Chris Kavan's Game Review of South Park: The Stick of Truth

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Chris Kavan - wrote on 08/11/16

The road to the release of South Park: The Stick of Truth was quite bumpy. The game suffered numerous delays and even South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone made fun of the process in one of their episodes. That being said, while the game isn't perfect, it more than impressed me. Mainly the game captures everything great about South Park - including the crude humor - while still being an excellent overall RPG experience. It might have been a chore to get here, but it was worth the wait.

Presentation: Given the overall simplicity of the South Park animation, the game really does look like an episode of the show. The character design and voices are all spot-on and the story follows something you would see in an episode (and, in fact, does closely tie in with some of the episodes in Season 17). But more than that, there are so many references to find throughout the game (from the first season up to the current one in which year the game was released) that it's also like taking a trip down South Park memory lane. Everyone is here - Chef, The Goth kids, Mr. Slave, City Sushi, Butters, Tweak, Chinpokemon - I could go on an on.

Needless to say, the animation is stellar and I found no imperfections to speak of. Plus, there is a great bit where you go to Canada that changes to a great 16-bit throwback (including the music) and that was both hilarious and ingenious. I can't fault anything - the dialogue, music, sound effects - it's really like stepping in to an episode of the show. Granted, if you're not a fan you won't get nearly as much entertainment out of it, but I have been a long-time fan and I think they did a damn fine job.

Story: You enter the game as the "new kid" who stumbles upon the children of South Park playing a new game of Elves vs. Humans (think larping with kids). You are recruited by Eric Cartman to help the humans control the all-powerful Stick of Truth. While things start off very innocent and fun, soon enough there are aliens, Nazi zombies and Canadians to deal with. Lucky for you, you have the power to take on any enemy with the power of your farts and through dedication and training you will become the savior of South Park. The game includes so many different ideas and characters from Underpants Gnomes to the Girls Club and so much more, I was often impressed by how much they packed in to the game.

Gameplay: The main game has you walking the city of South Park (and Canada) where you can interact with nearly everything. Opening drawers and such gives you access to junk you can sell along with the occasional dye, equipment (both weapons and armor and items to change your appearance) and recovery items. You can also talk to a variety of people, one of the main aspects of the game is making friends with the people of South Park which, in turn, unlocks certain perks. Likewise you gain levels which unlocks abilities you can use in battle. There is a fast-travel system though grinding for case (especially late in the game) becomes a chore. If you want to get everything, prepare to break a lot of things to sell the junk that comes out.

In battle, the game plays like a traditional turn-based RPG. Your party only consists of two characters (yourself and one other helper). But instead of just choosing one thing to do, the game also consists of hitting buttons to do maximum damage as well as block incoming attacks. Each turn you can use one attack and (if you choose) one item or special ability. You have a gauge for health, one for special attacks and one for mana (otherwise known as the fart meter). Each one can be refilled using items or equipping patches on your weapon and armor that give you auto refill for things like killing an enemy. I played as a standard warrior but you can also be a mage, thief or... Jew (because of course you can). Each class has specific weapons and abilities that apply to them though by the end of the game you're likely to be a killing machine if you choose the right weapons and armor and patches no matter what class you pick. Also, you'll always be able to fart on people and if you choose Cartman as your partner late in the game, he can decimate foes with his abilities.

The worst thing I can say about Stick of Truth is it does start to get very repetitive toward the end. Sure the Canada part is a nice twist but overall the fighting gets kind of boring and you become way too overpowered for anything to be much of a threat.

Replayability: Mostly replaying lies in choosing a different class in the beginning or going for some of the more difficult or hidden achievements.

Overall: If you are a fan of South Park, this game has a lot to offer and if you are an RPG fan, you will have a pretty good time. If you are a fan of both, this is a dream come true.

Presentation: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability: 4/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5