It’s a phenomenal thing, taken even further with adaptive triggers that provide meaningful, forceful feedback. Been with gamepressure.com since 2019, mostly writing game guides but you can also find me geeking out about LEGO (huge collection, btw). Even with a ton of games, sometimes I just gotta fire up Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, KOTOR, or Baldur’s Gate 2 (Shadows of Amn, the OG, not that Throne of Bhaal stuff). When I’m not gaming, I’m probably painting miniatures or admiring my collection of retro consoles.

The game let you explore themed spaces and allow you to purchase items to display in your virtual home. When you get to the first silver Bounce Pillow, use it to get on top of the wall, then drop off the other side. This references 2008’s LittleBigPlanet on PS3, developed by Media Molecule. The globe is LittleBigPlanet itself, covered in badges that represent levels from players around the world. After the second use of the Hang Glider, on the left you’ll find a massive sword stuck in the ground.

On the capsule itself, we included a small hint showing the image of a clock. Looking carefully around the level nearby, you will find a similar clock symbol carved into one of the trees up above. Progress through the level to the area with the floating DualShock controller clouds. Use the clouds to reach the ledges on the wall opposite, and then climb up to the area above. Punch the tree directly in front of you by long-holding Square to perform a spinning attack. EE can help you get everything you need from consoles, to games, to connectivity.

The Top 10 Nintendo Switch 2 Games

There’s even a trophy room where you can interact with them, using your little robot hands to turn on a gigantic PSP Go, or hop on the eject button of an original PlayStation to see the lid pop open. The first level of the game opens with Astro barreling down a waterslide before splashing in some water and walking up onto a beach. It’s hard to put into words, but the thunk of landing in the water is a dull, flat sensation that feels, well, like landing in water. Similarly, there’s a grainy effect when you walk across the beach, as if you could feel the sand. The vibrations even alternate between the left and right sides of the controller as Astro walks, so you sense each footstep.

But in all honesty, this isn’t so much a game as it is a showpiece for what the DualSense controller can do. And as a result, this isn’t so much a review, as it is an opportunity to highlight how well the features on the PS5 controller work. These four bots are completely optional, so if you don’t have the time (or the storage space to redownload Astro’s Playroom), know that they won’t give you much of an advantage in Astro Bot. Bots are used to access new areas and puzzles, and since you’ll encounter most of the 300 bots in the sequel without too much effort, you can unlock what you need without what Astro’s Playroom can give you. And yet, even when Astro is pulling off his most basic moves in familiar environments, this game feels revelatory. The PS5’s new controller combines a built-in speaker with vibrating haptics to make interacting with the world feel like it’s literally happening in your hand.

For instance, in one area, Astro is atop a floating ice chunk attached to a pinwheel. The game’s also loaded with hidden items, which will appeal to players who like to collect trophies or find more to do once they finish a level. Completing levels unlocks rewards, encouraging players to replay. AR Bots is a minigame that places forty robots in the DualShock 4 controller, which can be seen by swiping down on the touch pad in-game. When in the in-controller view, players can interact with the robots through the controller, utilizing the motion sensor and the buttons.

You don’t have to actually cross the tight-rope, but you do need to extend it since you can’t do that whilst carrying something. It is worth mentioning that if you accidentally die by picking up an earlier piece of the puzzle, its place will be replaced by a transparent piece of the puzzle. Also, all coins and coin containers are renewed after your rebirth or after starting the level anew. If you want to own all the collectibles in the game, you’ll need up to 6,000 coins to win prizes in the PlayStation Lab’s prize draw machine. Explore your favorite games in premium print format, delivered to your door.

Astro’s Playroom Gets Surprise Update Ahead Of Astro Bot’s Release

This references 2003’s Siren on PS3, developed by SCE Japan Studio. In 2016, Siren was ported to the PlayStation 4 with added Trophy support. Very early into the Electrocloud level, you’ll spot a jet fighter flying about on the right-hand side of the level. mb66 is the R-C01 from the cover of Air Combat, the first game in the Ace Combat series released on the PS1 in 1995 and developed by Namco. Air Combat was originally an arcade game released in 1993, but the port was scrapped and a new game was made using the same name.

The illusion is incredible, making me feel way more connected to the events on screen than I would without this tension. Astro’s Playroom was a launch title for the PlayStation 5 that comes pre-installed on the console. The game is a fantastic tech demo for the DualSense controller while also being an enjoyable platformer in its own right. Astro’s Playroom has been described as a love letter to PlayStation, as the game is full of references to past and present Sony franchises.

The Bots chasing the bike refer to the huge swarms of zombies featured in the game. Further along the area where the Horizon and Dreams easter eggs are will be some vines you can move by blowing into your microphone. Inside the cave on the right is a coffin, which if you punch will cause a blonde figure to emerge and pull the lid back on. This references the Castlevania series, specifically 1997’s Symphony of the Night on PS1, by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. 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. These reference 1996’s PaRappa the Rapper and 1999’s Um Jammer Lammy for the PS1, both developed by NanaOn-Sha.

Gusty Gateway Easter Eggs

In the first mud pit in Gusty Gateway, look in the right-hand corner for a skeleton swinging a sword around with a distinctive shield. 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. Holding the square for a long while will charge a special rotating attack.

In Astro’s Playroom, the player has to complete 4 main locations divided into 4 levels. To collect all the collectibles, you will also need to walk around the main location – the CPU Plaza. PlayStation Labo lets you complete the collection by drawing prizes in a Gatcha-style game. Having the rewards be items that we grew up with tugs nostalgic heartstrings — and each model is rendered perfectly.

At the second Checkpoint, look left to spot a giant white robot with a rock club, and a Bot with a sword and tunic on a tiny pinnacle in front of him. This references 2005’s Shadow of the Colossus on PS2 by Team Ico. In 2018, the game received a PS4 remake by Bluepoint Studios. At the start of GPU Jungle, check along the left-hand side between two trees for a lower section with four Bots with various weapons on their backs huddled around a campfire. This is a reference to 2002’s Monster Hunter on PS2, developed by Capcom. The use of PSPs however refers to an expanded 2006 PSP port, Monster Hunter Freedom, which was even more popular than the original.

He plays on everything and in everything, which can sometimes be reflected in his reviews. His favorite console is the Nintendo 3DS, he plays a new FIFA every year and tries to broaden his gaming horizons. Loves broadly understood computer equipment and disassembles everything that falls into his hands. Air Hockey, referred to in-game as AR Hockey, uses two controllers to augment a virtual play field in front of the players. The motion sensor stretches the play field, and the touch pad is used to control the paddles to return the ball. It’s a fun platformer with some of the best controls and is accessible to everyone who owns a PlayStation 5.