SpongeBob: Titans of the Tide – Sea Spirits
Although the era when every possible cartoon got its video game adaptation has long passed, SpongeBob is one of the few series that continues to thrive in this format, consistently delivering solid games that we have been receiving for years.
This year, we received a new 3D platforming game titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of The Tide from the studio Purple Lamp, which is responsible for the previous year's SpongeBob The Cosmic Shake, as well as the remake of the legendary SpongeBob Battle for Bikini Bottom.
This game, at its core, does nothing particularly innovative, and if you have played one of the previously mentioned games, you will quickly get accustomed to Titans of the Tide. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as there is no reason to change something that isn't broken. On the other hand, the developers unfortunately did not apply that philosophy when it comes to the game engine, and this year we are playing with the charms of Unreal Engine 5, which in this case has brought more bad than good. Visually, the new SpongeBob looks somewhat disappointing. The environments are generally very gloomy and dark, lacking the recognizable SpongeBob vibrancy one would expect, and there are some awkward transitions from loading to gameplay. In terms of performance, the new SpongeBob runs significantly worse, with PC players encountering annoying stutter and generally lower FPS than in The Cosmic Shake, which I believe looked better. Still, this isn't too terrible, and on the PlayStation 5 where I tested this game, the framerate was stable in performance mode.
But let's set aside the technicalities, this is SpongeBob! And I can say that the developers really put in the effort to make fans of the series laugh and hit them with nostalgia, and this is evident from the start. When I opened the costume menu, I was surprised by the number of available costumes, especially those that are Easter eggs for fans of the series, allowing you to play as Leif Erikson or as pink SpongeBob from the episode Kuddly Krab. The dialogues are also full of references to the cartoon itself; in one of the first scenes, you will hear Squidward saying he didn't get to watch House Fancy, which is a pretty clever reference to a legendary episode of the series. Now, if you are not an overly enthusiastic SpongeBob fan, you can still enjoy the game, although the very simple story may not be particularly interesting to you.
Oh yes, the story, what's it about? Well, the plot begins when the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune clash in line for Kebab's burger, and the Dutchman casts a curse that turns a crowd of people, including our blocky protagonist, into a ghost. Fortunately, our favorite silly starfish Patrick is not among the affected, so it's up to him to help SpongeBob save the world (or rather the ocean) and defeat the evil Flying Dutchman. As I mentioned earlier, the story is quite simple, and most of the charm comes from that recognizable SpongeBob humor which is not bad here, and realistically, you don't expect any unseen plots or twists from such a game.
The main aspect of the game that is also the most polished here is the gameplay itself. Although this is a standard 3D platformer that has been seen many times before, where you will combine jumping, double jumping, and a few attacks, I honestly didn't expect much more, and the mentioned mechanics are executed quite solidly and function just as you would expect. The main new mechanic is switching between the two main characters, where one will be a ghost and the other normal, and you will use this mechanic mostly to solve the game's obstacles. The levels are solid, and there are a few interesting locations that I don't want to spoil, but what I find disappointing is the game's duration, as the entire game can be completed in just 5 hours, which for a price of 40 euros is really little.
All in all, the new SpongeBob is solid, even though it's a familiar title. If you are a die-hard fan of the series, I believe you will find enjoyment in this game, but at full price, I cannot recommend it, and I would advise you to wait for a good discount, as it is indeed a very short experience.
A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the publisher THQ Nordic
