Foamstars Reviews
Foamstars is a whole lot of noise, the foam is cool but ultimately the game just left me dry.
But with things as they are now, there are a few too many issues that come to the fore once you try to settle in for a longer player session. Visual clutter causes unnecessary confusion, movement feels unrefined, playing it in longer sessions borders on monotony, and its monetization leaves much to be desired. And despite it all, I’d like to see Foamstars succeed. There are good bones here, and ones that could easily lead to a strong title were they to get beefed up over the course of balancing and patching the game. With things as they are, however, Foamstars just doesn’t make as large of a splash as it needs to.
There’s a lot to like about Foamstars, but there’s unfortunately a lot to dislike, too. I appreciate that it goes all-in on the candy-coloured visuals and embraces its silliness, and there’s something to be said for the adrenaline rush it provides in standard 4v4 matches. But with a poor story mode offering, wildly expensive microtransactions, and visibility issues that really hamper gameplay, I can't see Foamstars making waves in the sea of multiplayer shooters that already exist.
It is difficult to promote Foamstars: what was pitched as an innovative "party shooter" turned out to be a game as a service that has little new to offer. The online modes currently available are few and not always accessible, while the gameplay is so chaotic and cumbersome that two games are enough to instill the desire to put down the controller.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Foamstars is a unique and fun shooter that has some really cool ideas, but it’ll need to see regular content updates if it hopes to survive in the busy world of multiplayer shooters. Having it release on PlayStation Plus Essential instantly gives it a pretty strong player base, but whether or not it’ll sustain that will come down to how often we see new game modes, characters, and arenas. And sure, what’s on offer can be a ton of fun (especially when playing with a good team), but it needs a more extensive offering of content if the game hopes to stick around for the long-term.
Foamstars is fun, but the bland aesthetics and aggressive monetization are huge turn-offs that prevent this from fully reaching its potential.
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.
There is so much good to say about Foamstars, with its quirky characters and cheerfully energizing feel. While at launch the matches do not feel entirely balanced, that will even out with time, yet the microtransactions look as though they could only get worse. Currently, Foamstars is free on PS Plus for anyone to try it out, but after March 5th anyone who does not already have the game downloaded will have to purchase it for $29.99. That price, combined with the costs of Premium Seasonal Passes and in-game store purchases can quickly add up and is overwhelming. Cosmetic items don't have to be purchased, of course, but to be faced with that many instances of trying to get players to spend money simply feels much dirtier than a soap-filled game ever should.
Foamstars tries to bring something new to the table but has almost immediately been drowned out thanks to its repetitiveness.