Released in 1997, South Park currently has over 300 episodes and 26 seasons. Over the past 25 years, the residents of this small town in Colorado have become a prominent face of pop culture, criticizing everyday life in America and around the world in outrageous and satirical ways. This is something that everyone experiences, including politics, religion, consumer society, and celebrities.
Over the years, South Park has become more and more popular, especially thanks to the writing of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who continue to find good ideas to bring their series to life. The video game part was a little more complicated. After five unconvincing games from 1999 to 2012, the series found the perfect formula to adapt to video games with 2014’s The Stick of Truth, and its sequel, The Annal of Destiny, in 2017. We’ve found the perfect formula to apply to video games.
Both games, with Trey Parker and Matt Stone at the controls (the first developed by Obsidian and the second by Ubisoft), gave us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in interactive episodes. Thus, we embody the ‘new faces’ who have just arrived at South Park and become true actors. Taking the code of the series through 2D graphics, we discovered the soul, atmosphere, humor, and writing precision of Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
After these two great oppositions, which were well-received by fans, players, and critics, we figured all South Park games would now adopt this structure. We were wrong.
Pre-Order South Park: Snowy Day
This new work is teased in 2022 before being officially released in 2023. South Park: Snow Day is part of the same universe as Stick of Truth and Annal of Destiny, which can be considered sequels. On the other hand, forget about the 2D aspect. This new game features a rather special 3D rendering and seems to be a complete rethink of the gameplay mechanics implemented in the first two titles. Are these changes positive? We will have it in stock immediately.
South Park: Snowy Day
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The start of the South Park: Snow Day adventure is great and almost perfect. We deserve to see an introductory cutscene made on the same engine as the series. Like The Stick of Truth and The Chronicles of Destiny, we feel like we’re watching an episode of a series. The icing on the cake is the original VF featuring the voices of Christophe Lemoine as Cartman, William Coryn as Kyle and Kenny, and Thierry Wermuth as Stan. We also find Marie-Laure Beneston voicing young Eric’s mother, Lianne Cartman. A true treat for your ears. Please note that the first game did not have the rights to a French version. On the other hand, the second version, developed during the voice actors’ strike, had an unofficial French version.
So the town of South Park is paralyzed by a massive storm with a deadly blizzard. Several deaths have already been recorded across the city, and the state of Colorado has no choice but to close schools. For Cartman, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Butters, and the other students, it’s a snow day so they can have fun together instead of going to study. It’s the perfect opportunity to dress up as a wizard, elf or wizard (like the Stick of Truth) and imagine new adventures.
This is when things start to get less pleasant for players and fans. The introduction of the game allows us to discover the 3D aspect that struggles to convince us. Whether in the environments or character models, the latter are less beautiful, less detailed, and less faithful to the series. The movement is quite messy and any initial preconceptions I had from the trailers are quickly confirmed in the game, as is the ultimately not very faithful VF. Some children don’t seem to have a natural voice. However, the worst undoubtedly comes from the dubbing of regular villagers or NPCs during combat, which is clearly not up to the standards of the series.
Fight to save the city
In South Park: Snow Day, forget everything you discovered in the first two games. It’s not an open world, there are no levels, there’s not a lot of loot to find, and you can’t build and craft outfits throughout the adventure. And no more turn-based combat. . Likewise, South Park’s heroes don’t participate in much of the adventure. Additionally, you cannot fight alongside Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, or Butters. From now on, South Park’s heroes will be relegated to the background, with some of them appearing in the game’s rare cutscenes.
South Park: Snow Day is a game designed for multiplayer and co-op. So the game doesn’t offer much to sink your teeth into. Putting aside the narrative aspect, it contained a story that was perfect for a post-it note. The game offers an adventure divided into five chapters, in which you have to travel from point A to point B through five zones while facing waves of enemies. Sometimes you’ll have secondary objectives that require you to return items to certain people or run away from danger while fighting the many enemies that get in your way. But that’s it.
Across five chapters, every mission leads to combat, which is messy and repetitive. Fortunately (or unfortunately), one chapter takes between 40 and 60 minutes to complete. So you can complete this South Park: Snow Day in about 5 hours. The only condition is not to die or leave a chapter in between. Otherwise, you will have to start from scratch. Even if you actually play alone (with three bots), the structure of the game is designed for multiplayer. So even if you play alone, you cannot save mid-chapter offline.
The story isn’t really explored and moves along very quickly, unlike The Stick of Truth or The Annal of Destiny, which don’t shy away from going “always further” and offering very in-depth adventures that are truly faithful to South Park. The adventure here moves along quickly, with cutscenes at the beginning and end of chapters, little dialogue, and often not up to the standards of the series. We’re not even talking about dialogue loops during confrontations. Often those same dialogue loops are of much lower quality than the rest of the game.
