is a 3D platformer in which the player controls Astro Bot using the
DualSense controller. Like the previous game, he is able to jump, hover, punch enemies and objects as well as spin attack by charging his punch. The
haptic feedback of the controller is used to provide realistic tactile vibrations from actions such as walking on different types of material, walking through rainfall and into wind. The game starts in a hub world called
CPU Plaza which is modelled after the inside of the PlayStation 5 console and provides access to four worlds which are each themed after a component of the console:
GPU Jungle, Cooling Springs,
SSD Speedway and
Memory Meadow.
[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]
Each of the four worlds is split up into four levels that are interconnected with each other. Two of these levels involve regular platforming whereas the other two involve a special power-up suit which makes use of the Dualsense controller's capabilities. For example, a frog suit with a spring at the bottom in which the controller must be tilted laterally to guide the frog and the trigger pressed down to compress the spring, which offers resistance similar to how a real spring would using the adaptive trigger system. Another example is the ball suit in which the player must swipe the touchpad to guide the ball.
Three types of collectables exist within each world: coins, puzzle pieces and artifacts. Coins can be used at a
gacha machine in PlayStation Labo to potentially obtain collectable in-game figurines as well as more puzzle pieces and artifacts. Puzzle pieces are used to fill in a random section of the mural which adorns the walls of the PlayStation Labo area. Finally, artifacts are 3D rendered representations of real-world objects from the history of PlayStation, such as consoles, controllers and accessories. When collected, the player is able to examine them by moving the Dualsense controller around and interact with them using the touchpad or built-in microphone. Artifacts are stored in PlayStation Labo where Astro Bot (and many other robots) can later interact with them by punching or jumping on them.
The worlds also contain large amounts of robots performing various activities, including acting out scenes from various PlayStation exclusive (or former exclusive) game franchises such as
God of War and
Resident Evil.
[9]
At the end of each world, there is an area inspired by the startup sequences of the previous four PlayStation home consoles, where the player receives an artifact of the respective console as a reward for completing the world. Once all four worlds have been completed, a secret fifth world opens up called 1994 Throwback, in which Astro Bot must complete a boss fight inspired by the
T-Rex tech demo from the
original PlayStation's first demo disc.
[10] Once the T-Rex has been defeated, the
credits roll and the player is rewarded with artifacts from the PlayStation 5 era, including the DualSense controller and the PlayStation 5 console itself.
[11]
