Square Enix revealed their upcoming multiplayer third-person shooterFoamstarsat the recent PlayStation Showcase and the game has already been drawing comparisons to Nintendo’sSplatoonseries. From the trailer shown, it looks like players will battle for territory around urban-themed maps using weapons that shoot colored foam rather than the ink ofSplatoon. With the popularity of Nintendo’s series, it’s surprising it took so long for other developers to create games of a similar genre, butFoamstarscould end up being the first in a new wave ofSplatoon-like games.
Nintendo is no stranger to seeing look-a-like games spawn out of their popular IPs as thePokemonseries has had its share of clones over the years from big name spin-offs likeMonster Hunter StoriesandDragon Quest Monstersto indies likeTemtemandNexomon: Extinction. The series has been fundamental in establishing the monster collecting genre which has remained popular due to the number of titles that follow a similar format. WhileSplatoonhasn’t reached the same heights asPokemonin terms of sales, its cultural impact is starting to be felt similarly with titles likeFoamstarspotentially opening the floodgatesfor otherSplatoonclones to follow.
RELATED:PlayStation May Have a Splatoon Competitor in Foamstars
Foamstars Could Be a Crucial Step for the Splat-like Genre
When the originalSplatoonwas revealed at Nintendo’s E3 2014 presentation, it was hailed as a unique new direction for shooters that emphasized territory control using colored ink in a departure from the typical gritty, kill-based shooters likeCall of DutyandBattlefield. Although confined to the underperforming Wii U,Splatoonquickly developed a dedicated fan base thanks to its unique personality and simple yet addictive gameplay. Now with two sequels under its belt,Splatoonhas become one of Nintendo’s most popularfranchises with little in the way of competition from similar titles prior toFoamstars.
It’s not unusual for a hugely popular game to see similar titles follow suit trying to capitalize on the success of the original. The explosion inpopularity ofFortniteresulted in the growth of the battle royale genre that spawned other hits likeApex LegendsandCall of Duty: Warzonein quick succession, creating a diverse ecosystem within the genre for fans of those style of games. However,Splatoon’spopularity has only been growing since the original game released in 2015, yet it has taken nearly a decade for a true competitor likeFoamstarsto emerge.
However, many are approachingFoamstarswith caution due to Square Enix’s history with mishandling online multiplayer games that has led to situations like theshutdown ofBabylon’s Falljust under a year after launch. While this skepticism is warranted, there are other features ofFoamstarsthat look to be innovative additions to the Splat-like genre, such as the physics of the foam that allows it to pile on top of itself to create barriers and add verticality to maps as the match progresses.Foamstarsalso differentiates itself stylistically fromSplatoonby leaning into the more realistic J-Pop aesthetic rather than trying to emulateSplatoon’s nautical post-apocalyptic theme.
Even ifFoamstarsdoesn’t have the same staying power as theSplatoonfranchise, it could be an important step for the genre as a whole. WithFoamstarsbeing the first trueSplatoonclone, it could give future games a foundation to build upon and experiment within a genre that has been dominated bySplatoonsince its launch. Much like how indie developers have made solid contributions toPokemon’s monster collecting genre,Foamstarscould be the inspiration smaller studios need to take a crack at the Splat-like genre which could result in the next indie breakout hit and ultimately help move the genre as a whole forward.
Foamstarsis currently in development for PS4 and PS5.
MORE:Splatoon 3 is Leaving Money on the Table With its Current Season Structure
