QCF: South Park: The Stick of Truth

eventeen years and going, that’s nothing to sneeze at as far as commitment goes, and even more so when you factor all the consistency to be found in this ever mounting legacy—well, except for one; the shitty video games it’s spawned.

In what’s nearly amounted to almost two decades, I have continually found it strange that a solid property like South Park (one that has faithfully employed satire on the culture of video games on several occasions within its run) has failed to inspire developers to truly capture the spirit of the license in a video game five times.

That’s what makes The Stick of Truth so special; Obsidian and South Park Digital Studios didn’t aim to deliver one of the most ground breaking games to release in 2014—no, they instead have labored towards crafting the most satisfying vehicle of interaction for its property first, and above average game design to shoulder it secondly.

Ironically, this direction is makes The Stick of Truth one of the first must play games of 2014.

Fan service still can’t save a game no matter how good it is, and won’t matter a bit if the game is fundamentally boring to play, or even worse, broken. What sets apart the gameplay design of The Stick of Truth is while it’s simply humble at its worst when broken down independently from the license, it gradually becomes brilliant when it’s applied within the conventions of the material that it’s dressed in.

Combining elements that strike similar chords with the likes of EarthBound and Paper Mario, the Colorado fourth-graders exchange blows with turn-based combat that features an active modifier system with the success dictated by timed-button presses. Nothing about the system is ground breaking, but when every other minute invested sprinkles treats like Cartman breaking the fourth wall of acknowledging the sub-textual nonsense of turn-based battling in their pretend game of Zoran, it consistently enhances the experience.

Equipment, abilities, spells, and more are all transformed into anecdotes; Landing a Roshambo to “stun” your opponent, or throwing literal shit at them for additional “gross-out” damage, the all too familiar mechanic tropes of RPG gameplay become something more because of the spirit that inhabits them. With the stats being dumbed down to the casual science of three attribute pools (Hit points, Power Points, and Mana) the substance comes from the charisma outfitted from the license. The silliness of having to actually seek  Facebook friend requests in order to get additional perks or collect specific sets of gear that consist of bondage gear and hunting gear being imagined as something else within the meta game of the narrative is a treat that gradually gets sweeter.

The gameplay isn’t always saved by it’s charm. Few annoying nuances like the inability to revive one of your buddies in battle (save for Kenny who just comes back after a few rounds because, South Park) or having to reload your summons by physically revisiting them again within the town as opposed to a more traditional cool-down gradually gets more annoying versus simply accustoming to these gross flaws. Another shortcoming stems from the compensation for experience earned from battling as opposed to questing. The payout between the two is inharmoniously uneven. This messy balance (or lack of) affects certain dynamics like the inability to really grind, which in turn is need to earn levels that qualify for the new equipment that advances you. So while combat isn’t an issue at the start of the adventure, the difficulty curve will start to tip the scales brutally unless players can effectively master the timed button-presses, which also become more cryptic in design when using new equipment or defending against new foes. Luckily, the expectation for Stick of Truth was never for it to be a Ground breaking game in the first place.

The impact of the presentation is where the real meat is, it’s one of those rare occasions where the eye-candy is the real treat in a game, and the Stick of Truth strives from it.

On top of all the familiar story beats, voice-work, and celebratory strings of homages to the dynasty of inside jokes that will be sure to titillate any degree of fan base, The Stick of Truth ultimately plays out more like a glorified lost episode that Matt Stone and Trey Parker have disguised as a game.  The animation is identical to the same structure of the show down to the last frame, and even the most subtle touches of cinematography from gameplay to movement to cut scenes are all organically intertwined with one another that seamlessly and virtually telegraphs little to no sign of the transitions when they happen.

There are few times where being faithful the show’s unique aesthetic has worked against it. While certain areas have the elements of a subtle puzzle when it comes to navigating the right route to take in order to reach the intended destination, there are times where the plane of movement is unnecessarily misleading, and a bit jarring even, but the stage composition will slowly set in after a few bits of trial and error.

The reverence for South Park and the context of the actions employed can range from consciously tacit to utter brilliance—it accomplishes the remarkable feat of not just simply settling at making sure players get the joke, Stick of Truth goes on to let players in on it, and even be one themselves. The Stick of Truth is a must have for fans and a must-play for everyone else if not for the sheer entertainment of America’s favorite potty-mouthed kids.