Summary
The producer of Square Enix’sFoamstarshas explained the team is tired of the comparisons between its new online party shooter and Nintendo’sSplatoon.It’s not difficult to spot the similarities between the two games, as both involve the core mechanic of colorful sprays that affect the opposing team, and the comparisons have sparked a conversation online. Nonetheless, theSquare Enixteam behindFoamstarswants players to see it has more to offer than these comparisons.
Foamstarsis an upcoming online party shooter that involves covering both the arena and the opposing team in colorful foam. The foam remains on the field and adds new geography to the map, allowing players to surf quickly over it, create places to hide or shoot from, and block other players. Similarly, themassively successfulSplatoonseriesfocuses on spraying ink over the map, covering the terrain and other players in the team’s colors. In both cases, players aim to cover the map in the color of their team. On the surface, it certainly appears thatFoamstarsis incredibly close toSplatoonin terms of gameplay, mechanics, and even their bright, playful appearances.
However,in an interview with VCG, the team behindFoamstarsinsists that it is a “completely different game” and hopes that upon release, players will see that there’s more to the game than its similarities to theNintendoshooter. When producer Kosuke Okatani was asked if he was bored with the comparisons, he said, “First of all, yes,” before explaining further: “There have been many comparisons on the internet, but also, we saw on social media that the people who actually played it saw that it’s a completely different game and I hope you also agree.” Okatani also said that the mechanic used by both games is very unique and would be honored if one daygames likeSplatoonandFoamstarsbecome their own genre.
Whether or notFoamstarsushers in a new subgenre of shooters, it will need to bring something special to the table to succeed in the hyper-competitive PvP shooter market, especially as a PlayStation exclusive.Foamstarsis a hero shooter, playing into the popularity of the genre with its colorful characters, each offering unique weapons and playstyles to explore. With a fun cast of differing characters and the unique foam mechanic,Foamstarsjust might be able to break into the competitive shooter scene.
There have been many comparisons on the internet, but also, we saw on social media that the people who actually played it saw that it’s a completely different game and I hope you also agree.
In attempts to garner the initial audience necessary for this success,Foamstarswill be launching directly to PlayStation Plus upon its February 6 release. This move will hopefully aidFoamstarsin building the audience it needs to succeed as an online multiplayer title and to avoid the fate ofgames likeThe Day Before, which was shut down as it did not have enough players to remain online. The developers explained they have a year’s worth of content ready to back the game and are ready to face whatever may come upon launch, including potentially leaning deeper into single-player modes if necessary.
