Already on February 6, 2024, the arcade multiplayer third-person shooter Foamstars will be released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Moreover, PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers will be able to pick up the game for free for one month. The Korean portal INVEN contacted the developers to find out more about this project. We translated the interview into Russian for you.
Foamstars looks like a dark horse at the moment. I’m wondering if your goal when developing the game was to create a unique concept?
This is a question I really wanted to hear, but thanks for asking (laughs). Foamstars was the brainchild of director Riki (Chikara Saito), who was unable to attend this interview due to health reasons.
Director Ricky always loved killing zombies and playing games like God of War. They feature many violent scenes, such as when Kratos tears a monster apart. So when Ricky played in the living room, his wife often took the phone and hid in the bedroom. He felt like he was unintentionally sending his wife into the room. When this situation repeated itself, he suddenly thought, “I want to make a game that will make people watching from the outside feel fun, even if they are not playing the game together.”
As a result, naturally he needed to do something cruelty-free, and that’s when the “bubble party” came to mind. They thought that such a game would not only be fun, but also have less violent elements. This is how the shooter Foamstars took its form.
In fact, the development team even participated in a bubble party. They saw children and even a grandmother in a wheelchair having fun. Seeing this, they thought that such a game could appeal to people of all ages, so they began developing it in earnest.
One of the most important things they thought about during development was making the bubbles believable. If you watch bubbles shooting at a party, you will see that they fly slowly and end up piling up somewhere. In Foamstars, the developers have put a lot of effort into keeping the theme and atmosphere of bubbles, but avoiding being violent. For example, they allowed you to accumulate bubbles or attack and defeat enemies. Instead of taking physical hits, they become covered in bubbles and are temporarily rendered incapable of fighting.
The same goes for skills. The development team tried blowing soap bubbles, put a bath ball in the bathtub and saw bubbles coming out of it. When implementing character skills in Foamstars, we also added a slide board because we thought riding bubbles would be fun.
Last year’s open beta version of the game was generally well received in Korea, but it also had some shortcomings. Could you tell us about the feedback you received, how you assessed it internally, and what you plan to fix in the final version of the game?
The game received positive reviews within the company, with many players noting the exciting gameplay. However, we also received some criticism. What surprised us most was that after completing the training, the players did not understand what to do next.
We acknowledge that this was our mistake and have already improved the user experience in this area to help players get up to speed faster. We are also aware of matchmaking issues, but our development team is working to resolve them. We are sure that in the final version of the game there will be no problems with selection.
Foamstars looks like a 3D animation, but the thick outlines give it a low-quality feel, although the graphics are quite good. I’m interested in learning about the visual direction and reason for the wide outlines.
Foamstars is both a shooter and a party game aimed at a wide audience. We wanted the game to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, so we chose a cartoon style similar to Marvel. However, we wanted to add uniqueness, so we made the characters cartoony and the textures of the clothes and cards realistic.
This decision also affected the appearance of the characters. We wanted them to appeal to everyone, so we designed them with a variety of facial and body features.
Regarding the bubbles, we initially planned to make them realistic. However, we received feedback that they looked creepy, so we decided to make them bright and expressive using a gradient.
As for the thick outlines, they were added for two reasons. Firstly, the bubbles could obscure the characters. Secondly, we wanted the game to be understandable for the audience. In our opinion, thick outlines help players quickly understand what’s happening on the screen.
I understand that the game was created as a collaboration between Square Enix and Toylogic, but was there any division in development between the companies?
Development is split between Square Enix and Toylogic, but we collaborate on all aspects of development. Square Enix provides ideas and creativity, while Toylogic is responsible for production and execution.
On the other hand, the teamwork and atmosphere was very good, since everyone on the development team is mostly young people. We had a lot of trial and error like, “What if we add this?” and “Wouldn’t it be better if we added this?”, but I think we were able to develop at a fast pace due to the energetic atmosphere.
