SpongeBob: Tidal Titans makes Patrick playable and drops last‑gen — here’s the real story

Why This Caught My Eye

I’ve got a soft spot for Purple Lamp’s run with SpongeBob. Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated was a lovingly faithful remaster, and The Cosmic Shake proved they could make a new, modern platformer without losing the Saturday morning vibe. So when THQ Nordic and Purple Lamp showed off SpongeBob: Tidal Titans, I paid attention – especially when they said it’s ditching PS4/Xbox One and making Patrick fully playable with real-time swaps. That’s not just marketing fluff; that changes how this series can feel moment-to-moment.

Key Takeaways

• Patrick is finally a fully playable lead, and you can swap between him and SpongeBob on the fly.
• Dropping last-gen enables a visible visual jump – denser scenes, reactive costumes, and nice touches like footprints in sand.
• Abilities are complementary: SpongeBob’s karate/pizza-glide versus Patrick’s sand-burrow, cannon-launches, and a lasso to grab/throw.
• Expect classic series humor, boss fights, and bonus challenge levels alongside a story about fixing a spat between the Flying Dutchman and Neptune.

Breaking Down the Announcement

Hands up: this was a hands-off showing. No controller time, but we saw several gameplay slices with dev commentary. The premise is pure SpongeBob nonsense (in the best way): after an argument between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune, Bikini Bottom residents – including our absorbent hero — end up ghosted, literally. SpongeBob and Patrick set out to reconcile the titans and un-haunt the town. That setup lets Purple Lamp play with a spectral twist: when you swap between characters, one takes the “ghost” role while the other handles the physical world.

Mechanically, this looks like Trine-style problem solving without the co-op: puzzles and combat rooms that ask you to flip between characters mid-action to chain abilities. SpongeBob brings familiar moves — karate chops and a pizza-box glide — while Patrick’s kit adds traversal and utility. We saw Patrick burrow under sand, launch himself via cannon-like nodes, and use a lasso to yank enemies or objects before tossing them. It’s the kind of asymmetry these games needed; The Cosmic Shake had personality but leaned on repetitive combat. Here, the interplay suggests more systemic level design and fewer “hit the glowing weak spot three times” filler moments.

Boss fights are confirmed, though none were shown. Expect the usual platformer mix: combat rooms, puzzle beats, and collectible-driven detours, with optional bonus levels promising tougher tests for the dexterity crowd. Importantly, the devs stressed that the baseline is approachable for younger players. That balance — accessibility without turning the main path into a moving walkway — is where licensed platformers often stumble. The bonus stages could be the safety valve that keeps everyone happy.

Why Dropping Last‑Gen Could Be a Big Deal

The team explicitly said the visual leap comes from leaving PS4 and Xbox One behind, and it shows. The slices we saw were saturated with detail and motion: busier environments, props that react to character movement, and little touches like footprints tracking through sand. That’s not just pretty — reactive elements make platforming feedback snappier and puzzles easier to read at a glance.

This is where the franchise benefits most from current-gen focus. Denser scenes and more effects usually mean steadier frame rates and faster loads — critical in a game that wants you swapping characters on the fly and retrying tricky sections. We’ll need real-world testing to confirm performance, of course, but cutting last-gen friction is a strong signal.

On the style side, expect a costume free-for-all. Both heroes sport a broad wardrobe, mixing returning outfits with new ones — including a cheeky “Natural Costume Pack” that leaves Patrick stark naked (well, more than usual) and SpongeBob baring his square backside. It fits the show’s energy, and the team’s slapstick sensibility is intact: yes, we saw the meme-y “One eternity later” card used to punctuate a gag.

The Gamer’s Perspective: Co‑op Dreams, Difficulty, and Cosmetic Questions

Let’s talk about the obvious question: is there co-op? The demo emphasized single-player swapping. That design can be great — instant control avoids AI babysitting — but SpongeBob feels tailor-made for couch co-op chaos. If co-op isn’t included, it’s a missed opportunity for family play. THQ Nordic hasn’t clarified yet, and they should, because it changes how many of us plan to play this.

Difficulty looks sensibly tiered: friendly main path, spicy bonus levels. The hope is that the “combine abilities in real time” stuff shows up early enough to teach the rhythm without overwhelming kids. If Purple Lamp learned from Cosmic Shake’s repetition and sprinkles those combo-centric puzzles throughout, Tidal Titans could land closer to the “simple to start, satisfying to master” sweet spot.

Cosmetics are another flag. “Natural Costume Pack” sounds like DLC branding. Maybe it’s just an in-game unlock set; maybe it’s paid. The series has historically let you earn plenty of outfits by playing, and that’s the right move for a kid-forward platformer. If there’s a paid layer, keep it cosmetic-only and reasonably priced — no drip-feed battle pass nonsense, please.

Looking Ahead

From a hands-off view, this is the most promising SpongeBob game Purple Lamp has built. The current-gen focus gives it a visual pop the series has never really had, and the Bob/Patrick swap finally injects mechanical identity instead of leaning solely on nostalgia. We didn’t see bosses or get performance stats, and platforms beyond “not PS4/Xbox One” weren’t detailed, so there are key blanks to fill. But if the level design truly leans into ability synergy — not just gated switches — Tidal Titans could be a legit, modern 3D platformer that happens to star a porous square.

TL;DR

SpongeBob: Tidal Titans makes Patrick fully playable and lets you swap between him and Bob in real time, with complementary abilities and a brighter, denser world made possible by dropping last-gen. Humor’s intact, challenge looks layered, but we still need clarity on co-op, platforms, and whether those costume packs are unlocks or DLC. Cautiously excited — this could be the series’ best shot at modern relevance.