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SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH (PS3)
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Publisher: Ubisoft.
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment. Released: March 2014. Genre: RPG. Other versions: PS4; XONE; X360; PC. Posted 12th August 2024. By Shane Battams © 2024 |
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After a series of unflattering games courtesy of Acclaim and the show’s creators becoming more protective of the license, it seemed as though South Park would be forever unable to produce a game worthy of the animated show’s long-running status. The Stick of Truth would face many hurdles, with an elongated, five-year development cycle punctuated by staff lay-offs, the collapse of THQ, and the company’s subsequent acquisition by Ubisoft. Despite all the odds, this role-playing parody is easily the most faithful South Park game thus far, and a worthwhile game in its own right.
As the new kid who’s just moved into the quiet town of South Park, you stumble into a war between The Kingdom of Kupa Keep and the Drow Elves. As they vie for the all-powerful Stick of Truth, the story eventually dissolves into pure insanity. Alien abduction, Nazi zombies and a new Taco Bell are just a few elements of its madcap narrative. It’s exactly how you’d imagine a South Park game would play out. With the involvement of Matt Stone and Trey Parker it feels incredibly faithful for the show. Their vocal talents are used for a plethora of digs at pop culture, gaming and the show itself. Whether referring to turn-based combat as “like fighting in the olden times”, a hilarious intro which feels like South Park does Lord of the Rings, and the litany of absurd twists which keep the action flowing, there’s several laugh-out-loud moments over the course of the adventure. Well, unless you detest crude humour, that is. Each character feels ripped straight from the show, voiced to perfection by the duo. The sheer mockery the main character receives is a delight, with repeated attempts to enter your own name refuted by Cartman, referring to you as “douchebag”.
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The Stick of Truth captures not just the look but the humour of the show, to brilliant effect
This scrupulous imitation of the show doesn’t end there. The Stick of Truth would be the first game to map the entirety of the fictional Colorado town, and it’s incredibly fun to explore. From being able to enter each of the main character’s houses, to iconic shops like Jimbo’s Guns and City Wok serving as merchants, chances are you’ll spot a locale you’ll recognise from the show, easily. There’s a slew of noteworthy places to explore, including the 16-bit Canada, the Lost Forest maze and a UFO spaceship. With 2.5D gameplay, it retains the aesthetic of the show but gives you the chance to explore for Easter eggs, collectables and hidden jokes. It’s certainly not the biggest map, but for die-hard fans of the show, you may find yourself spending hours just taking in the fine recreation of South Park.
With Obsidian at the helm, The Stick of Truth has solid RPG fundamentals powering its adventure, albeit with simplified mechanics. Turn-based battles allow you to strike, cast magic and perform extravagant special moves using PP. When enemies strike, a visual indicator allows you to block and reduce damage, adding an element of interactivity and tactics to the otherwise straightforward combat. Players can equip a slew of weapons, patches to add buffs and attire, and with four different classes available each with their own perks and disadvantages, there’s plenty of opportunities for customisation. Outside of that, there’s some nice comedic tactics for combat, such as throwing faeces to gross-out an opponent. Combat difficulty generally veers towards the easy side, and with fairly shallow mechanics, it won’t replace any of your all-time favourite RPGs. While maybe not the deepest RPG out there, it is easily the funniest.
With Obsidian at the helm, The Stick of Truth has solid RPG fundamentals powering its adventure, albeit with simplified mechanics. Turn-based battles allow you to strike, cast magic and perform extravagant special moves using PP. When enemies strike, a visual indicator allows you to block and reduce damage, adding an element of interactivity and tactics to the otherwise straightforward combat. Players can equip a slew of weapons, patches to add buffs and attire, and with four different classes available each with their own perks and disadvantages, there’s plenty of opportunities for customisation. Outside of that, there’s some nice comedic tactics for combat, such as throwing faeces to gross-out an opponent. Combat difficulty generally veers towards the easy side, and with fairly shallow mechanics, it won’t replace any of your all-time favourite RPGs. While maybe not the deepest RPG out there, it is easily the funniest.
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Outside of combat, there’s a few mechanics which add some swerves. The New Kid has the ability to fart, channelling his cheeks to perform a variety of magic moves. This has use in combat, often stunning foes during power-up animations. It’s also is useable outside of gameplay, allowing you not only to fart on any character in the game (and earn some dubious trophies too) but also to solve environmental puzzles. You’ll be able to break objects blocking the path, set alight flames to cause an explosion and sneak a squeaker to distract guards. New Kid also gains access to special powers, such as an alien anal probe and gnome dust, allowing you to teleport and shrink down respectively. These are often needed to reach the myriad of collectables, ranging from Chinpokomon to Facebook Friends. It adds a great wrinkle to exploration.
The Stick of Truth’s flaws are noticeable, though few in number. The main issues stem from a lack of polish, with a chugging frame rate and stutter during both exploration and combat. The sound can also have a tendency to cut out, robbing you of the comedic moments during battles. There’s also a general chugginess to the game, with plentiful loading times and slow-navigating menus which take you out of the game. While not comparable with the notorious, technical nightmares endured by Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas, you can tell that parts of the game (despite its lengthy development cycle) lack polish. There are also some odd moments of censorship, although as usual, Parker and Stone take glee in mocking this decision with static screens and a sarcastic description of the censored moments.
The Stick of Truth’s flaws are noticeable, though few in number. The main issues stem from a lack of polish, with a chugging frame rate and stutter during both exploration and combat. The sound can also have a tendency to cut out, robbing you of the comedic moments during battles. There’s also a general chugginess to the game, with plentiful loading times and slow-navigating menus which take you out of the game. While not comparable with the notorious, technical nightmares endured by Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas, you can tell that parts of the game (despite its lengthy development cycle) lack polish. There are also some odd moments of censorship, although as usual, Parker and Stone take glee in mocking this decision with static screens and a sarcastic description of the censored moments.
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This sums up why South Park: The Stick of Truth is absolutely worthwhile. Despite some issues, The Stick of Truth remains on track with excellent humour, a dedication to mockery and the most faithful take on the license yet. From the tongue-in-cheek jabs at the genre, to the recreated map of South Park and the simple, yet engaging, combat, it also succeeds on its own terms. The effort from Obsidian and South Park studios will please fans of the show no end, and while some may be unimpressed by the basic nature of the role-playing mechanics, those who can overlook a sometimes-shallow experience should still come away laughing.
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VERDICT
"One of the funniest RPGs you’ll ever play. The game’s cutting humour may prove polarising, but The Stick of Truth is the most faithful gaming iteration of South Park, and fans will love it." OVERALL: 8/10 |
OTHER GAMES BASED ON ANIMATION SERIES' REVIEWED
The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare (1993, Super Nintendo)
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Family Guy Video Game! (2006, PlayStation 2)
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