Are ya ready kids?… “AYE AYE CAPTAIN!”. I can’t hear you! “AYE AYE CAPTAIN” is a war cry that many will remember fondly from their youth, as it marked the start of quite an iconic show about a square bit of sponge. Who was absorbant and yellow and porous was he, as well as living in a pineapple under the sea. Bob was (well still is) a bit of a superstar with not only TV shows, but a number of movies as well as games to his name. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is the latest game staring everyone’s favourite Porifera and it looks to dish up some classic platforming thrills, while taking Bob and co. on an epic adventure.
In a tale that could have easily been a new episode of the show, during a trip to Glove World, SpongeBob and Patrick purchase a strange bottle of Magic Bubble Soap from Madame Kassandra – a fortune teller who tells them that blowing bubbles will make your wildest dreams come true. So SpongeBob blows bubbles on what his friends wish to be, but after blowing too many bubbles, Patrick just happens to read the label on the Magic Bubble Soap… detailing that it is a bottle containing Mermaid’s Tears and more shockingly so that it is the property of king Neptune, not to be used by mere mortals. Cue an epic adventure across a number of different dimensions where he must battle to save his friends, as well as hope to put Bikini Bottom back together. It’s as over the top as you would think and expect, but the level of writing here is top class and nails what makes SpongeBob… well SpongeBob. With sharp and witty dialogue throughout and lots of extra tales to be found, as each dimension you stumble into has its own story to be unfolded and told.
Gameplay in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is pure 3D platforming, as you work your way from dimension to dimension, as there is a more linear focus here than in past SpongeBob games, like say Battle for Bikini Bottom but it’s so story driven and each location feels so different it never feels dull. From the Wild West to a B-movie Kung-Fu movie set, you never know where you’ll end up next. Plus each area has a number of secrets to find, so searching around a bit is worth your time as you can find extra jelly. The main credit in the game is doubloons, which you can buy and unlock new outfits with that add a bit more flavour to things.
Visually as you would expect given its source, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is awash with colour with tonnes of details fans will love to spot. As for audio all you need to know is that Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke and Clancy Brown plus a lot of other original cast are present and it’s all top tier. For the negative points there’s an odd thing during cut scenes that make them not fully render right away, taking a few seconds to fully pop… a bit like the ones in Halo 2 oddly, come to think of it. And there was a bit of framerate drop at times, especially when it was all kicking off with lots of enemies on screen or they were firing at you, we found that was when the game really started to crawl. Combat is a bit too hit and miss at times and never feels 100% fully grounded or really weighted in any why. And there are a few vehicle like sections, that feel like they are here for no other reason than to pad out the level.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a game of two halves really, firstly a fun and enjoyable adventure for young fans. Secondly a real trip of nostalgia for long-time fans that may have lost touch with SpongeBob over the years. Sure, it’s not the deepest or most taxing of titles, but it is a fun time from start to finish.
An Xbox review copy of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake was provided by Purple Lamp Studio’s PR team, and the game is available now on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch for around £40 depending on platform.
The Verdict
Stuart Cullen
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