiring the Trophy system that is displayed on one of the tables, to those who are fiddling with consoles, games, and accessories that are now multiple sizes. -Multiple their bodies. Everything is presented with a distinctive cute sound effect.
The celebration doesn’t stop there. The Asobi team has also injected a myriad of easter egg games that have accompanied Playstation’s work in almost all levels you encounter. This easter egg appears in an iconic costume and scene that Astro Bot is now recreating in front of the camera. Trying to find and bring up every easter egg that appears is also a separate fun, especially if you have an emotional attachment to them. One thing is certain, all of these franchises have made the Playstation the “home” of their first series. We are talking about easter eggs as clear as Death Stranding, Killzone, to Tekken, but those that need a little digestion are like Journey or the first Resident Evil. Of course, they wouldn’t miss Final Fantasy VII here.
In terms of music or sound effects, Astro’s Playroom doesn’t come with music quality that will be enough to make you inject them into your Spotify playlist. But still following their mission as a game that celebrates Playstation’s life, they end up injecting every Playstation engine start-up song, in every generation, depending on the level you complete. It is undeniable that hearing again the sound of the start-up that had accompanied this youth, especially for the Playstation 1 and Playstation 2, did leave a strong nostalgic sensation. Meanwhile, on the other hand, this game has strengthened its position as a celebration of the Playstation generation itself.
Astro’s Playroom gameplay is simple. With a level-per-world design that is not that long, you will be faced with a variety of situations where you will be required to use Astro-bot’s hit and jetpack abilities, as well as use the variety of weapons you get at specific levels, from arrows to gatling guns, to destroy. the enemy is there.
Each level is also usually decorated with a unique mechanic for navigation, which usually ends in a transformation of the Astro-bot into a different form, from a monkey asking you to climb, a spring-legged creature that can only jump, to a rocket-powered spaceship aboard both legs. Always one mission? Reaching the end point safely, which luckily is also made easy by the checkpoints being close to each other. The extra missions are injected through hiding the Puzzle Pieces and Artifacts that we talked about earlier.
One of the craziest and most successful to make us fall in love? Believe it or not, it’s raining! Because it’s no longer just a mere visualization to make a level look dramatic, the raindrops you encounter on Astro’s Playroom will be translated into DualSense’s own Haptic Feedback itself. That’s right, you will be able to feel the tiny shakes simulating the rain falling on your hands! It doesn’t stop there, the rain that occurs in one of these levels will also get heavier as your game progresses. You can also feel how detailed the Haptic Feedback is so charming, it is not difficult to provide information for your hands, about how hard the rain is falling. Really crazy!
Of course, another DualSense feature they are pushing for is Adaptive Trigger. In simple terms, as the name suggests, this feature provides an extra “motor” in the two DualSense trigger buttons that allow it to fight and vibrate depending on the situation. The result is feedback like never before. The L2 + R2 button can now require you to expend extra energy so that it can be fully pressed, triggering a more immersive sensation. On Astro’s Playroom? They implement it almost perfectly. The trigger that vibrates when you shoot a gun is like a gatling gun, the extra pressure you have to press to make your rocket fire, so you can get the sensation of holding an accurate bow.
Conclusion
With Sony’s decision to integrate Astro’s Playroom into every Playstation 5 machine available on the market today, including the official Indonesian version, there’s almost no reason not to taste this one game. Its cute shape may make some gamers look away, but there really isn’t a better technical demo of what the Playstation 5 can do, especially for its DualSense, which is more charming than Astro’s Playroom. Everything is wrapped in the theme of the Playstation celebration as a product that has been around for at least the last 25 years, on top of a lightweight platformer gameplay that looks beautiful at the same time.
Its position as a “free” game doesn’t necessarily make Astro’s Playroom free from criticism. While its role as a technical demo for the Playstation 5 and DualSense is in near-perfect capacity, it’s hard to ignore that it could actually emerge as an even better game platformer. A platformer game with a longer level design, a higher difficulty level, and of course, a much more intense boss battle. At least with a concept like this, Astro’s Playroom won’t feel “too” like a technical demo as it does right now, and thus, could end up adding extra value to those who have just bought the Playstation 5.
But despite these neglected potentials, Astro’s Playroom is doing a good job. It appears as a cute game of all ages that contains so many beautiful memories with 25 years of Playstation’s activities as a console, as well as initiating the birth of a new generation. This in fact, is a generational celebration for him.
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