South Park: The Stick of Truth is a role-playing game which came out in 2014 and which was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and South Park Digital Studios. It is a game adaptation of the South Park TV show, which is an Emmy-winning show created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The game itself was written by the iconic duo. The game has a feel of an extended TV show episode, with it's plot being boys who fight for the Stick of Truth, disguised as humans and elves.
The Game Made for the Fans
The game simply works. I am a big fan of the TV show(one of the, if not the best, comedy TV shows for me) and the humor in this game is spot on. The feel you get from exploring South Park, the nostalgia when you see all of the references, the iconic quotes and remarks of the characters, it is all so well adapted. It only enhances the feeling of playing an episode. Writing this is kind of closing a circle for me, because even though I watched a couple of episodes of South Park, it wasn't until I watched Pewdiepie's playthrough of this game, that I have decided to watch the show itself, and now I have played the game understanding the references and writing the review. Thank you Pewdiepie! Back to the point, the game is simply hilarious even if you are not a South Park fan, but the mish-mash of pop culture references, classic characters and quotes and the town itself is what any fan will appreciate. Also, I loved how the classic South Park songs play when you enter buildings, it is such a nice touch. The soundtrack in general is great and it has a feel of epicness. The character you make and control is a New Kid in the town, which is a good move because you see and feel the town through him. The graphics style is true to the tv show, which greatly helps the game.
Fun Gameplay
Since this game is a game and not an episode, let's talk about the gameplay. The game has a turn-based mechanic where for the most of the game you have a supporting character who fights alongside your main character. You choose a class for your main character, which can be a Fighter, Thief, Mage or a Jew. As in most turn-based RPGs, you can attack, you can inflict status ailments, you have summons similar to Final Fantasy, which are all South Park characters which I will not spoil, but you should try them out. Farting is a big fart, I mean part of this game. You can fart whenever or wherever you want by pressing the designated button. It is amusing to do it and watch the reactions of the pedestrians or characters you know. You also have couple of types of farting and it is necessary to use it to progress in the story. It is also possible to defeat enemies outside of the battle or to inflict status ailments prior to the battle, which automatically makes the battles easier. I personally enjoyed so much exploring the town and completing the side quests, they are so much fun.
Short Game and Relatively Easy
I've got two gripes with the game: It is a bit short for a RPG and it can be relatively easy. I completed the game, including doing almost all of the side quest and a lot of exploring, in 15 hours of clock time, which can't be much. Also, when you get certain moves and equipment, your opponents can't touch you. Maximum level cap of Level 15 is also a bit small. The game hasn't got much of a replay value as well, because your choices in the game don't change much. Those are just my minor gripes to this game, which succeeds in that which it wanted to accomplish.
A Great Game Overall
South Park: The Stick of Truth is a great RPG game and a great adaptation of the TV show, which will please both gamers and fans of the show. It has a nice mechanic and a feel to it, and it is enjoyable to be able to explore the titular town, as well as a certain other country. I recommend it to any South Park fan and any RPG fan. If you want, you can answer the poll below, I would appreciate it.
9/10