South Park: The Stick of Truth (Xbox 360 - 1st completion)
Last night I beat South Park: The Stick of Truth for Xbox 360, making this the first game review of 2015! South Park video games are usually considered subpar and fans just stick to watching the TV show. The Stick of Truth is an exception. It was well reviewed and the use of South Park's 15+ year history of characters and jokes within an epic storyline was pulled off brilliantly. Like the show, there is a lot of satire and wit that you can't help but laugh. It knows that this is an RPG and cracks jokes to such an obvious fact (ie. having you do quests for people). I was pleasantly surprised and had a lot of fun to boot. I was the "Jew" class, at maximum level 15, and befriended everyone in the game. It took around 20 hours of gametime and unlocked almost all achievements.
The New Kid has moved with his parents to South Park to escape his forgotten past. He quickly allies with Butters, Princess Kenny and their leader Cartman at Kupa Keep (Cartman's backyard). The New Kid is nicknamed "Douchebag"; he is introduced to the coveted Stick of Truth. Shortly thereafter, the elves attack Kupa Keep and take the Stick. With the help of Cartman's best warriors, Douchebag recovers the Stick from Jimmy. Cartman banishes Clyde from the group for failing to defend the Stick from the elves. That night, Douchebag and several town residents are abducted by aliens. Douchebag escapes his confinement with the help of Stan's father Randy and crashes the alien ship into the town's mall. By morning, the UFO crash site has been sealed off by the government, who has put out a cover-story that claims a Taco Bell is being built. Douchebag visits Kupa Keep and learns that the Stick has again been stolen by the elves. As he goes to retrieve the stick, he notices the townsfolk acting strangely...
To see the opening movie and gameplay (PC version), go here or below:
Click to view
Graphics/Art-9
+ What is used in the South Park TV show is all the graphics and animation in this game. It definitely feels authentic.
+ There are quite a few places to visit around South Park. Level design and navigation is quite good.
+ True to form, Canada is just awesome!
- Sometimes the design can be lazy. For example, a lot of people's homes have the exact same setup that the only difference are the paint colours and furniture styles.
- There can be rare moments of graphical hang-ups. In one cinematic for example, it didn't show New Kid at all.
Sound/Music-10
+ All the voice acting is provided by co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone plus the other show's voice actors. It's damn good and the dialogue hilarious!
+ Great sound effects.
+ The music is mostly orchestrated and very well composed!
+ You get audio clips from various TV episodes while in stores, the movie theatre, and in homes. It's both funny and nostalgic.
Music Samples:
Jimmy the Bard (Boss Battle Theme)
Recruit the Girls (Makeover Theme)
Underpants Warlock Gnome (Boss Battle Theme)
Princess Kenny Theme
Battle/Fight Theme 2 (Elves)
Battle/Fight Theme (Aliens/Zombies)
Battle/Fight Theme (Hobos/Rats)
Battle/Fight Theme 1
Mongolian Horde/Cartman-Kyle (Boss Battle Theme)
City Streets Theme
Farm Theme
Blame Canada Theme (8-bit)
Canada World Theme (8-bit)
Control-9
+ Relatively easy controls.
+ Some control variety in the different attacks and abilities you pull off.
- Blocking can be difficult at times.
Gameplay-8
+ You control the New Kid as he explores the fictional Colorado town of South Park with RPG mechanics. You can freely move around the town although some areas remain inaccessible until specific points in the story are reached. Notable characters from the series-including Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Butters-join the New Kid's party and accompany him on his quests; only one character can be active at any time. The game features a fast travel system, allowing you to call on the character Timmy to quickly transport them to any other visited fast travel station.
+ At the beginning of the game, you select one of four character archetypes; the Fighter, Thief and Mage (which represent standard fantasy types), and the Jew. The Jew class specializes in "Jew-jitsu" and long-range attacks. Each class has specific abilities; armor and weapons are not limited by class, allowing a Mage to focus on melee attacks like a Fighter.
