Astro's Playroom

Game icon, depicting Captain Astro

***Astro's Playroom*** is a 2020 platform video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Asobi and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. It is a spiritual successor to 2013's *The Playroom* and sequel to 2018's *Astro Bot Rescue Mission*.

The events of *Astro's Playroom* take place inside the PlayStation 5, as the eponymous protagonist explores the console's insides through different levels. The game features extensive nods and homages to past and present game franchises associated with the PlayStation brand, including first-party titles such as *God of War*, *The Last of Us* and *Sly Cooper*, as well as third-party franchises with ties to the console such as *Final Fantasy*, *Metal Gear Solid* and *Resident Evil*.

Gameplay revolves around platforming and usage of the DualSense's features, including the controller's touch pad, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Astro Bot has access to four different worlds based on parts of the PlayStation 5, accessible from a hub world. Throughout the game, players can collect a variety of collectibles based on past PlayStation products. *Astro's Playroom* comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 unit, in a similar vein to *The Playroom* on the PlayStation 4.

*Astro's Playroom* received generally positive reviews upon release, with praise towards its design, visuals, tribute to PlayStation's history and usage of the DualSense controller, while some criticism focused on its short length and some gimmicky usage of the DualSense.

It was the last game developed by Team Asobi as part of Japan Studio, after which the team was spun-off into its own identity. Alongside *Demon's Souls*, it was also one of the final internal projects done by Japan Studio.

## Development

### IPs referenced

First-party titles
* *Ape Escape*
* *Astro Bot Rescue Mission*
* *Beyond: Two Souls*
* *Bloodborne*
* *Concrete Genie*
* *Days Gone*
* *Death Stranding*
* *Demon's Souls*
* *Detroit: Become Human*
* *Doko Demo Issyo*
* *Dreams*
* *Everybody's Golf* (*Everybody's Golf VR*)
* *EyeToy*
* *Fat Princess*
* *Farpoint*
* *Flower*
* *God of War* (2005 game / 2018 game)
* *Ghost of Tsushima*
* *Gravity Rush*
* *Heavy Rain*
* *Horizon Zero Dawn*
* *Ico*
* *Infamous* (*Infamous* / *Infamous 2*)
* *Jak and Daxter* (*Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy*)
* *Journey*
* *Jumping Flash*
* *Killzone*
* *Knack*
* *The Last Guardian*
* *The Last of Us*
* *LittleBigPlanet*
* *LocoRoco*
* *MediEvil*
* *MLB: The Show*
* *The Order: 1886*
* *Pain*
* *PaRappa the Rapper*
* *Patapon*
* *The Playtoom* (also *The Playroom VR*)
* *PS VR Worlds*
* *Puppeteer*
* *Ratchet & Clank*
* *Resistance* (*Resistance: Fall of Man*)
* *Resogun*
* *Shadow of the Colossus*
* *SingStar*
* *Siren*
* *Sly Cooper* (*Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus*)
* *Spider-Man*
* *Tearaway* / *Tearaway Unfolded*
* *Uncharted* (*Uncharted: Drake's Fortune*)
* *Until Dawn*
* *Vib-Ribbon*
* *Wipeout*

Third-party titles

## Reception

### Reviews

* MetaCritic: 83/100
* Destructoid: 7/10
* Edge: 7/10
* Game Informer: 8/10
* Game Revolution: 4.5/5
* GameSpot: 8/10
* Guardian: 4/5
* IGN: 8/10
* PlayStation LifeStyle: 9/10
* PlayStation Universe: 9.5/10
* Push Square: 9/10
* VideoGamer: 9/10

## Future

In December 2020, speaking to Edge magazine, director Nicolas Doucet said that at the time "there’s no plan for an extension of *Astro’s Playroom*, but I think it’s going to come down to the popularity of the game". In a February 2021 interview with Famitsu, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan stated "[he'll] have more to say about this at a later date" when asked on future titles by Team Asobi.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/astros-playroom-designer-says-hed-consider-an-expansion-or-sequel-but-no-plans-are-decided/
2. ↑ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2021/02/24/jim-ryan-talks-sony-japan-and-more/