| SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game | |||
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| Gameplay & Story | Release Date | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Patrick Star finally steps into the spotlight as the leading star in this new open-world sandbox game. Read our review of its early access build to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Review Overview
What is SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game?
Become a star! Patrick Star, that is, in his standalone game where you play as the titular starfish as he goes into Bikini Bottom in all of his bumbling glory to do whatever he wants! That could either be breaking into people’s houses, doing favors given to him by his friends, or rolling down hills and roads, plowing into anything or anyone in his way! The world is your oyster, so it’s up to you to have fun and do whatever you want!
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game features:
⚫︎ Open-World Sandbox Game
⚫︎ Play as Spongebob’s Best Friend Patrick Star
⚫︎ Get to meet Spongebob and his friends
⚫︎ Set in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom
⚫︎ Mini-games and collectibles
⚫︎ Collect and wear all sorts of Patrick Star costumes
⚫︎ Full-Voice Acted
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game's gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
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 Switch |
 Steam |
 PlayStation |
 Xbox |
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| Price | $39.99 | ||||||
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Fully Voice-Acted Explorable and Destroyable Bikini Bottom | It looks and plays like an Ugly Barnacle Chum Bucket Mini-Games |
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Overall Score - 60/100
Is this a SpongeBob game? No, this is Patrick’s first solo game. But much like his spin-off show, it's a bit of a disaster. While it does a decent job of recreating Bikini Bottom, it drains all the fun and charm, making it feel like a cheap knock-off—something Mr. Krabs would try to sell to unsuspecting kids. And that’s a load of barnacle. Mayonnaise isn’t an instrument, and it sure isn’t a video game either, but by Neptune, it would definitely play better than this tartar sauce.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Story - 5/10
This Neptune-forsaken game barely has any story, and the most you’ll get is an unfortunate heap of Chum Bucket-level writing. The dialogue feels lazy, and the only redeeming aspect is a few decent cutscenes.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Gameplay - 6/10
Sandbox games are supposed to ignite your IMAGINATION, but someone had the bright idea to build Bikini Bottom and push all its personality somewhere else! I’ll admit, the kid in me had some fun causing chaos around Bikini Bottom, but the excitement faded fast. Once the novelty wore off, it became clear how clunky, messy, and sometimes downright unplayable this game is—like trying to drive a boatmobile with a broken steering wheel.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Visuals - 6/10
The game’s visuals are passable, but they fall short compared to previous SpongeBob games. It's plagued by horrible bugs, awkward noclip issues, and occasionally jarring animations, leaving the world feeling lifeless. While it's nice to see iconic landmarks and main characters looking decent, the rest of the game doesn’t hold up. Doodlebob could do a better job.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Audio - 8/10
It seems all the sand dollars went into hiring the show's cast and crafting a decent soundtrack. The voice acting, especially Bill Fagerbakke, is solid, and they don't just phone it in. Unfortunately, the audio engineering feels like it was handled by Patrick himself—uneven and at times terrible. Some lines are inaudible, and the music awkwardly cuts off as soon as you leave certain areas.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Value for Money - 5/10
Unfortunately, Patrick Star’s debut game is a messy, unpolished experience that ultimately feels like a cash grab on the SpongeBob IP. There are far better SpongeBob games out there for you and your kids to enjoy together. It's also unlikely this game will ever see updates or patches to fix its issues. Honestly, I’d rather get stung by a jellyfish than play it again.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Review: Mayonaise Would Be A Better Game
To quote Patrick himself: “It may be stupid, but it’s also dumb!” This game embodies that sentiment perfectly. While there is some fun to be had, it's ultimately a disappointing mess that shows how far we've strayed from Stephen Hillenburg's vision. You begin in Patrick’s dream, riding a seahorse, which introduces some mechanics like riding and grabbing objects.
From the start, I knew something was off when they didn’t even animate Patrick getting off the seahorse. While it’s not a huge issue in a sandbox game, it feels jarring.
Once you wake up, the basic plot revolves around Patrick’s day as he goes about doing whatever he wants, embracing his bumbling, lovable nature. Controlling Patrick is a mixed bag. I appreciate his unique controls, like the ability to sleep, roll around town, and even burp—though that does absolutely nothing.
His high jump is a nice touch, but moving him feels stiff and slow, which fits his character. Still, I would have preferred a more fluid and quicker walk animation. It feels like he’s constantly drifting, and the camera is a nightmare, especially when trying to grab items. It quickly becomes tedious to maneuver him around.
I will say they did a great job capturing the look of Bikini Bottom, and the map is a decent size for exploration. As a sandbox game, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to wreak havoc in Bikini Bottom, much like the meme where SpongeBob and Patrick “saved” the town.
