Yes, I know this came out in March. But I recently was able to check it out thanks to a PSN sale and I feel I need to give you my opinions on this game. Yes, South Park The Stick of Truth is so good I feel it necessary to give you my opinion on this game over half a year later. Yes, it's a giant love letter to South Park fans, but even if you don't really follow the show you should still give this a look. It's a remarkable achievement for video game adaptations and sets the gold standard for future ones.
In The Stick of Truth (which as you may know is a collaboration between South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian), you are the New Kid in South Park. You create your character in a satisfactory character creator, than you are forced out of your house by your dad to go make friends. You meet Butters, are given the name Douchebag, and are thrust into a "war" with Cartman's Humans and Kyle's Elves, eventually making a choice as to who to side with. Of course, just like in the show, things escalate rapidly and hilariously. Pretty soon you'll be fighting the government at the site of a crashed UFO (disguised as the construction site of a new Taco Bell), Nazi Zombies, aborted fetuses, and even a ManBearPig. And the Canada section is cleverly played in 8-Bit form. It's all woven together incredibly well and hilariously, making it one of the best narratives this year. Of course, the characters from the show that you meet in game are entertaining as well. And remember this is South Park, so some of the humor may cross some lines for you. I personally was not offended by any of the humor, but if you are that's okay. The voice acting is phenomenal, with Trey Parker and Matt Stone lending their incredible voices to 90% of the game's cast. The show's composer Jamie Dunlap provides an excellent score for the game. In terms of visuals, the game looks exactly like the show, and I only noticed a few frame rate drops during my time playing it. One of the most remarkable things about The Stick of Truth is that it feels like you're watching a full season of South Park. My only problem with the presentation was that it felt a little bit too short. Yes it's 14 hours, but there's a point in the game near the end where they could have added another 2-3 hours worth of story content, but skipped that in favor of entering the finale. I will not spoil it, but for those who have played the game, it's right after you return from Canada. The game is so good however it does entice a second play through.
The Stick of Truth is an Open World RPG that lets you explore a fully mapped out South Park, in addition to The Lost Forest, a Farm, and eventually Canada. You can partake in side missions (although I do wish there was a bit more) and find all the collectibles, most notably the 30 Chipokomon hidden throughout the world. The combat of The Stick of Truth is not at all what I would expect from a South Park game, yet now I can't imagine playing one without it. It's a turn based strategy game that's akin to Paper Mario. You and a buddy from one of six friends fight against a group of enemies. Depending on which class you are (Fighter, Thief, Mage, or....Jew) your attacks may vary. You can use summons or use abilities to help beat your opponent. All the buddies also have unique attacks so that you can decide which one you would help you the most in battle. Want to take more of a defensive plan of attack? Use Jimmy who can replenish your power points and put your enemies to sleep or if you want a more offensive plan of attack use Butters who can transform into Mr. Chaos to rain hell on your enemies. The battles are really intense, fun, and entertaining (I mean come on, one of Al Gore's attacks is a lecture on Global Warming!). Oh and by the way the Trophies/Achievements are really fun to get (FYI they require a lot of farting).
THE VERDICT___________________________________________________________________
There is only one thing holding The Stick of Truth back from being a masterpiece, and that's the awkward abrupt transition to the finale. Besides that though, this game is still amazing. Everything, from the story, to the gameplay, to the Easter eggs feel like a big love letter to fans. This is still an enjoyable game for everyone else too. Any future South Park game must have great involvement with the show's creators just like this one did or they risk getting laughed at. The bottom line is that you are playing an interactive season of South Park and YOU are the star. Obsidian should be proud of the work they put into The Stick of Truth, despite all the delays and a change of publisher from THQ to Ubisoft, and I hope they can collaborate with Trey Parker and Matt Stone again soon.
9.8/10 Amazing
South Park: The Stick of Truth is available now on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. This review was of the PlayStation 3 version of the game. Experience may vary from platform to platform.
Buy South Park: The Stick of Truth on Amazon.
