Straight Up Reviews: South Park: The Stick of Truth

While I know the moment is long past, I thought I'd do my take on the South Park Games. Why? Because I beat the first one over a year ago.

When I was a kid, South Park was just as synonymous with Gaming as it was today. The first South Park Game I ever played was for the N64.

The story was relatively simple, a comet effected the earth ala Maximum Overdrive and caused many catastrophes related to the show at the time. You the player was tasked with playing Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny and were armed with weapons both common with children in a quiet mountain town (Piss Snowballs, Dodgeballs and a Dart Machine Gun.) and bizarre alien contraptions (Cow launcher, Visitor's mind control device, piranha shooter). Your enemies included: Mutant Turkeys, Dr. Mephisto's abominations, Visitors and Killer Toys. The game wasn't great in every sense of the word and even the Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were turned off at the notion of making this game let alone a series of games that were made at the time. Games such as:

Chef's Love Shack:

A Double Dare style trivia game show. 

South Park Rally:

A Mario Kart Knockoff.

It would seem like South Park wouldn't have any games associated with it, that weren't found on the net. That was until Ubisoft did a proposal to them in 2014.  One that seemed too good to refuse.

 

At this point they were in their  17th Season and producing a trilogy of episodes known as the "Black Friday Trilogy." The basic story being a Game of Thrones style LARP, where the kids were divided in factions on what to buy during Black Friday's discount day.  With Cartman wanting XBox and Stan wanting PS3. The episode kind of pissed me off because there was no faction even a parody faction that wanted Wii-U, but it was an all around entertaining romp that really stuck it to the annual Black Friday Riots.  Even going as far as splicing footage of the real riots with the ones in the show. With no one telling the difference. At the end of the episode, even when the kids agreed to one console, the bloodbath turned them off commercial gaming to the point where they preferred to keep their LARP up. Which ties directly into:

South Park: The Stick of Truth

A turn based strategy RPG game, where you're the star of it. What makes a game like this so unique is that it successfully emulates the tone and attitude of the characters within the show.  Whenever the kids do something like play Wizards and Warriors or Superheroes or Cops, they often skim the line between a child's imagination and the dangers of reality which they take just as seriously as their games. It's why they are willing to fight actual evil despite being kids playing games.

In this instance it revolves around two factions. The humans, lead by Cartman who is a Wizard and a King. Who rules the Kingdom of The Kupa Keep. (Yep, it's exactly what you're thinking of.) As well as The Drow Elves lead by Kyle. Whom have been locked in a civil war with each other over control of the titular item: The Stick of Truth.  Whoever controls The Stick Of Truth, controls the universe. A prophecy foretold of a new kid, who's arrival would turn the tides of their war depending on who gets to them first.  And that is where the reality side of the story sets in.

You play as the New Kid.  Who never speaks and rarely emotes, much to the frustration of his parents and those around him.  Because the kid is you, he is customized to your needs. So he could look whoever and whatever you want him to look like.  Unfortunately that doesn't apply to the name.  Upon encouragement from your parents, you are forced to go outside and make some friends, when you stumble upon Butters, a Paladin getting picked on by other kids.  After saving him, he in turn takes you to Kupa Keep and introduces you to the Wizard Cartman. After indoctrinating you, you get a choice of classes: Warrior, Mage, Thief or Jew.  (I picked Warrior.) and once picked you are to train in your abilities and how to handle yourself in combat.  While some RPGs now, use a system like this, it's fairly unique as it allows you to counter and defend yourself from oncoming attacks.  Which is what got me interested in this game. I got nothing against those that like turn based RPGs, but the one thing I couldn't stand was not being able to at least block oncoming attacks whenever it's someone else's turn. Hence why I don't play them after. So needless to say I got some satisfaction from this one.  After being trained you are shown the Stick of Truth and before you set out on your first mission, you are tasked with defending the kingdom from an invading Drow Elf army who come for the Stick.  While you successfully drive them off, the Stick is stolen and Clyde, who was tasked to guarding the stick is banished from space and time.  The whole game now is a huge quest to get the stick back, while at the same time participating in side missions that either further the story or give you a couple of good laughs along the way.

As the New Kid depending on your class you are accessed to a wide range of abilities, but the most unique of them all is your Fart Control abilities. 

Because South Park isn't without it's toilet humor, your character is able to weaponize various forms of flatulence that can get you a combative advantage or even remove obstacles from your path. From Dragonshout which will gross out your enemies and remove small obstacles to Nagasaki which can take down huge obstacles. 

Because you're not playing a specific character in South Park, as the new kid the bulk of the story revolves around you. Aliens abduct you, the government is after you and to top it off, on top of trying to help your new friends find the stick, you run afoul of rising epidemic of Nazi Zombies.  

Of course a game from South Park wouldn't be without it's call backs. One of the sidequests involves collecting Chinpokomon and you have to do missions for factions outside the wizard and warriors. From the Federation (Kevin Goddammit.) to the Girls (If it pleases and sparkles.) to the Goths (Life is pain.). The goths were my favorite part because despite their jerkish behavior they seem to warm up to the kid more than they get along with even the main characters. Showing a compassionate side to the Goth subculture rarely seen on the show as a whole.

The game was successful enough to warrant a direct sequel, which I haven't played yet:

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Where their main shtick is involving their superhero personas. But when I do play it, I will let you know my experiences on it. Until then, enjoy Stick of Truth, have a laugh and whatever you do: Don't fart on a man's balls.

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Haunted Murder.

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