Developer: PHL Collective
Publisher: Outright Games
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game – Review
We thought it was only a few months ago that we played through SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, only to realize our review already dates back to February 2023. We enjoyed the quirky SpongeBob title for the most part, but we found things a bit too simplistic at times, and the combat also eventually overstayed its welcome. Now, we are returning to the streets of Bikini Bottom, but not for an adventure with SpongeBob in the lead. This time, it’s Patrick’s turn to go on an adventure in the aptly named The Patrick Star Game. This child-friendly experience didn’t prove to be the handsome Squidward we were looking for, but it still had a few entertaining elements.
Story
Truth be told, there isn’t really a big story in The Patrick Star Game. You’ll wake up as Patrick on another bright day in Bikini Bottom, and you cruise around the town to see what the other inhabitants are up to. You’ll get quests, which put you in silly situations, and that’s about it. While it would have been fun to have a bit of an overarching narrative, we didn’t mind the bite-sized quest introductions that served as everyday situations in the underwater town as a substitute for a bigger storyline.
Graphics
It’s clear that The Patrick Star Game doesn’t have the most polished visuals, but all in all, the game does look quite decent. There are quite a few rough edges here and there, but Bikini Bottom is fun to explore, and the developers clearly kept the source material in mind. Iconic characters are instantly recognizable, and there is quite a bit of variety when it comes to the NPCs that roam the streets. Of course, the game never pushed our PS5 to its limits, which is not uncommon for a multiplatform release such as this. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is also available on last-gen consoles and Nintendo’s Switch. We did notice a lot of clipping issues, characters walking on air, and so on, however.
Sound
The game’s sound design is actually quite good. Even though the music may be rather forgettable for the most part, it’s the voice acting that hogs the limelight here. All dialogues are voiced, and it’s simply a lot of fun hearing the performances of the original voice actors. It’s not often that a game that’s directed toward a younger audience has such an impressive voice cast backing things up. The SFX are also decent, and they provide ample audio feedback when Patrick decides to burp in the faces of the NPCs or when using some of the tools at his disposal.
Gameplay
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is in essence a simplistic sandbox adventure title where you solve quests for the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom and its surroundings. You can freely roam around the map to gather collectibles, and there is no correct order in which you should complete the quests. Everything is very straightforward, and the game is clearly directed towards a younger audience.
Most of the quests are basically mini-games where you must complete a puzzle or collect a certain number of items. While this may sound like things are a bit too simplistic, there is enough variety to keep younger gamers entertained. The map is fun to explore and the quests are neatly done as well. Almost all quests also come with a fun theme, and this does add a bit of charm to the general experience. The more quests you complete, the more sand dollars you’ll earn, and in turn, you’ll unlock more goofy outfits for Patrick to wear.
Sadly, The Patrick Star Game suffers from a few major issues. Firstly, the controls are a bit finicky, sometimes making precision-based actions a lot harder. Secondly, there is hardly any content in the game. You can clear almost everything this title has to offer in an hour or two, making this a very expensive bite-sized underwater adventure. And last but not least, there’s a general lack of polish and this is noticeable due to the many minor bugs. The latter, however, often results in funny situations where NPCs just randomly ragdoll or walk in the air, which feels oddly suitable for this title.
Conclusion
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is a cute little game that provides a bit of entertainment for the youngest gamers among us. The game itself is a bit rough around the edges, but the overall presentation makes up for a lot, and the SpongeBob atmosphere is off the charts here. Nonetheless, there is insufficient content to justify the game’s current asking price, so we’d advise waiting for a hefty sale.
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