South Park: The Stick of Truth

System: XBox 360, PS3, PC
Players: 1
Rating: M (nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, drug references, crude humor, violence)
This game is ABSOLUTELY NOT for young children or the easily offended.
DLC: Yes (content packs)
Website: South Park: The Stick of Truth

I remember two of the earlier South Park games.  One of them was an FPS in which you did nothing but shoot angry turkeys. The other was a kart racer with awful controls.  They were both hilarious for a little while, but once you'd heard all the jokes and seen the special items, boredom set in.

When I heard about The Stick of Truth, I was a little leery at first, thinking it'd be another South Park cash-in game.  Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

The Stick of Truth is a fun little RPG that feels like an episode of South Park.  You play as the New Kid, a quiet child who doesn't remember why his family moved to South Park.  After meeting with some of the neighborhood kids, they invite you to join their LARP game and teach you the basics. Then, you get to start your adventure to retrieve the Stick of Truth, an all-powerful item that allows its holder to control the universe.

As for the game's graphics and sound, I can't really complain.  Instead of the blocky 3D in earlier games, they went with the paper cut out look from the show.  Everything is nicely detailed, from characters and buildings, to junk items and costumes.  The music, sound effects, and voices are wonderful and really fit the game.  However, some of the voice clips can get a little grating.  For example, if you take too long to act in battle, you might hear a stock "Hurry up!" clip several times.

Speaking of battle, the combat system is amusing.  There are no random encounters; enemies appear in certain areas, and will only come after you if you get too close.  In some cases, you can debuff enemies before engaging them, or even defeat them without having to fight.  Combat itself is based on timed hits; if you don't press the buttons you're supposed to at the right time, your attacks and defenses are going to suffer.  Time things correctly, and you'll do impressive damage or even sneak in a counter attack.  Sometimes, though, it's funny to screw up the timing just to see what happens.

One of my favorite parts of the game is all the customization.  While some items can't be used until you reach a certain level, there aren't any stat or class restrictions.  Want to be a mage that wears heavy armor and fights with a sword, or a fighter that wields a bow and wears a dress?  Go ahead!  Do you want your weapon to light enemies on fire, or would you rather it pierced armor?  Would you like to regain some HP each turn, or recover it by hitting enemies?  Or maybe you'd like to do both?  You're free to experiment and find something that works for you!

My only big gripe with the game is the tutorials.  Characters will show you how to use new abilities and then let you have a go at it.  If you screw it up, they will show you again from step one.  Did you mess up again?  Well, you'll be shown again, from step one.  This continues until you get it right, and there's no way to skip it.

If you're a fan of the South Park series, this is definitely something to check out.  It's easy to pick up and play, and lets you do more than shoot turkeys or fight slippery controls.  Anyone who is easily offended should stay far, far away from this game, though.  It starts out somewhat tame, but it gets cruder and cruder as the story goes on and as certain areas open up.

A special note to parents: don't buy this for little kids.  Please.