Foamstars emerges as a delightful addition to the live-service video games scene, offering an enjoyable experience especially when played with friends.
While it might not revolutionise the gaming landscape, its charm and fun gameplay make it a worthwhile choice for players of any age.
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Bubble party, anyone?
Developed by Toylogic and published by Square Enix, Foamstars is a vibrant 4 vs 4 party shooter that sees colourful and quirky characters armed to the teeth with foam flinging firearms.
I’ve spent the last week in Bath Vegas, and it’s mostly proven to be a blast — it’s just lacking a big-ticket game mode or feature.
The primary objective is to douse opponents with foam and then “Chill” them by surfing or sliding into them. Getting a “Chill” is equivalent to a kill, or elimination may be the more family-friendly term.
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The game offers various multiplayer modes like “Smash the Star” which sees two teams lather each other up and knock each other out, eventually leading to one player becoming the Star. The goal here is to protect your star player while gunning for the enemy counterpart.
Other game modes include giant rubber ducks and bathtub-related references… These game modes are all quite overwhelming and take a few rounds to get into the swing of it.
While the game doesn’t feel or play like Nintendo’s Splatoon, it does have many similar gameplay mechanics. But Foamstars brings its own energy to the table, making the game feel both fresh and familiar at the same time.
I’ve enjoyed my time with Foamstars much more than Splatoon 3.
Foam is a great mechanic, I was skeptical at first, but watching the foam pile up during a match is very satisfying. It also grows into a mountain, enabling you to use it to access higher areas of the map. The colours take some getting used to, especially if your opponents are spewing pink foam everywhere and your character is pink — I often find myself lost in the madness.
While multiplayer is the focus, Foamstars also offers a single-player mode with a tower defense-like approach, adding depth to the overall experience. Waves of foam monsters create chaotic yet engaging gameplay moments while you protect the city’s power core. I say single-player, but you can co-op this with friends.
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Players can customise their personal lounges in Bath Vegas, adding decorations and training features. It’s a chill place to kill time between matches.
Foamstars adopts a free-to-play model with microtransactions, offering a variety of cosmetic items and season passes. However, the current offerings might not be compelling enough to retain players in the long run – I did a double take when I saw the price of skins in the store!
There’s PlayStation Trophies too, which is a nice touch for a multiplayer shooter. Unlike Fortnite, there’s a few progression trophies to obtain along the way; thirteen total. From your first win in Smash the Star, to completing a Squad Mission on hard mode, but there’s no platinum.
Should you play Foamstars?
Overall, Foamstars delivers a fun and colorful party shooter experience with its unique mechanics and charming world. While it lacks some depth in game modes and may need refinement in its monetisation strategy, it holds promise for future updates and improvements.
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With a little tweaking, Foamstars could elevate itself to the next level of gaming enjoyment.
Square Enix’s ongoing support will determine whether Foamstars becomes a staple in the gaming community.
Right now, Foamstars is available to play as part of a PlayStation Plus subscription. What have you got to lose?
Quest Daily was granted access to Foamstars Season Pass thanks to Square Enix.
