Astro’s Playroomhas always been the PS5’s best friend, as it is a free demo of what the console and its controller are capable of. What took everyone off guard back when the PS5 was released, however, is that the silly little tech demo inside the console was actually a banger of a game. In fact, it’s so great that it gained a full-on sequel in the form ofAstro Bot.
How much does Astro Bot improve on its foundations from the Playroom? Well, a lot, actually, as we’ll see. Both titles are solid 3D platformers and must-haves for a PS5 owner - granted, one of them comes for free, anyway.
6Graphics
Tie
A tie might sound weird at first, as Astro Bot does have better graphics. That said, let’s face it: A sequel having better graphics than its predecessor is expected, and while that is the case here, too, the difference isn’t jarring or anything like that.
Playroom holds up surprisingly well in the graphics department, and you’ll only notice the graphical difference between the two entries if you directly compare them. In the end, both games look gorgeous, and that’s where it counts.
5Controls
Astro Bot
Meanwhile, we have another small detail to talk about here, but one that shakes the game a lot more: how it feels to actually play it. Astro’s moveset is the exact same in both games, so at first, it sounds like it would be a tie, too. But it isn’t.
First, Astro Bot has the tiny advantage of having a slightly faster character - it’s also something you’d only notice if you pay close attention, but Astro Bot allows you to move around faster. The bigger difference, however, is the charged attack, which is much quicker to charge and activate.
Because of that, every time you need to spin feels a lot better, and you can actually use the spin properly in combat. The Playroom does have a funny advantage here, though: You can choose which dance you want to use by pressing different buttons on the D-Pad.
4Level Design
With more levels, Astro Bot’s level design is far richer, giving a lot more room for every move and gadget to stand out. Team Asobi basically took everything they learned in the Playroom and improved it before adding it into Astro Bot (and that doesn’t apply only to level design).
The levels are shorter and more numerous, they present more variety in aesthetics, secrets are better hidden here, encouraging exploration, and there’s just more to find, as well. The hub area is also more appealing and calls for more exploration. It also shows you all your collectibles - aka the bots - scattered throughout it, unlike the Playroom, which leaves all its collectibles - the artifacts - in one room.
3Gadgets And Items
This one was tough to decide, as both Astro Bot and Playroom have wonderful gadgets distinct from one another, aside from the monkey, which both games have. It also doesn’t help that Playroom uses the only gadget both games have in common better than its sequel.
However, all the othergadgets in Astro Botare a lot more fun to use, and there’s a huge difference in the fun factor. Playroom’s gadgets are a bit more experimental and work better withDualSense’s capabilities,but the fun factor is just higher in Astro Bot. The rocket one is very fun, and it’d be nice to see it return, though.
2References
Though Astro Bot’s references are cooler, both games do a great job with what they were aiming for. Playroom focused on the consoles and its devices, being more of a walk in memory lane through all the gaming years PlayStation has provided, even having the PS1’s tech demo as a boss. Plus, it’s hard to beat the nostalgia of hearing a PS1 and a PS2 starting up here.
It’s also cute that they updated the game to reference the arrival of its sequel - not many games can do that without feeling forced.Astro Bot’s referencesare more about the IPs rather than the devices, and though Playroom also references the IPs, Astro Bot does a better job in that regard, and seeing all the cameos from franchises that made the PlayStation what it is here is both fun and wholesome.
1Winner
With Astro Bot winning almost everything and Playroom only managing to tie, it almost feels like we’re just bashing poor Astro’s Playroom. The truth is, Playroom is an excellent game that is well worth your time. But Astro Bot tookeverythingand improved it, which makes Playroom feel underdeveloped in comparison, even though it’s not the case.
Astro Bot is, among other things, a masterclass in how to make a sequel to a game. It feels better to play, it expands the levels, it offers new mechanics, it has character customization, it lasts longer (although Astro’s Playroom is a tech demo and wasn’t meant to be long, anyway), and it even adds a simple narrative just to give you a goal, and showing a bit more of Astro’s personality along with making his universe more alive.