There’s some joy in stealing people's boatmobiles and driving around, causing chaos while exploring iconic landmarks like Glove World and the Krusty Krab. I also really appreciate that the original voice actors are back. Unfortunately, that’s where the praise ends.
The game claims to be a sandbox, but it feels surprisingly restrictive and lacks the free-spirited fun you’d expect. Most of the buildings can’t even be accessed—not even iconic spots like the Krusty Krab or SpongeBob’s pineapple home. Bikini Bottom feels stripped of its personality, with bland NPCs that look copy-pasted and barely animated.
There are only a handful of things you can use to create some chaotic fun, and even that gets old fast.
The majority of the gameplay revolves around tedious quests that mostly boil down to dull mini-games, with maybe one or two exceptions that are mildly entertaining. Even the collectibles don’t do much to liven things up. You’re tasked with finding Mayo jars, an obvious nod to Patrick’s line about whether mayonnaise is an instrument, but they don’t add much.
As for the costumes, they’re alright, referencing classic episodes, but they don’t really enhance the gameplay or add anything meaningful. It all feels half-baked and uninspired.
Pros of SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game
| Things SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Got Right |
|---|
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Fully Voice-Acted Fully Explorable and Destroyable Bikini Bottom |
Fully Voice-Acted
If there’s one thing this game absolutely nailed, it’s getting the SpongeBob cast to reprise their roles. I never get tired of hearing those iconic voices, especially Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick. He’s truly a gem, and even after 24 years, he’s still fantastic in the role. It’s amazing to think about how many generations have grown up—and are still growing up—with his voice bringing Patrick to life.
Explorable and Destroyable Bikini Bottom
Despite my many issues with the gameplay, there’s a certain charm in causing chaos and wreaking havoc in Bikini Bottom. Roaming around the underwater city and seeing all the iconic landmarks has its own novelty. Plus, stealing people’s boatmobiles and joyriding through town? That’s a huge W wumbo.
Cons of SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game
| Things That SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Can Improve |
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It looks and plays like an Ugly Barnacle Chum Bucket Mini-Games |
It looks and plays like an Ugly Barnacle
The Patrick Star Game is definitely the ugly barnacle of the SpongeBob series. There are some redeeming qualities, like Patrick’s design looking decent and the unlockable costumes being a nice touch, but overall, it’s far from visually appealing—certainly nowhere near Handsome Squidward levels. The colors feel blurred, and on top of that, the game runs poorly with frequent FPS drops, stuttering, and frustrating camera issues. Controlling Patrick feels clunky, and half the time, it’s just not enjoyable.
Chum Bucket Mini-Games
The inner machinations of The Patrick Star Game is an enigma, and nothing highlights this more than the mini-games. What were they thinking with these half-baked, poorly developed mini-games? We aren’t cavemen—we have technology! Yet, it feels like this wasn’t programmed properly at all. One prime example is the task of clearing the park so Squidward can relax. I had to restart the world twice because the mini-game glitched, refusing to end even after I’d already removed all the fish from the area. Bugs like this are all over the game, and I might have forgiven them if the mini-games were actually fun—but they aren’t. Thankfully, if you don’t enjoy a mini-game, you can usually just leave without finishing it.
Is SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Worth It?
Just Get or Replay Battle for Bikini Bottom
At $39.99, this game is definitely not worth the price. There are far better SpongeBob titles out there, like Battle for Bikini Bottom or Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, where you or your kids can actually have fun. This game, on the other hand, feels like a lazy cash grab of the SpongeBob IP.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch |
Steam |
PlayStation |
Xbox |
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| Price | $39.99 | ||||||
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game FAQ
Do the Spongebob Voice Actors Reprise Their Role in The Patrick Star Game?
Yes, the voice actors of the show are playing their respective roles in this game with Tom Kenny as Spongebob and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick.
Will The Patrick Star Game be released on Bill Fagerbakke’s birthday?
The game actually shares the same date as Patrick Star’s voice actor’s birthday, which is October 4th.
Which Spongebob Squarepants Characters Show Up in the Game?
⚫︎ Spongebob
⚫︎ Patrick
⚫︎ Squidward
⚫︎ Sandy
⚫︎ Mr. Krabs
⚫︎ Plankton
⚫︎ Mrs. Puff
⚫︎ Gary
Game8 Reviews
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SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Product Information
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| Title | SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE PATRICK STAR GAME |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 4, 2024 |
| Developer | PHL Collective |
| Publisher | Outright Games |
| Supported Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Number of Players | Single Player |
| Rating | ESRB E |
| Official Website | SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game Official Website |
