Tokyo Game Show 2023

Foamstars is Far More Than a Splatoon Clone

In 2015, Nintendo revolutionized the third-person arena shooter game genre by turning it into an area control game. Rather than eliminating players and trying to rack up as many kills in one match, players must control as much territory on the map as possible to win. It was a new way to approach third-person arena shooters, making it child-friendly. Nintendo perfected it so much there are very few games like it. However, at the Tokyo Game Show 2023, Square Enix demoed their new third-person arena shooter Foamstars. And it adds a whole new layer to what Splatoon established.

At first glance, Foamstars appears to be another third-person area-control shooter. The demo has two teams of four on a battle map vying for control by spraying colored foam all over it, and characters aren't killed so much as eliminated for a few seconds. But when you examine the game a bit closer, the outcome of a match has nothing to do with the amount of area controlled at the end. Instead, there are two phases. The first is racking up eliminations by using your foam shooting weapon and becoming your team's “star player.” The second is players protect their team's “star player” while trying to eliminate their opponents to win the match.

This seems confusing on paper, but it's an extremely fun experience in practice. For instance, in the first phase, where players try to get elimination scores, it's not just a matter of shooting your opponents. You also must gain field position by spraying the map with your team's colored foam. It's like Splatoon but has two key differences. The first is the map in the demo has few landmarks. It was no more than one center structure, two protrusions on opposite sides of the map, and some tiny hills. So, then, how do you take cover? That's the second key difference. You make it with the foam. Hills and barriers are all made by shooting excessive foam in one spot and removed by opponents shooting that same area. This makes each match modular in how it develops throughout the course play.

Of course, it's not a shooter game if you're not shooting your opponents and racking up eliminations. There is plenty of this throughout a match in Foamstars. You get to shoot foam at opponents to slow them down and eliminate them. However, eliminations aren't strictly based on covering someone head to toe in foam but rather by tapping the L2 shoulder button on the PS controller to knock them out. It's a satisfying experience as there are clear visual cues to when someone can be eliminated, and teammates can save you. It's a welcome feature to the genre and allows players of all skill levels to have fun.

But if the number of eliminations doesn't determine a match's outcome, what does? In the demo at the Tokyo Game Show 2023, it's eliminating the opposing team's “star player.” When a team reaches a cumulative seven eliminated, it adds a new level to the game. Especially since the “star player” is the best player on a team but not necessarily the player with the most eliminations. From what I could tell, assisting in eliminations and good plays were also a determining factor in who becomes the “star player.”. For instance, the third round I played had me as my team's “star player” despite having a severe handicap with the movement and camera controls. I wasn't doing any shooting, nor was I getting eliminations. What I was doing, though, was creating cover and opportunities for other teammates to get eliminations. Again, this system allows players of all skill levels to have fun.

Once the “star player” is determined, a match becomes a mad race to see which team eliminates their opponent's “star player.” What's nice about this is there is no break in the gameplay. Instead, a small announcement identifies the opponent's “star” player. The one change to the format is such a novel idea for the genre as it forces a team to communicate with each other and plan tactics. Who is protecting and attacking must be communicated quickly and efficiently to win or lose the match. While it is possible for the “star player” to go rogue and try to dodge all attacks, that tactic is a race against time. I witnessed this strategy while waiting to play the Foamstars demo, and the “star” was doing incredibly well. He dodged all on-coming attacks, avoided engagements, and let his teammates focus on the attack. But eventually, he was cornered and eliminated.

On the tactics side, I can see teams going with something you might see in Fortnite. It's a tactic used with teams where all players look the same. In Foamstars, this would be all team members using the same character. The clear benefit is there's a one-in-four chance the opponents will eliminate the “star player.” But it comes with the severe downside of a lack of roles between characters as each plays differently. There are close, mid, and long-range shooters, all with different special abilities. So, seeing how players adapt tactics when the game is released will be interesting.

If ever there was a shooter game I wanted to play in the past decade, Foamstars is it. It takes elements from different shooter games—on the surface Splatoon—and reworks them in novel and exciting ways. While the game won't be out for a while, Square Enix will only run a short open beta from September 30 to October 1, 2023, on the PlayStation 5. It's a shame I don't have that system because I would be the first to sign up for it. And if you're a third-person shooter fan, check Foamstars out.