The latest aquatic adventure from Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, has arrived. Developed by Purple Lamp, this ghost-fuelled 3D platformer captures the spirit of the beloved TV show but ultimately leaves players wanting more from its brief, six-hour runtime.
A Supernatural Story Straight From The Show
The plot kicks off with a familiar squabble at the Krusty Krab between King Neptune and The Flying Dutchman. This spectral spat unleashes a ghostly plague upon Bikini Bottom, turning its inhabitants undead and prompting SpongeBob and Patrick to embark on a new quest. The narrative feels like an extended episode of the television series, a feeling greatly enhanced by the return of the original voice cast, including Tom Kenny and Clancy Brown.
Unlike the previous game, The Cosmic Shake, which featured multiple themed worlds, Titans of the Tide smartly narrows its focus. The core of the story revolves around the friendship between SpongeBob and Patrick as they work together to find the coveted Golden Spatula and save their home from the two titular titans.
Gameplay That Swaps Between Friends and Phantoms
The game's central mechanic involves the duo's new ability to swap into a ghost form at the press of a button. This reality-swapping gameplay is where Titans of the Tide finds its unique flavour. Players can instantly switch between the two characters to overcome specific platforming challenges.
Patrick emerges as the surprisingly more versatile character. He retains his classic ability to pick up and throw heavy objects but gains new skills like burrowing underground and using a ghost grapple. This grapple opens up new platforming paths and allows for more frantic combat by latching onto enemies.
SpongeBob, meanwhile, has his own set of skills, including a ninja kick to zoom towards balloons. However, his core ghost ability—blowing bubbles to trap enemies and stop platforms—feels less impactful and well-realised compared to Patrick's toolkit.
Short Length and Pacing Issues
The game's biggest weakness is its brevity. With a main story that takes roughly six hours to complete, many of its promising ideas don't get room to fully develop. Just as you master the flow of switching between characters to chain moves together, the adventure is nearly over.
Pacing also stumbles in the Jellyfish Fields area. While fun to explore, this segment feels like a disconnected side mission focused on a boss fight with a "hulked-out Sandy." It halts the narrative momentum built in other locations like Neptune's Palace and Atlantis City, serving as a fun but ultimately unnecessary diversion.
Performance and Post-Game Content
On the Nintendo Switch 2, the game holds a steady framerate in docked mode, but players may experience noticeable stuttering and texture pop-in during handheld play, especially in chaotic moments.
Once the story is complete, there are reasons to return. All five areas can be revisited to hunt for collectibles. Each zone contains around 30 treasure chests with coins and unlockable costumes, alongside side quests, jellyfish to catch, and optional race challenges.
In conclusion, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is a good, but not great, addition to the series. Its focus on two characters, a fun supernatural theme, and clever switching mechanics create genuinely creative moments. It's a shame its short length and some technical hitches prevent it from making a truly big splash, but it remains a fun, family-friendly adventure for SpongeBob veterans.
