Review of Foamstars: Bursting bubbles

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

Initial release date: 2024

Developer: Toylogic

Genre: Third-person shooter

License: proprietary license

Publisher: Square Enix

Engine: Unreal Engine 4

Hero shooters are a dime a dozen these days, so one must stand out to attract the attention of gamers. Foamstars’ odd world of Bath Vegas certainly does this, with a party atmosphere that keeps everything enjoyable and lighthearted. The celebration is still getting started, but will it endure all night? Or burn out before the clock strikes twelve?

First and foremost, Foamstars is not a rip-off of Splatoon. While they use similar movement mechanics, Splatoon is about painting the stage, whereas Foamstars’ purpose is to defeat (or “Chill” as the game emphasizes) the opponent squad. So what is Foamstars? So, at the outset of each match, you choose one of the eight titular Foamstars to play as (only one of each star is allowed on a side), and then compete against the other team of four players in one of three game types. Smash the Star is the basic mode, which is a team deathmatch in which chilling members of the opposing team seven times causes their Star Player to appear. Chilling that player will allow you to win the match. Rubber Duck Party is your usual move-the-payload mode, except the payload is a massive rubber ducky DJ that you can dance on to get momentum. This is the mode that is most similar to Splatoon’s Tower Control. Finally, Happy Bath Survival is the game’s most distinct mode. This is still a 4v4 game, but two players are fighting within the arena while the other two are firing foam outside to aid. There’s a good number of modes, with Smash the Star being my particular favorite.

The eight Foamstars play extremely differently. Each Foamstar has a unique weapon, two powers, and a SuperStar Skill (SSS). Let’s use Soa as an example. Soa uses dual pistols and can fire bubbles in an arc quickly. She depletes ammo quickly, yet with good aim, she may easily chill an attacker. Soa now has two stacks of her L1 ability, Bubble Step. Bubble Step involves her hopping in an arc and firing bubbles in a vertical pattern, with the direction regulated by the left analogue stick. Spiky Beat is on R1, and she will fling out her bubble buddy, Spiky, who will explode like a grenade after a brief period. Finally, her SSS, Gotta Crush, sees her hamster-balling across the arena, leaving a trail of foam and knocking adversaries back before exploding in a foam boom. Soa is a mid-range fighter, whilst Agito is a short-range fighter, with the Baristador and Mel T doing better from a distance.

Each character can be outfitted with a set of Bubble Gems. You expend one Energy Stone to make one Bubble Gem in a slot, and three can be donned in a set. Spending a gem will randomly generate a passive perk, such as increased movement speed or SSS gauge fill rate, from level E to S. This concept does not make sense to me because it feels like loot boxes with no prizes. I never noticed a change when utilizing these with two A rank buffs. You can safely ignore these, or fill them out once for each character; your talent is really all that matters.

All shots and abilities produce foam on the ground. Shoot enough foam in one location, and it will accumulate, forming a wall or hill past which shots cannot pass. More crucially, you can surf on foam of your own color to go quicker with L2, whereas enemy foam slows and hurts you. You can eliminate enemy foam by shooting it with your own, but it takes longer to replenish than simply laying down your own color on empty territory. Foam also degrades over time, so make sure to maintain your team’s paths. It’s an intriguing take on the concept proposed by Splatoon while remaining focused on the mode’s goal.

Surfing, however, is more than just a way to move. After being hit with enough foam, an adversary or ally will transform into a large ball of the substance. To truly obtain the chill, you need to run into them with your board, kicking the ball across the stage until it hits a wall and bursts. In contrast, if you surf into an ally who has foamed up, you will save them, propelling them high into the air with roughly half their health restored. If an ally is knocked away by an enemy, you can still save them if you catch them with your board before they strike a wall. If no one surfs on someone who has foamed up, they will finally explode. This is one of the most satisfying and tense aspects of Foamstars, as chasing a foamed-up rival down before their squad does results in some entertaining strategic moments. Do you flee or try to kill two people at once? If you’re the one foamed up, slowly drifting towards an ally while someone approaches to send you to your fate is nerve-racking.

Unfortunately, this relies on your teammates being competent, which in my numerous hours of playtime and dozens of matches has rarely been the case. The game’s tutorial does a good job of explaining all of the basics, but many of my matches featured players who did not use the board to help teammates or chill opponents. This is why everything is painted yellow right now. It’s not the game’s fault, but playing with inexperienced players is quite frustrating.

While PvP is the primary focus, there is also a PvE option. You can play this game solo to experience each character’s story, or with a party of four outside the plot; both are wave-based, defend the point modes. Playing in a group is a nice change of pace, and single player will teach you more about the bizarre world of Foamstars. The Foamstars secrete foam to serve as munitions, which is unique. However, the script and voice acting are mostly bad. You have oddly formed phrases read by actors that appear untrained and lack direction or context. The bad acting makes me afraid to plunge into single player, and playing alone in this mode is quite uninteresting. This is more of a tutorial for each character, but it moves so slowly and provides almost no challenge – every stage I played, I earned a S rank on the first try – that it’s easier to experiment in the hub before jumping into a match. This does allow you to gain experience and unlock items, but going online is faster and more enjoyable.

There are two types of unlocks: battle pass levels and player levels. Mel T is currently locked behind the premium tier at level 1, which is equivalent to level 31 of the free tier. The free tier unlocks every three levels, and the premium tier unlocks new cosmetics every level. Aside from Mel T, the battle pass only unlocks cosmetics and emotes; the other unlockable character, the Baristador, becomes available at player level 3. Most of these cosmetics didn’t appeal to me, and because Soa is my favorite character to play, I stuck with the trans pride costume you get for participating in the beta (it’s not named that, but you can’t change my opinion). If you want more cosmetics, they may be purchased for real money in the in-game store. They’re charging a lot of money for a game that is already buy-to-play, requires PS Plus, and has a paid battle pass. Cosmetics at the Akimbo Akindo shop are time-limited and range in price from 99 cents for an exp-boosting party popper to $10.99 for a single skin. You can also buy a package for each character that includes a set of their cosmetics, one for each slot, for $49.99, which is more than the game itself. That is crazy.

Let’s get back to the positives: aside from the voice acting, the game looks and sounds fantastic. It has a bright, colorful art style with doll-like figures and a clean UI and menus. Everything in Bath Vegas is opulent, with neon around every corner. One stage is even inspired by a roulette table, which is quite cool. It sure feels like you’re a celebrity at the most expensive party around. The music often draws inspiration from this, including party tracks from every era, including swing and more recent, electronic tracks. It’s a wonderful music that prepares you for the high-energy mood.

Unfortunately, these songs are represented by album covers created using artificial intelligence. To be honest, all of these are bad and reveal nothing about the track or the in-universe band who composed it. When you include the unethical theft of genuine artwork by real artists, which the AI was probably educated on, the situation becomes much worse. One album, in particular, features rubber duckies with strange patterns and inconsistent shapes. It’s ugly, and if I were Square, I would not want lousy artwork to reflect anything in my games.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 78%

Controls – 80%

Aesthetics – 85%

Content – 75%

Accessibility – 82%

Value – 77%

Overall Rating – 79%

GOOD!

Summary: Foamstars is a bubbly and vibrant multiplayer experience that stands out with its unique foam-based gameplay. The game offers fast-paced and accessible fun, making it an ideal choice for casual players looking for a light-hearted competitive game. While the controls and visuals are solid, the game could use more content and depth to maintain long-term interest. Overall, Foamstars provides a fun and visually appealing experience, perfect for quick bursts of play, but might not hold your attention for extended periods. It’s a good pick for those looking to enjoy some chaotic multiplayer action with friends.