Introducing a new multiplayer game: Foamstars. This latest game from Square Enix is a variation of Splatoon, replacing ink with suds. Anticipated as a quirky arena shooter, Foamstars turned out to be an overwhelming experience with legibility issues that made it difficult to play.
The concept of Foamstars centers around blasting the arena and opponents with foam in a neon-tinted style similar to Hatsune Miku. While it offers a fun experience reminiscent of Splatoon, Foamstars becomes an overwhelming explosion of shapes and colors.
Avoiding Visual Overload
My first Foamstars match replicated the feeling of getting foam in my eyes, with bright, irritating, and obscured visuals. The game’s overwhelming nature makes it difficult to see anything other than solid colors, hindering strategic play and causing visual noise.
After a tutorial and testing the character roster, it became evident that the overwhelming visual chaos fights opportunities for strategic play. Every match boiled down to simply lobbing foam balls at enemies, with little room for deeper strategic thinking. The game’s visual clutter makes it challenging for casual players to find their footing.
Accessibility for All
While considering accessibility options, the colorblind mode in Foamstars was found lacking compared to other games. It featured a simple On/Off toggle, providing minimal assistance compared to other games that offer different options for different types of colorblindness.
A wider acceptance of accessibility options has been praised in the gaming industry, and Foamstars could benefit from better accessibility features. This would allow more players to enjoy the game comfortably.
Foamstars is available now on PS4 and PS5.
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