REVIEW: ‘Foamstars’ Is Unique But Still Needs More (PS5)

There are so many shooting games out there these days that it can be hard to stand out amongst the crowd. Foamstars, developed and published by Square Enix, attempts to do just that by tapping into a more relaxed and eccentric vibe. Foamstars, is a 4v4 party-based shooter exclusive to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It takes place in the vibrant city of Bath Vegas where players compete in the FOAMSMASH tournament. There are multiple game modes and characters to choose from as players chill their way to the top.

Every game mode in Foamstars is centered on one main idea: shooting foam at your opponents. Shoot enough at a foe and they become “foamed up,” allowing players to surf through them on their Slideboard and “chill” instead of kill. The foam shooting and surfing mechanics are incredibly easy to pick up but take time to master. Square Enix delivers a vibe that is not too serious or hardcore.

Foam in Foamstars, is great for beating opponents but also makes traveling a breeze. Your foam can stack up, allowing players to get to harder-to-reach areas. The Slideboard is also going to be your best friend if you want to zip around the map at lightning speed. It dramatically increases player maneuverability across their team’s foam, but watch out for opposing foam there to slow you down.

There are only three main game modes in Foamstars at launch. Smash The Star pits teams against each other while also protecting their Star Player. Star Player status is earned after chilling seven opponents. The goal is to chill the other team’s Star Player in order to win. Things can get pretty hectic in Smash The Star, especially if you forget to protect your own teammate. It is a fairly standard game mode, but that does not mean it isn’t a blast.

Happy Bath Survival is the most interesting and fun of the three Foamstars game modes. Instead of all eight players being inside the arena, two from each team are sent outside the ring. Outside players can help foam up their opponents, but only players in the arena can actually chill them. Happy Bath Survival requires good communication and quick thinking and provides the most variety across multiple rounds.

The third mode is a bit out of left field but it fits with the general vibe of Foamstars. Rubber Duck Party is exactly what it sounds like, a foam party with a giant rubber duck. Both teams have to race to the middle to capture the Giant Rubber Duck. Climbing aboard the duck and dancing it into the goal is chaotic fun. Foam is used here to slow down your opponents as well as make the duck move faster, making it another interesting and unique game mode.

The only problem with these game modes is that there are only these three. On top of that, players can only queue into one mode during a specific time period. They are all on a rotation, meaning you cannot freely choose which mode you want to play. Maps are game-mode specific too, with each mode having three unique arenas, so if you want to play in your favorite location you have to get the timing just right. It is such a needless frustration, limiting players when the amount of game modes is already as limited as it is.

Matchmaking is also a grueling process, with huge emphasis put on the hub between games. The lobby is cool, and the customization options are nice to have, but there is no need to have to go back to the lobby every single time just to re-queue into a match. It is especially annoying when a game mode is about to become unavailable and you miss out on an extra round because you have to go to the lobby first. Foamstars is mainly a multiplayer game, which means if you want to play with friends you might only get to experience one game mode during a play session.

Foamstars does have a limited single-player experience as well as a co-op player versus enemy (PvE) mode. These are filed under “missions,” both the solo FOAMSTAR Missions and the co-op Squad Missions. Waves of enemies are attacking Bath Vegas and players have to put a stop to them. It is a fun way to get to know how the different characters play, but other than that it is incredibly limited and not much more than an extended tutorial. There is no real variation, making it virtually unreplayable.

A lack of options when it comes to gameplay is only so frustrating because the mechanics are great and the characters are a blast. At launch, there are currently eight playable characters in Foamstars. Although The Baristador is not unlocked until player level three and my personal favorite, Mel T, is not earned until tier 31 of the free battle pass. Mell T can be unlocked by buying the premium battle pass, but having to pay to start with more than six characters right away is disappointing.

Thankfully, each character has such a distinct feel that the limited options are fine for now. Each character has a unique look and special skills that help them stand out from the others. They also feel different to play as which is really important. New characters are planned for each new in-game season, which means a new character every month until at least July. If Square Enix can keep that pace going and add new game modes it will go a long way to fixing some of the issues at launch.

But, despite all my misgivings about the current structure of Foamstars, it is almost impossible to put down. The movement is fluid and combat is a blast. Characters and locations are vibrant and fun to look at. The core game experience has so much potential to be great. If only it didn’t feel so incomplete and haphazard at launch.

Foamstars is a fun party shooter with chill vibes and vibrant expression that just needs a few additions to be truly great. The foundation is there, Square Enix just needs to tweak the formula a bit before it is worth recommending without hesitation.

Foamstars is available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.