According to Astro's Playroom creative director Nicolas Doucet, at least 80 tech demos for the DualSense controller had been designed while working on the game. On the right side of the giant pool at the end of Hotel Hopalot, you can find some Bots dancing next to two cardboard cutouts. [22], Jonathon Dornbush, writing for IGN, enjoyed Astro's Playroom's homages to PlayStation history and the DualSense interactions, but criticized how it felt more like a technical showcase than a full game. This references 2001’s Devil May Cry on PS2, developed by Capcom Production Studio 4. The game they’re playing references Ridge Racer, released in 1997 for the PS1 and made by Delphine Software International. To the left of the Helghan Empire soldiers is a skill with a military helmet. The pale blue circles connected with a line refer to the brightness and volume controls on the LCD monitor, while the trio of blocks with three dots inside are of course from the controller ports on the front of the system. PaRappa in particular is famous for being the first rhythm game ever created. You can unlock a model of the real thing using the Gatcha Game in the PlayStation Labo area. Astro’s Playroom: New Features. The shield reveals that this is a reference to 1998’s MediEvil on PS1 by SCE Cambridge, about the knight Sir Daniel Fortesque being brought back to life so he can live up to his own falsified legacy. [19] Similarly, Eurogamer's Martin Robinson praised the game for being a promising glimpse of the future for the PlayStation 5 and remarked it as being "one of the best launch titles I can remember in an age. [1][2] The game, a sequel to Astro Bot Rescue Mission, is pre-installed on every console and serves additionally as a free tech demo for the new DualSense controller. Also on top of Mt. The game is about making assets and even entire games from scratch. Although its role as the most popular PS5 game is a bit of a fabrication since it's pre-installed on every console, Astro's Playroom is still worth checking out. The way the T. Rex makes his entrance at the start of his fight is a direct reference to the start of the tech demo, and the shaky textures references the PS1’s inability to draw vector points at every possible position (which is why the ground often morphs when close to the camera in those games). The lights on the ceiling of the PlayStation Labo area are in the same shape as the D-Pads for the DualShock 4 and the DualSense. Each of the four worlds is split up into four levels that are interconnected with each other. This references 2012’s Tearaway for the PS Vita, developed by Media Molecule. This references Everybody’s Golf VR by Clap Hanz, released in 2019. Spin the camera around to see Bots with lights on their temples lined up like display units. Shout-Out: Bots are dressed like characters from games that are PlayStation exclusives or started off as exclusives. This was a free add-on to 2013 PS4 pack-in title The Playroom by SCE Japan Studio, which is the originator of the Bots and actually precedes the creation of Astro. In particular, the use of the Buster Sword under a spotlight makes this is a reference to the game’s title screen. [7] The plaza also houses two other areas: Network Speed Run, in which players can compete in unlockable time trials for the fastest time which can be shared to online leaderboards, and PlayStation Labo, which houses all of the collectables a player has collected.[8]. The mushroom Bot refers to a Clicker, a human taken over by parasitic fungi, while the two characters are Joel and Ellie. This is a reference to 1998’s Spyro the Dragon on PS1, developed by Insomniac Games. This references 1996’s Crash Bandicoot on the PS1, developed by Naughty Dog and often considered the PlayStation’s earliest mascot-type character. One of the displays that you can unlock for the Labo area is a Bot with a mess of cards with various “PS” logos. PS5 Will Come Pre-Loaded With A Free Game Called Astro's Playroom. Further along the beach from the God of War easter egg is a giant Bot head.