If you have been waiting for a way to play a Splatoon-like game on a platform outside of a Nintendo console, Square Enix has heard your cries. Foamstars is the first major title to try and replicate that more family-friendly, party third-person shooter format, only instead of controlling squid kids shooting ink, you’re playing as anime-inspired stars spraying foam across the map. The differences are far more than just in how it looks and the swap from ink to foam, though. If you’re wondering whether this game is just a shameless clone or might actually offer a fun experience, here’s everything we know about Foamstars.
Release date speculation
In a rare move, Foamstars was announced without even a release year attached. That said, the game was playable during Summer Game Fest 2023 which at least implies that it isn’t multiple years off. If we were to make a guess, late 2024 would seem appropriate for when it could be ready, but take that as pure speculation until an official announcement is made.
Platforms
While the release date is still unknown, we can say for sure that Foamstars will be coming to PS4 and PS5. We don’t know if that means this will be a console exclusive permanently, or will later come to PC and/or Xbox, but for now, those are the only places confirmed you can play it.
Trailers
The only trailer for Foamstars so far is the Announce Trailer from the PlayStation Showcase in May 2023.
The trailer begins with a dramatic tone of mysterious characters grabbing weapons and walking through foggy streets, only for the tone to completely change when two groups meet and the fog is swept away to reveal a bright, neon-lit city. A jazzy, upbeat tune begins as we see some pre-rendered action of the characters blasting foam with different weapons, zipping around the environment, and using foam to alter the playfield.
The second half of the trailer shows some actual gameplay snippets showcasing various characters and abilities.
While it isn’t completely impossible, there likely isn’t much of a narrative in Foamstars, if any, and appears to simply be a multiplayer-focused title. Games like Exoprimal have experimented with integrating story into these types of games, and there could always be a secret single-player mode we haven’t seen, but for now it appears to just be a PvP experience.
Gameplay
Producer Kosuke Okatani stated that the concept for Foamstars revolved around the idea of “engaging in energetic foam battles that anyone can pick up and play.” This will take the form of four-on-four matches in various modes where each team uses different foam-launching weapons to “chill” (aka kill) the other team. However, simply blasting an enemy with foam isn’t enough to chill them. After sufficient foam has been shot on someone, they will be suspended in a giant soap bubble that an opposing player needs to pop. If a teammate pops them first, they can be rescued, so time is of the essence.
Like Splatoon, each team has its own foam color that they can coat the map in and surf on while moving over the opposing team’s color will cause you to move slower. Another major difference between Foamstars‘s foam and Splatoon’s ink is that foam can be built up to change the environment. Teams can pile up foam to make improvised cover, slopes, and chokepoints.
Each character will also have their own weapons and abilities, somewhat like a hero shooter. Some have shotgun-style weapons, while others use pistols, plus two abilities and an ultimate.
The only mode detailed so far is called “Star Rush” in which each team is attempting to chill the opposing team’s “star player.”
If you want to read our detailed thoughts on the demo, we have a full write-up you can check out here.
Preorder
Foamstars won’t be sliding into your consoles anytime soon from what we can tell. With no release window to go off of, preorders are still a ways off, but we will update you as soon as any information is revealed.
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