SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide review – As long as these pants are square!

I am a huge SpongeBob SquarePants fan, so much so that I was dreaming about this game coming out. I own every SpongeBob game ever made for the console, some point and click games for the computer, and the plug-in and play game. Not to mention the endless seasons on DVD. 

I did not like the Cosmic Shake and actually preferred to run around in the Patrick Star Game. But the recent SpongeBob games have always stood out to me as feeling out of place. The best part of these games is feeling like you’re playing in an episode of the show in some way. So I was very worried about Titans of the Tide. That being said, I was worried for nothing because this game is better than the Cosmic Shake in every conceivable way. 

I played this game exclusively on Steam Deck and did not run into many issues. I did have to run on Proton Experimental and cap the game to 30fps. Aside from that, I had a smooth experience. This game plays wonderfully as a handheld. 

Story & Characters

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide kicks off with a fantastic tutorial that showcases the improvements to the controls of the game. If you played the past entries, you will be able to tell right away that the jumping is tighter and you have a lot more control. The jump has been completely improved, making the double jump timing feel better. It is hard to explain, but if you play platformers, you get what I mean. You are also introduced to how the quest system works, which sees you talking to characters to see what they need.

After the tutorial, we are brought to the beginning of the story. I won’t be spoiling too much about this story, but the start of it is extremely juvenile to the point that my eyes were rolling the whole time, and not in a good way. The Dutchman deserved a better introduction, and I felt as though there could’ve been a better instigating incident between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune. Aside from that, the story isn’t overly intrusive. It did have me laughing frequently, and for the most part, I was a huge fan of the dialogue. 

One thing that stood out to me is the new way dialogue happens. The characters end up facing each other when they speak. Mr. Krabs and Squidward were standouts because their voice lines feel extremely organic. As you adventure through this game, which feels much bigger than other SpongeBob games, you will run into a ton of iconic characters. Mrs. Puff is a standout as always, but Karen makes a fantastic appearance with some of the best voice lines she's had. Even Pearl is in this game, and they did a really good job at making her just the right level of obnoxious. 

This next section features heavy spoilers, so continue reading at your own risk. 

The Flying Dutchman ends up turning some of the fish in Bikini Bottom into ghosts, and it is SpongeBob and Patrick's job to come in and save the day. This premise gave the team leeway to create some of the most beautiful environments to ever exist in a SpongeBob game.

As you go through the game, you’ll have to get through a variety of bosses and enemy types. My favorite fight was the one with Sandy, who was hibernating. This is from the episode where SpongeBob and Patrick lock themselves in her treedome. I like this fight because it makes great use of the space, and SpongeBob and Patrick are both useful during the fight. 

As for normal enemies, some are clearly inspired by the enemies from Battle for Bikini Bottom. Some enemies do close attacks and ranged attacks, but what I want to call attention to are the brilliant mini-bosses. They’re the heavier enemies, and they are a real highlight. They have a greater variety of attacks in this game and feel much better to fight, thanks to the new mechanics at play. 

Titans of the Tide excels in the variety of quests that you get to do, and thanks to how big each area is, I never found myself getting bored. This game will have you playing in different zones; you are not just bound to Bikini Bottom, which I appreciate because it gives this game its own identity. 

Another aspect of the game that I adore is the hub space, which is the Krusty Krab turned into a pirate ship. From here, you can get quests from Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and eventually other characters. You will also get even more quests while you’re out adventuring. The Krust Krab Ship is also how you travel to the different islands and other locations because the Flying Dutchman broke the world when he freaked out. I love it, it feels in theme and is super smooth to navigate.

Gameplay

SpongeBob and Patrick are back as the playable characters, and this time, you can switch at will using their BFF rings, which I thought was fantastic. Swapping between the two is snappy, so expect to be able to do it during combat with ease. 

Speaking of combat, it feels so much better. Patrick can burrow underground and gather coins, and he uses this to travel mostly. However, you can do this during combat, and it makes Patrick more fun to play, at least to me. Which is funny because he is my least favorite character in the series. Patrick also got a new grappling hook, which is stupid fun to use, and I hope a race track or something is in one of the DLC packs, just for utilizing this ability. 

Questing is made easy, too, because there is now a designated quest screen. You can activate multiple quests at once, which I didn’t do because I found myself getting too distracted. For the most part, the quests are fine and completely in theme, such as helping Squidward with his statue.

Final Thoughts 

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is simply put, fun. I was smiling the whole time I played through the game. The music is also a real treat, and at no point throughout the game did I ever want to mute it. 

There is real weight that you can feel when your character attacks, jumps, or dives that you can really feel. It makes the platforming feel slick. At some points during the main portion of the game, it felt like the story was dragging on, which slowly became increasingly obnoxious. The cutscenes are gorgeous; however, the way that each scene happens feels off, almost like the timing is a few seconds too soon or too late. It is the same for when a cutscene ends, and these two issues severely hurt the pacing of the overall game. 

Titans of the Tide is jam-packed with references from the show and the movies. Seriously, I challenge you to find them all because in the first level alone, I found at least 10 different references, which I enjoyed hunting for. You can also customize SpongeBob and Patrick and a few other things to your heart's content using in-game coins. Each costume is ripped right from an episode of the show, and they look gorgeous. 

Sadly, the pacing of the story and the way that the cutscenes happen make Titans of the Tide have an awkward pace. Regardless, the plethora of quests that you can do and the sheer number of characters that make an appearance make up for it in a way. I loved adventuring around this game and look forward to my second playthrough.