Tie-in games often disappoint on two levels. Usually packing plenty of fan service but lacking in the gameplay department, they leave both fans of the series, and those just looking for a decent game somewhat wanting. 2007's The Simpsons Game is a great example of this, as a game that looked and sounded great, but was lacking in almost every other area, with an oddly half-soaked attempt at co-op play that pleased no-one.
Stepping up in 2014 in an attempt to fill the murky void labelled "TV licensed game that's actually quite good" is South Park: The Stick of Truth - a game that for a while was looking like it might be an unfortunate victim of publisher THQ's untimely demise. Joining the four boys from Colorado in an epic Role Playing Game (RPG) set in the absurd, violent and often extremely unpleasant world of South Park, much like The Simpsons Game, this tie-in's been written and performed by the show's creators and voice actors in order to make it as close to an interactive episode as possible. The only difference is, Stick of Truth manages to play well too. Really well, in fact.
Fireworks are never a good idea indoors.
Treading the line between staying true to its subject matter and being accessible to those who aren't a fan of the show, Stick of Truth is a solid action RPG - which is perhaps no less than you'd expect from a studio like Obsidian Entertainment, whose past role playing pedigree includes smash hits Neverwinter Nights 2 and Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. It's a game that had a lot to live up to, having to appease South Park fans who've been waiting an eternity for a decent game, as well as RPG aficionados looking for something other than the standard fantasy 'dragons and magic potions' stuff, but it works well as both a tribute to a very funny show and as an accessible and enjoyable RPG.
From the get go, The Stick of Truth messes with the conventions of the RPG and it's clear that the writers have relished the opportunity to poke fun at the rules of games in general. As in most role-players you're able to custom-build your character, with a variety of skin tones, hairstyles, clothes and accessories to choose from, with each combination happening to look just like a background character in the show. Soon after, the game sets you up as a non-speaking, nameless character, in the vein of the countless silent protagonists that are par for the course in these kinds of games. As the new kid in town (referred to only as 'Douchebag' by your fellow kids after an inspired trick the game plays early on) you're quickly swept up in a bitter and bloody conflict between humans and elves that's straight out of Tolkien. Except here the warring races are two factions of violent, foul-mouthed children playing let's pretend on an epic scale to gain control of the titular and mythical Stick of Truth (Spoiler Alert: it's a stick). It's a setup that fits perfectly with the series, and sets the stage for a fresh take on the classic RPG environment for some good old fashioned adventuring.
To battle!
The game holds your hand fairly tightly to begin with, ensuring that RPG newcomers aren't overwhelmed or put off by the prospect of exploring a huge environment and engaging in complicated battles, with tutorial elements that are pretty well integrated into the story, and never feel overdone. In RPG terms The Stick of Truth is actually fairly straightforward, but easing players in works well, with each initial battle introducing new ideas and mechanics gradually. In fact, the early battles are made all the more enjoyable by having Cartman (as 'The Wizard King') berate your bad timing or mock you when you take damage.
Once you're up and running, you're given pretty much free reign of the land, and can explore the environment in search of clues, raid cupboards and trash cans in search of keys or loot to sell or use in battle, and get distracted from the job at hand by numerous side quests. Notifications pop up on screen keeping you up to date with objectives and new friend requests, and it's fun just to explore the town, running into numerous characters from the show and running errands for them. To help you find your way from place to place there's a detailed map and inventory system on hand which is unfortunately a bit of a pain to use. Designed to resemble a Facebook-style interface, switching between the various pages of info at your disposal feels cumbersome and off-putting, especially at first. There's plenty of scope to equip weapons, view your items and check your objectives, and there are shortcuts that allow you to navigate with a bit more ease but still, we could have done with a more intuitive setup.
Yeah. Not that easy to follow.
Of course exploration's only part of the story. Turn-based battles punctuate your exploration of South Park, and like Nintendo's Mario & Luigi series, involve an element of timing (press X at the right time to dish more damage/avoid taking damage kind of thing) along with the usual grind of constantly searching for a fancier sword or potion. It's not long before you're offered the choice of one of four available classes: Fighter, Mage, Thief and Jew (these are Cartman's rules after all). Each offers different abilities and attacks, like the Mage's Dragon's Breath or the Jew's 'Plagues of Egypt' special attack, but whichever you choose the game plays out the same in the end. Certain enemies are less hassle with particular classes, but we didn't run in to too much trouble as (at least early on) battles are on the easy side. The difficulty ramps up as the game progresses, but the mechanics of battle don't change too much, and as such scraps do become a bit of a chore after a while.
That said, you do have a range of moves to choose from. Long and short range attacks are at your disposal along with a selection of special moves and counters, and while it takes a few fights to really feel comfortable with the controls, before long they're second nature, and you'll be dealing maximum damage with all kinds of weapon-based and magical attacks, each with hilarious and often brutal consequences. They may be kids, but as any fan of South Park will tell you, that quiet little mountain town is home to some dangerous characters. The battles are well designed, but the timing required to effectively block and counter-attack is a little unresponsive, and it's all too easy to take heavy damage early on. This coupled with some slightly-too-long loading times mean that it's not quite as streamlined an experience as we would have hoped.
Yeah...
The Stick of Truth's big achievement is that it manages to work as a fully featured RPG without losing the South Park feel. Status ailments that can affect your character in battle are present and correct for instance, but instead of curses or potions here characters get 'grossed out' by having poo or rotten eggs flung at them, while a well-placed kick in the you-know-where has the ability to stun just about anyone. Similarly, having friendly characters heal you in battle is much more fun when it's good ol' Butters giving you a pat on the back and a pep-talk to recover your health. Find yourself in a bathroom? Of course the game gives you the option of making use of the toilet by hammering the controller to fill up a 'poop' meter on screen. That's just the tip of the iceberg too, as things can get pretty offensive pretty fast (just like the show) which is of course part of South Park's appeal. Just be warned though, even with certain scenes having been censored for us sensitive Brits (and in Europe too) The Stick of Truth is pitched at the same level as the series: adults. Despite its cartoony look and bright vibrant graphics, this is definitely not one for the whole family and it takes full advantage of its 18 certificate.
With cameos, references and in jokes a-plenty, there's plenty to keep South Park fans happy here too. From Cartman's 'beefcake' vest and Awesom-o costume to a plethora of Chinpokomon to find and collect, Obsidian have really made the most of having the South Park license at their disposal and anyone familiar with the series won't be disappointed. All characters are voiced by their TV counterparts and the whole thing replicates the series' trademark cut and paste paper look flawlessly. Thematically it's close to the show too, with some very grownup topics dealt with in very childish ways. Basically, The Stick of Truth is about as close as you can get to being in an episode of the show - and crucially, considering its source material, it's a really funny game. Jokes are crammed in just about everywhere and while they don't always hit the mark we found ourselves laughing out loud frequently.
South Park: The Stick of Truth has had its own arduous quest to overcome, having been delayed several times and changing publisher during development, before staring into the abyss itself when former publisher THQ went over. Thankfully though, the game survived, and it was worth the wait. The end result is a game that manages to appeal to die-hard fans of Cartman and Co. while also scratching that action RPG itch - which is no small achievement.
Format Reviewed: Playstation 3
