Developer Red Lamp Studios has been honing its craft operating on a number of approved video games, with a couple of SpongeBob identify below its belt.
Its newest effort, SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, is every other 3-D platformer using the wave of nostalgia led to by means of its remake of the fan favorite, Combat for Bikini Backside Rehydrated.
Just like its earlier effort, The Cosmic Shake, Titans of the Tide is a cast, amusing journey that is obviously made by means of enthusiasts of the long-running caricature sequence, however some tough edges and reliance on previous concepts grasp it again from greatness.
There is a particular be offering on the Krusty Krab, and it is drawn the eye of 2 of the ocean’s maximum tough beings: King Neptune and the ghoulish Flying Dutchman.
The pair conflict, with the latter’s spectral powers turning Bikini Backside electorate (together with SpongeBob) into ghosts and inflicting standard mayhem.
Thankfully, the oblivious Patrick Big name is clear of the fallout, and when he reaches the Krusty Krab, he and SpongeBob find a distinctive skill to change between their common our bodies and ghostly bureaucracy. This additionally acts because the crux of the gameplay.
You’ll exchange between SpongeBob and Patrick just about every time you prefer, and doing so is vital, as they every have distinctive talents.
As an example, Patrick can burrow during the sand and select up heavy gadgets, whilst SpongeBob has his karate kick and will blow bubbles.
Utilising some of these talents is essential to getting via every stage, every now and then requiring relatively dextrous persona swapping to navigate platforming sequences.
It is a neat concept and done moderately neatly; ranges are designed in this sort of strategy to inspire you to transport between the characters continuously, or even the fundamental struggle contains the mechanic, with some enemies a lot more uncomplicated to take care of relying on who you might be controlling.
For the ones with an urge for food for a lovely easy 3-D platformer, that is ticking lots of the proper bins.
We have been to begin with apprehensive that the ghostly theme of the sport would possibly make it too one-note, however there is a respectable selection within the levels regardless of the set dressing.
Your hub this time round is an airship created from what was the Krusty Krab, and it is not a huge area to discover, however there’s extra to peer and do there as the sport is going on.
From there, you can dive all the way down to places previous and new, like a low-rent lodge known as Goldfish Island, the decadent halls of King Neptune’s palace, or even a brand new, snowy spin on Jellyfish Fields.
It feels relatively aware of play, and indubitably seems to be the section, with colourful visuals that echo the display. That is helped immeasurably by means of having what appears to be all the forged onboard for voice paintings; even the additional voices from unnamed Bikini Backside electorate are recognisable.
The solid does its very best with a script that lacks one of the crucial snappiness of the caricature. There are some humorous strains and moments all over, however some interactions really feel a little bit stunted.
What cannot be knocked, regardless that, is the developer’s transparent love for the sequence, as it is completely filled with references and jokes that enthusiasts will consume up. The clearest proof of that is within the gown variety for SpongeBob and Patrick, the place you can to find outfits from a large number of episodes.
You’ll acquire any unlocked costumes with the cash you select up all through play, however there may be extra on be offering — underpant items, which build up your well being, and show pieces that’ll display up within the hub.
The sport is almost certainly one of the most higher SpongeBob video games to liberate lately, however there are a few issues that prevent it from laying declare to being most sensible of the pile.
In the beginning, we will’t forget about one of the crucial insects we encountered. A soft-lock state of affairs in the second one part of the sport pressured us to start out once more, and there are another, a lot more minor problems, like textures taking a very long time to load in correctly.
Secondly, there may be the sensation that Titans of the Tide remains to be borrowing closely from Combat for Bikini Backside, a platformer launched greater than 20 years in the past.
Some mechanics and strikes really feel like they are lifted without delay from that template, and whilst there may be indisputably an effort right here to check out one thing new, we will’t assist however really feel a few of its basics really feel a little bit dated at this level.
That being mentioned, enthusiasts don’t seem to be going to thoughts. In the end, the sport is every other very serviceable SpongeBob platformer that riffs at the de facto favorite, and it brings near to sufficient recent concepts to the desk to justify itself.
Conclusion
SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is not going to blow any person away, however it is a completely respectable 3-D platformer that most commonly captures the power of the display. Swapping between SpongeBob and Patrick is a neat mechanic that is used rather well all over, and ranges are large and sundry as you discover Bikini Backside and communicate to its populace, all of whom are voiced by means of the correct forged. It indisputably has some tough edges and a few gentle writing, and it would possibly not win over any SpongeBob detractors, however it is a just right all-ages sport for each children and longtime enthusiasts.
