When foam starSquare Enix splash gunThe signature party game in which two teams of four go head-to-head in a giant foaming battle, was announced at the PlayStation game’s showcase, it’s unclear what will happen. Is this just splash gun in PlayStation exclusive form? How is the game? Will it be any fun?
foam star is a four-on-four slooge festival where you shoot pink foam and blue foam at each other until your character is completely trapped and then bounce off the stage. In Star mode, the only mode we were able to try, each team had seven lives. When they are used up, a player becomes a “star” based on who has the best overall record in the match. They have increased health and attack, as well as a slightly faster cooldown for their skills. But once the star player is killed, the game is over and the other team wins.
The game is being developed internally at Square Enix with a team consisting of developers from Dragon Quest, Nier, and other franchises. It definitely feels like splash gunbut with a personality-presentation style and balance of guard. Each “VIP”, aka hero, has two regular abilities and a special ability that can be deployed during the match between cooldowns. There are DPS characters and tank characters, with variations in gun speed and spread. The fundamentals aren’t bad, even if they’re mostly taken from other established competitive multiplayer games, it’s not clear if it has the magic to stand out in a crowded field of shooters. direct service gun was successful or not.
When we sat down at the Summer Game Festival to watch a hands-on demo, free beers in hand, we had no idea what we were getting into.
Alyssa Mercante: First I want to say that I’m sad that you played better than me in this game.
Ethan Gach: Receive. I love it. At least in the five games we played. I don’t know if a live-serve game will be a hit, but in reality, the concept isn’t as stupid as the PlayStation intro reveal might seem.
Alyssa: It is actually quite interesting. I really feel like I’m struggling to reach my goals even after five games, but I also have to admit that I’m not a splash gun player. Is it assumed that this will just mimic that, in terms of content? Maybe new characters and new weapons appear regularly? They won’t tell you any details right?
Ethan: “We want to focus on foam right now” isn’t an exact quote, but it’s pretty close to what a Square Enix rep said when I asked him questions about open, microtransactions. keys, custom builds, alternate maps, and other things that often keep players coming back.
The shooting is no worse than the third person fortress to me, other than the fact that you’re aiming for cum bubbles instead of bullets.
Alyssa: Okay, it’s not as thick as I thought, it’s more of a mousse. It’s very reminiscent of the damn thing I had in my hair in high school. However, I love that the foam can be used for environmental changes, such as building walls and defecating, which is definitely a great differentiator from splash gun.
Ethan: There are nuances of a construction mechanic, but I wish it was more oriented. You can create foam by shooting in the same area but it takes a while to really change the terrain or build anything like a protective barrier.
Alyssa: Yeah, I wonder if different maps are better for that kind of mechanic, since the map is pretty flat/open. It would be interesting to see it play on a map that has two really different levels and you can use foam as a means to hide a certain height difference or something.
Ethan: The map itself is a rather small and bland arena, although I appreciate the massive urban city setting and Persona-like general style. What do you think about the abilities of the different characters. Who do you like to play with the most?
Alyssa: I like Tonix, a blast. Her ultimate is a rad foam machine. Of course, I also only pick characters that I think look cool/want to dress like.
Ethan: sperm D.va you mean?
Alyssa: That stop is definitely a Erotic search.
Ethan: The cooldowns and specials are neat enough, though I can’t figure out the best way to put it all together. A game like guard There are maps that put you in chokepoints that match the abilities of different heroes. Here it seems a little more messy, though maybe with more time and practice those synergies will come into play.
Alyssa: Well, you probably need to really dig into it to get the feeling that who you choose is important to the composition of the group, because that’s like we’re just picking at random. And that guy who shot the gun was the OP.
Ethan: While splash gun apparently the closest analog in terms of mechanics and shot-wise feel, the overall package reminds me The fall boy about its presentation, accessibility, and my skepticism about its longevity and what would keep me or someone else coming back to make it a sustainable online hangout.
Square declined to answer any questions about what the meta progress, microtransactions, or additional modes will look like, although they did promise a ranked mode, which seems very early.
Alyssa: Ranked mode? I was poisoned during our practice, I couldn’t go anywhere near that. It’s certainly an exciting thing to have a PS exclusive, so I’m curious to know if it has a leg. It can definitely be seen as a fun, silly party game just like Fall the boys used to, but does anyone play? The fall boy anymore? Is there longevity in this? More importantly, can I change the color of the foam?
Ethan: I am very curious about the origin of the game. Is this the task given to the developers and this is what they came up with or did they come up with the prototype on their own and then Square saw the potential to bring it to a full release? PlayStation doesn’t get early access but it probably should.
Alyssa: Also, what the hell is the single player part where they don’t give details? Lots to think about here.
Ethan: I just hope there is a central world where I can leave interesting messages on the billboard for other players to discover.
Kotaku is covering everything from the Summer Game Festival, from the main show on Thursday to other events taking place throughout the coming week. Whether you’re into bigger-than-life triple-A games or casual, intimate indie games, you can update everything about SGF here.