Since this is a PvP game, it seems that support is an important part of the development, and in this case, characters should be key. Can you tell us about the update frequency? Additionally, there are currently eight characters revealed and I’m wondering if that number will remain the same at launch or will it increase?
Of course, more characters will be added in the future. We plan to release new characters, maps, modes (combat rules) and skins in regular updates.
Essentially, we are talking about regularly releasing new content. Season passes and skins will be paid, but new characters, maps and modes will be free. We currently plan to support the game with updates throughout the year.
It looks like you’ve really taken advantage of the DualSense’s capabilities: adaptive triggers with different voltages for different weapons and haptic feedback. Were there any difficulties in implementation, and on the other hand, I’m worried that you went too far and the experience will be relatively worse on other platforms and controllers?
That’s a great question, and we worked hard to make it feel like shooting bubbles, which is really nice. However, adding too many adaptive trigger capabilities or haptic feedback can put a lot of stress on your hands and cause fatigue. So we worked hard with the design team to find the optimal vibration or tension value to get that nice feeling without putting too much stress on your arms.
Of course, it’s a shame that these features can’t be used on PS4, so you won’t be able to experience the benefits of haptic feedback or adaptive triggers. But the game’s core content and vibe are still there, so I hope you can enjoy Foamstars freely on both platforms.
The number of players is also important. Does the game support cross-play?
Yes, we support cross-cross and cross-save on PS4 and PS5.
The backstory of the characters is no less important than the main mechanics, but there is little of it yet. Do you have any plans to explore characters through media?
The game has PvE content called Mission Mode, where you have to defend Bath Vegas from a bunch of foam monsters. Characters talk about this and that during missions, so you can get a feel for the world of Foamstars. However, the game does not have its own script, so think of this mode as a mini-game that allows you to find out additional information about the game’s plot.
It’s a little early to talk about media assets, but we want people to enjoy the game, so that’s what we’re focusing on.
The possibility that one player can turn the tide of the game and lead their team to victory makes PvP games more exciting. Will this happen in Formstars?
Overall, we strive to ensure that the game is equally interesting for both casual and experienced players. Therefore, we are trying to create a matchmaking system that will prevent casual players from getting matched with experienced, highly rated players.
However, we also understand that the ability for one player to turn the tide of the game can make the game more intense and unpredictable. Therefore, in the Smash the Stars mode, they implemented a system that selects a “star player”.
After everyone on the team fails seven times, the player with the highest score becomes the “star player”. He receives additional bonuses to his stats, making him a more dangerous opponent. However, the game will end after one of the “star players” is defeated.
Thus, the “star player” is able to have a great influence on the course of the game, and at the same time, defeating him can lead to victory for the entire team.
You said it’s a party game and not just a shooter. I’m sure there are a lot of users who like to compete, but I’m wondering if there are any motivating factors such as a ranking system or exclusive skins for users who did well last season?
Technically, it’s a party shooter game (laughs). We’ve said that we’re aiming for the game to appeal to both casual and mainstream gamers, but there are some areas where experienced players may excel due to the nature of the shooter genre. It’s hard to say, but we’re working on rewards to motivate them, so rest assured you’ll be able to enjoy the game.
Any plans for esports?
Foamstars is a game that should appeal to a lot of people, so I think its gameplay is different from typical esports titles. Of course, this is also a game with a form of competition, so I understand that hosting tournaments or having users show great skill will be an important pillar of the community, so we will be happy if tournaments are held after the game is released.
Lastly, do you have any advice for Korean users who are waiting for Foamstars?
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your interest in Foamstars. We’re working hard to make a game that users around the world, not just in Japan, will love, so please continue to support us.
Speaking of Korean users, I am reminded of the character Soah, who is a female idol created by illustrators’ request to draw her in the style of K-pop idols such as BLACKPINK, ITZY and Le Seraphim. Basically, Foamstars characters don’t reveal their race or nationality, but their concept is largely familiar to Korean users, so we hope you’ll love them.
