Games worth discovering

More than just Splatoon with bubbles? Yep, Foamstars is shaping up to be the ultimate party game

7K View2023-10-04

SHOULD I PLAY FOAMSTARS?

The Foamstars open beta was a blast. I’m sure some things will change between now and the game’s official release, but based on what I’ve seen, I’d definitely recommend checking it out. Foamstars is clearly inspired by Splatoon, but this 4v4 shooter doesn’t feel like a clone at all. It’s got an intoxicating atmosphere, an instantly charming cast of characters, and some unique gameplay mechanics that make it stand out from other shooters on the market. It seems like it’ll be a great way to blow off some steam or put yourself in a party mood.

TIME PLAYED

I spent a few hours with the open beta, which gave me plenty of time to check out the two available modes: Smash the Star and Happy Bath Survival. Smash the Star is a fun and frantic take on a team deathmatch mode. In this mode, my teammates and I had to shoot foam at our opponents until we racked up seven “chills,” which are Foamstar’s version of eliminations. At that point, the game identified the team’s “star player,” and we had to take out that player to win the game.

In Happy Bath Survival, two players from each team face off in an arena, while the other two players provide support from the sidelines. When a round ends, the players switch places, and the action starts all over again. I found this mode to be a little less engaging overall, but it grew on me after a few play sessions.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT FOAMSTARS?

• Fast, satisfying gameplay. Foamstars can get a little chaotic, especially when everything is covered in foam, but it still feels fantastic to play. The controls are simple and intuitive, and I was able to pick up the basics pretty quickly. What I really liked about Foamstars is that it never overstayed its welcome. Both types of matches usually lasted around five to six minutes. I could easily get in a game or two and then move onto something else.

• Awesome characters and amazing party vibes. There are lots of party games out there, but playing Foamstars genuinely made me feel like I was a part of a celebration. The game takes place in a bubbly metropolis called Bath Vegas, a colorful world where people can’t seem to stop themselves from shooting each other with foam. There’s also a killer soundtrack that feels straight out of a Persona game.

But what really makes Foamstars stand out are its playable characters. Every character in the roster is bursting with personality, and each one that I tried was a blast to play. There’s a ton of variety here, from elegant coffee shop owner The Baristador to ice cream mascot Mel T to environmental warrior Pen Gwyn. I really think that people are going to fall in love with these characters; I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s already a ton of fan art floating around.

• Lots of unlockable content. Character customization was limited in the beta, but it was still clear that there was a ton of content for me to unlock. I was occasionally given challenges to complete, like a quest to play a certain gameplay mode five times. Completing the challenge unlocked additional customization options for characters, like a flashy new surfboard. I can definitely see myself getting addicted to unlocking new content when the game comes out.

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT IN FOAMSTARS?

• It’s pretty messy. I wouldn’t expect a foam party to be neat and tidy, but there’s so much happening in Foamstars that it can be hard to keep track of what’s going on. Sometimes there was so much foam on the screen that I could barely see my own teammates, let alone my opponents. There were definitely points where I was blindly spraying foam and hoping it would hit something.

I don’t think Foamstars should get rid of all that chaotic energy, but I hope that the final game gives players a little more feedback. I’d love to have a mini-map I could pull up with the press of a button, and it would be great to get some sort of response when my foam hits an opponent, like controller vibrations.

• Bugs. Foamstars ran pretty well for a game in beta, but I did encounter a few bugs. I was occasionally disconnected when I queued to start a match, which was a little annoying, but connections were pretty solid once the match started. I ran into a weird error where my screen completely glitched out mid-match, but the problem resolved itself after about thirty seconds. There’s plenty of time to iron these issues out, so I’m hopeful that things will run pretty smoothly by launch day.

• The action stops and starts. Right now, the biggest problem with Foamstars is that it can’t keep the momentum going. Every time I completed a match, I was kicked back to the beautiful but empty hub world, where I had to start the queue process all over again. Matches are really short, and I would have had a lot more fun if I could have just played a couple battles in a row.

💬 Did you try the Foamstars open beta? Will you be playing the game when it releases? Share your thoughts in the comments!