What’s there to say a couple of SpongeBob SquarePants recreation that is lastly not centered across the titular sponge himself? Surprisingly, greater than you’d anticipate, however lower than you’d hope.
The best strategy to describe The Patrick Star Sport is that it’s Nickelodeon’s try to copy the Goat Simulator collection: a pure sandbox map, no actual aims or plot, with quests and actions to undertake from a well-known solid of characters. It’s a separation from the platforming-centric entries of Battle for Bikini Backside and The Cosmic Shake, and a refreshing strategy to allow us to free on this charming world. Solely it by no means actually does a lot to wow, does not carry sufficient of the humour the animated collection was as soon as identified for, and is – for lack of higher phrases – fairly janky. I do know, so is Goat Simulator, however right here it isn’t a great factor.
Earlier than I am going too far into pummelling your poor favorite starfish, let me make one thing clear: I nonetheless had a enjoyable sufficient time enjoying this recreation, at the same time as a 26-year-old man – however admittedly I grew up with the present it’s primarily based on. Nonetheless, as a working grownup, I in all probability would not have spent the £30 to £35 they’re charging for this expertise. It is not outrageous, and maybe there will be extra value and longevity to maintain your baby entertained, nevertheless it was a better ask than I used to be anticipating having performed it for some time.
Okay, now I’m carried out pummelling. This can be a recreation the place you do not actually must suppose. About something. And that is form of fantastic. You simply run round, converse to numerous characters – which function the unique voice solid – and take part in some odd duties. Dig for treasure within the dump, race across the driving faculty, discover gloves in Glove World, or participate in an Overcooked-style minigame the place you are making an attempt to make Krabby Patty orders in an act of free labour for a sure low cost crab. I am glad it panned out this fashion; the story-driven platformers may be nice, certain, however to step away in a recreation targeted on Patrick and simply do stuff – that is one of the best method for it, I really feel.
Do some form of process that doesn’t really want an evidence, whether or not that be eradicating the general public from Squidward’s sunbathing spot or skydiving with Sandy, and earn Sand {Dollars}. It’s not fairly an actual foreign money, although – extra of a rating for the way a lot you’ve carried out, and the extra you earn, you routinely unlock varied iconic outfits calling again to traditional episodes of the TV present. It’s a pleasant contact, and a strategy to get much more references within the recreation for followers of the collection, however when it closely depends on references over any new humour or persona, it fails to succeed in past a great expertise.
When it comes to it feeling fairly janky, it’s a physics-based sandbox that has a devoted choice to reset the world, as a result of it is aware of the world goes to get messy, rapidly. However apart from occasions once I’d have to reset every little thing resulting from an impediment of my very own inflicting, there have been different occasions once I’d have to restart a quest I’d already spent a little bit of time on as a result of it simply… broke.
I’d discovered 24 of 30 aims for a particular quest, and after some time of trying, none others have been there. It wasn’t even throughout the entire map, only one particular location, and I made certain that I wasn’t lacking something – for a great hour. Positive, I can respect that there’s an possibility for quest restarts, however I additionally want it wouldn’t be wanted. It’s in any other case a chill, easy recreation, so when that will get minimize brief and you need to backtrack, it kills a few of that enjoyment fairly a bit.
Nonetheless, I’m conscious it is a SpongeBob recreation, so expectations have been by no means going to be too excessive. When you’re after a enjoyable sandbox expertise with loads of outfits to unlock, actions to undertake, aims to finish, and simply an open-yet-compact Bikini Backside to discover, then I’ve little doubt you’ll take pleasure in your time right here, price ticket apart. It’s in all probability one I’ll proceed to chip away at till I get the Platinum Trophy, simply because it’s a kind of easy-to-play video games like that.
The Patrick Star Sport is enjoyable, and to see the unique solid return for it’s a fantastic factor, however this deep-sea sandbox stays in comparatively shallow waters regardless of a wealthy historical past of references and callbacks. It’s in all probability a protected guess to maintain your youngsters entertained for a great whereas, however for us adults who nonetheless have a tender spot for SpongeBob SquarePants, that is nonetheless a strong suggestion – simply when the sport is on sale and also you’re searching for one thing easy to mindlessly work away at.