+ The New Kid and his allies possess a variety of melee, ranged, and magic attacks. Experience points rewarded for completing tasks and winning battles allow the New Kid to level up, unlocking new abilities and upgrades such as increasing the number of enemies an attack hits or the amount of damage inflicted. Magic is represented by the characters' ability to fart; different farts are used to accomplish specific tasks. For example, the "Cup-A-Spell" allows you to throw a fart to interact with a distant object, the "Nagasaki" destroys blockades, and the "Sneaky Squeaker" can be thrown to create a sound that distracts enemies. Attacks can be augmented with farts if you have enough magical energy.
+ You have access to unlockable abilities that can open new paths of exploration, such as teleportation which allows you to reach otherwise unreachable platforms, and farts which trigger an explosion that defeats nearby enemies when combined with a naked flame. Actions committed against enemies outside of battle affects them in combat; you and the opponent who strikes first to trigger a fight will have the first turn in battle. Combat takes place in a battle area separate from the open game world. Battles use turn-based gameplay and each character takes a turn to attack or defend before yielding to the next character.
+ During your turn, a radial wheel listing the available options-class-based basic melee attacks, special attacks, long-ranged attacks, and support items-appears. Basic attacks are used to hit unarmored enemies and wear down shields; heavy attacks weaken armored enemies. A flashing icon indicates that attacks or blocks can be enhanced to inflict more damage,or mitigate incoming attacks more effectively. Each special attack costs a set amount of "Power Points" to activate. Only one party member can join you in battle. Certain characters, such as Jesus, Mr. Slave, and Tuong Lu Kim, can be summoned during battle to deliver a powerful attack capable of defeating several enemies simultaneously; Jesus sprays gunfire, causing significant damage while Mr. Slave squeezes an enemy into his rectum, scaring his allies away!
+ One support item, including items that restore health or provide beneficial status effects that improve the character's abilities or remove negative effects, can be used each turn. Weapons and armor can be enhanced using optional "strap-ons", such as fake vampire teeth, bubble gum, or a Jewpacabra claw. These items can cause enemies to bleed and lose health, weakening enemy armor, boosting your health or stealing health from opponents and disgusting foes to make them "grossed out" and causing them to vomit. Additionally, the "strap-ons" can set opponents on fire, electrocute them or freeze them. Some enemies are immune to one or more of these effects. Enemies can deflect certain attacks entirely; those in a riposte stance will deflect any melee attack, requiring the use of ranged weapons, while those in reflect stance will deflect ranged weapons.
+ You are encouraged to explore the wider game world to find Chinpokomon toys or new friends who are added to the character's Facebook page. Collecting friends allows you to unlock perks that permanently improve the New Kid's statistics, providing extra damage or resistance to negative effects. The character's Facebook page also serves as the game's main menu, containing the inventory and a quest journal. The Stick of Truth features several mini-games, including defecating by repeatedly tapping a button that rewards you with feces that can be thrown at enemies to trigger the "grossed out" effect, performing an abortion, a make-over game to disguise you as a girl, and using an anal probe. Some of these scenes are absent from some versions of the game because of censorship.
- I don't like that the level cap is 15. I think allowing further leveling and unlocking all your abilities would be nicer. Also, gaining all friends on your Facebook page should allow you to gain all perks but they only allow you to gain half of them.
- Sometimes blocking attacks can be difficult and you don't expect multiple hits. Your buddy can die easy in battle compared to you.
- The challenge can be uneven. Sometimes it's relatively easy, other times a single fight will wipe you out.
- Why isn't there a parry/defend option in battle?
Gameplay videos here, here, and here.
Fun/Story/Misc-9
+ As an RPG, the game does very nicely. It's a lot of fun and not frustrating. Lots of customization and replay value (though the story doesn't change).
+ The story is well written and pushes the envelope on taste and controversy!
- It's strange that Kyle and Stan don't come until around halfway through the story.
Total: 45/50 (Grade Level: A)
The main South Park: The Stick of Truth website is here but doesn't contain much. The Gametrailers.com video review is here and Wikipedia article is here.
Next Game: Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition (PS3)
Currently playing: Kingdom Hearts - Birth By Sleep (PSP) & Dragon Warrior VII (PSone)
