Square Enix’s new multiplayer shooter Foamstars is out now on PlayStation as a part of PlayStation Plus, and there is one question on the top of everybody’s mind. Not “is the game good?” That seems to be a resounding no (check out our impressions for more on that). The question is: Where exactly does the foam in Foamstars come from? Before the game even launched, there were many comparisons of the foam— which is used as a projectile in matches—to other, um, human bodily fluids.
Now that the game is out, there are even more questions (and more raunchy comparisons). Based on Foamstars’ limited story mode, loading screen tips, and in-game dialogue, it appears that the foam is, in fact, bodily fluid produced by the game’s protagonists. But the story might be a little more complicated than that.
The first character players take control of is Soa, a pop idol and competitor in the Foamsmash tournament. In Soa’s story we learn that as a young girl, she really hated her body “for making foam.” This means that the production of foam is a bodily function and foam is a bodily fluid, though Soa thinking at the time that she was a freak also makes it clear that not everyone in the world of Foamstars produces foam.
The Foamstars themselves all appear to be people who can produce and wield foam, though this is harnessed through special foam/bubble guns designed by scientists. Though it seems that Soa is the only character who explicitly says she produces foam, the game does loosely suggest that all Foamstars produce foam, too, as all Foamsmash competitors use their unique foam abilities.
And if you read into the game’s mechanics way more than you should in the hopes of gleaning any more about foam production in the Foamstars universe, your interest might be piqued by one little detail. Instead of reloading those foam weapons, there’s a liquid meter that is depleted and replenished over time. How is it replenishing, exactly?
One thing that still confuses me is why it’s even called foam in the first place. Soa is depicted as producing bubbles off of her body in small flashback scenes as a kid and bubbles are constantly referenced. Bubble guns, bubble beasties, bubble energy, Bubbleski, and Bath Vegas. It’s endless. Bubble energy is especially confusing to me as it appears to be akin to nuclear power in the world of Foamstars, with the game even showing a giant explosion as a hypothetical example of what would happen if a bubble energy core were destroyed by bubble monsters. Is it foam or bubbles?
“Force Foam,” which is described as “a diluted form of bubble energy that pervades our lives, enhanced for maximum aeration and maximum fun,” suggests foam comes from bubbles. Force Foam also implies that scientists have found a way to harness bubble energy and make it into weapons or, going with the nuclear power comparison, that bubble energy has mutated some people in the world of Foamstars into X-Men-like beings who all have the same power—producing foam. Maybe it’s both! I’m still trying to figure it out.
Did I miss any vital clues or tidbits from Foamstars that explain more about the foam or the world the game takes place in? Please let me know. I have more questions than answers right now.
