Square Enix’s Splatoon-like shooter Foamstars, Helldivers 2 and more in gaming this week.
The first week of February brings us more new games to play, which is bad news for people who might still be making their way through Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth or Persona 3 - both of which could span more than a hundred hours of playtime on their own. If you’re not into long RPGs and want to sink your teeth into something more multiplayer-oriented instead, good news! Two games coming out this week are right up your alley.
You still shouldn’t skip Persona 3, however. It's really good.
What we’re playing this week
Square Enix’s answer to Splatoon launches on February 6 this week: a 4v4 party shooter called Foamstars. This multiplayer game swaps the colourful paint buckets of Splatoon for colourful soap suds, which players will use to foam up the map and shape to their advantage. Standing on enemy foam will slow you down, but you can use your own foam to create high vantage points, build terrain and defend yourself against enemies. This looks like a fun enough time with friends, though we doubt that it has the legs to dethrone a franchise like Splatoon.
If you’d like a more grounded shooter to play with friends, try Helldivers 2 when it launches on February 8. This squad-based sci-fi shooter will pit you against dangerous alien threats invading the galaxy, while you fight as part of the Helldivers’ elite forces. There’s a colourful variety of weapons available for use against these baddies - from turrets to flamethrowers - and a keen focus on explosions and big combat setpieces. Should you be in the mood for a shorter and moodier experience, Resident Evil 4: Gold Edition launches on February 9 with the base campaign, Separate Ways campaign and Extra DLC Pack included.
Resident Evil 4 is an all-time great, so you can’t go wrong there!
What we’re watching this week
Are you into sitcoms, sci-fi game adaptations or crime thrillers? We have one of each this week. First up is Abbott Elementary Season 3 on February 7, finally making its return after delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood strikes. While the show’s mockumentary format might feel tired in this post-Office, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family (and more) age, its zippy writing and fantastic cast make it a real joy to watch.
I feel quite the opposite about Paramount +’s live-action Halo adaptation, which returns for a second season on February 8. Season 1’s blockbuster visuals were thoroughly let down by poor writing, hamfisted twists and slow pacing - but the show has reportedly gone through a creative overhaul of sorts behind the scenes, and Season 2 is now being run by a different showrunner. Will Halo turn things around this year? I sure hope so.
On HBO, the Japan-set Tokyo Vice also returns for Season 2 on February 8, following an American journalist who joins a major Japanese newspaper and begins to explore the seedy world of the Yakuza for a corruption investigation. You can imagine how well that goes for him.
