If you think Microsoft’s acquisition spree is unreal, then I have got a name for you: Embracer Group. Formed from the combination of THQ Nordic and Nordic Games publishing, the company has acquired over 15 studios in a short span of time and has over 135 projects in active development. Owning more than 76 studios (including subsidiaries) across 45 countries, the publisher is churning out games like candy. Sometimes I feel that THQ Nordic and their parent company put a little too much emphasis on quantity over quality. For every quality title they put out, there’s an equal number of “med” or outright “meh” games.
Regardless, our resident review hoarder Sushir “Indian Shrekt” Rahaman would argue that SpongeBob and THQ Nordic/Purple Lamp is the equivalent of a clown fish and sea anemone having the bromance of their lives. Keeping up with the tradition, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is an action-platformer developed by Purple Lamp and published by THQ Nordic. The game will release on Windows, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. This review is based on the game running on the Steam Deck (Deck Heads say hi!).
Bikini Bottom in Peril
All was fine and dandy in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. That is, until the naive but goodhearted SpongeBob SquarePants and his goofy BFF Patrick Star starts messing around with magical Mermaid’s tears. It isn’t long until the very fabric of reality tears apart, Patrick becomes a living balloon, and SpongeBob’s friends disappear into strange new dimensions. Thankfully for our dashing heroes, portals to these “Wishworlds” open up all around Bikini Bottom. With the help of Cassandra, the duo must travel to each dimension, rescue their friends and restore order and balance to Bikini Bottom. Ah, another day in the life of our favorite marine duo, isn’t it?
Fans of the long-running cartoon will feel right at home with The Cosmic Shake. The iconic characters, their respective voice actors, the signature humor and the comfy setting: all make a return. The storyline is classic SpongeBob material. The good-intentioned SpongeBob, mucking things up unintentionally before going to great lengths to restore things to the way they were, is a classic SpongeBob trope. It’s evident by the dialogues and humor that the writers are fans of the cartoon. Other than the main story, there are also a couple of fetch quests for the side characters. If you’re familiar with the show, then you know what to expect. Even if you’re not, prepare for a few laughs and giggles along the way.
One Wishworld at a Time
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a by-the-book 3D platformer through and through. The gameplay is very similar to Battle for Bikini Bottom. You’ve got the standard jump, double jump, ground pound as well as a few SpongeBob specific additions like Fishhook Swing and Karate Kick. You use these abilities in tandem to beat enemies and platform across large levels. Health pickups are frequent and whenever you fall down into dangerous
All in all, pretty standard stuff. Throughout the levels, you pick up coins and jellies to unlock cosmetic tiers and specific skins, respectively. While the skins look really cool, they only serve a cosmetic purpose. If you don’t have any interest in cosmetics, this kind of makes exploration feel unrewarding. Even though exploration is necessary to find side quest objectives, they unlock so much later in the game that revisiting completed levels become mandatory. But hey, YMMV.
The standout feature of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake are the Wishworlds. What this means is that each map is designed around a specific theme. There is one Wishworld based on the Wild West. There is one where you enact the role of an action hero in the sets of a Karate movie. Then there is one centered around a spooky Halloween town and my favorite, the pirate island map. There are a total of seven of these Wishworlds and each feel distinct visually and design-wise. Each Wishworld has its own set of mini-games and activities as well. Of course, these are not all the same quality. For example, some of these mini-games are just about spamming X to fill up a meter, while there are ones that require actual timing. There are also a few light puzzles as well. Completing Wishworlds opens up Bikini Bottom for further exploration.
There is also combat in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, but it’s a bit barebone. SpongeBob has several moves at his disposal, ranging from a simple attack to ground slams and karate kicks. SpongeBob can also trap enemies inside bubbles. But all the regular enemies can be defeated with either the regular attack or the ground slam. Thus, combat can become monotonous fast. I found myself skipping most non-essential encounters on my way to the finish line. The boss fights, while varied, are also a bit too easy for my taste. Maybe the developers took the criticisms from Battle for Bikini Bottom to heart a bit too much.
Other than this, there’s not too much to say about the gameplay. The platforming is decent, the combat is basic but serviceable, and the main story doesn’t overstay its welcome. But it’s the diversity in the thematic maps really carry the momentum forward. This, combine with the banter between SpongeBob and Patrick, will be a treat for fans, even though the game doesn’t break any new ground as a platformer.
Looking and Sounding the Part
Much like its predecessor, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake looks great and runs well. The characters and world are richly detailed and well animated. It also runs fine on the Steam Deck. The fps, on average, ranges from 40-55. So, it’s better to lock the refresh rate and fps at 40. You can also lower the TDP to 8 or 9 to get a bit more out of the battery. Do note that the game, in its current state, doesn’t feature any customizable graphics options other than changing the resolution. Come on guys, it’s 2023 🙁
When it comes to sound design, everything is spot-on. The voice cast behind the cartoon reprise their roles to excellent results. There is a new OST in addition to numerous songs from the cartoon. The OST is definitely good, even though they loop a lot.
Real Talk
As a platformer, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake doesn’t reinvent the wheel (few games have). It’s a fairly standard platformer, but has all the ingredients that make a fan go “jumping jellyfish!”. A fun story and the signature humor, combined with varied, good-looking levels and a campaign that doesn’t overstay its welcome, do help in negating some of its glaring flaws such as the lackluster combat and unrewarding exploration. If you’re not familiar with SpongeBob and want just want to buy in for the platforming experience, there are better games out there. But if you’re in for SpongeBob, The Cosmic Shake won’t disappoint.
P.S, the Indian regional pricing for the game, while matching Steam’s recommended pricing, is a lot higher than what people here would pay for such a game. Hence, it’d be in your best interest to buy the game at a discount.
FINAL RATING: RECOMMENDED