Combat still offers some good ideas, such as being able to call in bonuses and special attacks through collectible cards that can be stored in a binder. But even here you will regret a fairly limited number of cards.
Combat quickly becomes redundant and confusing, sometimes with too many enemies in the same area, causing a lot of confusion. There are two attacks (one melee attack and one ranged attack) and then there are special skills to help you out. Among these skills, for example, is the ability to send cat urine at enemies, which will confuse them and fight alongside you for a few seconds. It is also possible to place a health totem in the combat area that can restore health for a few seconds. There are no special moves, just spam the attack button to perform combos or send long-distance shots.
If you play alone, three other “new students” randomly generated by the computer will assist you in your battles. Fortunately, the AI ​​is quite intelligent, making it really useful for reviving teammates on offense or defense. The bots accompanying you will also retreat and regroup near the health totem when their lives begin to become endangered. But once again, it’s a shame that I couldn’t at least play with the South Park students. As you probably understand, it’s ideal to play online with three other friends to discover this adventure together.
When it comes to weapons, don’t expect a lot of choice. The game offers three melee weapons and three ranged weapons. A total of about 20 clothing items can be purchased, which do not provide any additional skills during combat and only change the character’s appearance.
Low cost South Park
If this South Park: Snow Day had been released before the first two installments, we might have found something more positive here and it would have been a bit of a surprise that raised high hopes for the continuation of the video game license. Alas, it’s a cold shower after The Stick of Truth and The Annal of Destiny.
We ended up with a much less ambitious game with not much to do other than play the battle arena over and over again. When the game is finished, there is no content, no open world, no nothing. Three-quarters of South Park’s major characters are absent (Mayor McDaniels, the police chief, Officer Barbrady, and all the girls at the school: Wendy, Bibi, Shannon, etc.).
Lastly, the best moments remain the game’s intro and ending, which feel like an episode of South Park, but are rather well written.
Pre-Order South Park: Snowy Day
FAQs South Par Snow Day
Here are some frequently asked questions about South Park: Snow Day, along with answers:
What type of game is South Park: Snow Day?
South Park: Snow Day is a third-person action-adventure game. You play as the New Kid and team up with characters like Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to battle enemies and explore a snow-covered South Park.
Is South Park: Snow Day multiplayer only?
No, South Park: Snow Day can be played solo with ally bots or with up to three friends in cooperative multiplayer mode.
Will South Park: Snow Day be on Xbox?
Yes, South Park: Snow Day is available on Xbox Series X/S alongside PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC.
Is South Park: Snow Day a sequel to The Fractured But Whole?
South Park: Snow Day isn’t directly connected to The Fractured But Whole in terms of story. However, it features the same characters and humor style.
Can you be a girl character in South Park: The Fractured But Whole?
No, The Fractured But Whole only allows you to play as a male character.
Is South Park: The Fractured But Whole longer than The Stick of Truth?
The length of both games can vary depending on playstyle. Generally, The Fractured But Whole is considered slightly longer than The Stick of Truth.
How many players can play South Park: Snow Day?
South Park: Snow Day allows for up to four players, including the option for solo play with AI companions.
Will South Park have 30 seasons?
There’s no official confirmation on South Park reaching 30 seasons. As of March 2024, the show is renewed until Season 26.
Why does South Park have short seasons?
South Park’s seasons are typically shorter than other shows to maintain its topical humor and ability to react to current events.
How many hours does it take to beat South Park: Snow Day?
The playtime for South Park: Snow Day can vary depending on playstyle and completion goals. It can take anywhere from 8 to 15 hours to complete the main story.
Is South Park: Snow Day a roguelike?
No, South Park: Snow Day isn’t a roguelike game. There are no permadeath mechanics, and progress is saved throughout your playthrough.
What is South Park a parody of?
South Park is a satirical parody of American society, culture, and current events. It uses dark humor and celebrity impersonations to poke fun at a wide range of topics.
Is South Park ending in 2027?
South Park’s current renewal extends to Season 26, scheduled for release sometime in 2027. There’s no official word on whether the show will continue beyond that.
Will South Park return in 2024?
Since it’s already March 2024, a new season of South Park wouldn’t typically air this year. New seasons usually premiere in the fall.
Why is South Park season 26 so short?
There hasn’t been any official explanation for a potentially shorter Season 26. South Park’s season lengths have occasionally varied.
How long will South Park last?
The creators haven’t announced an end date for South Park. The show’s future will likely depend on its popularity and the creators’ desires.
Will South Park ever go to 5th grade?
The boys in South Park have remained in the 4th grade throughout the series. It’s a comedic staple of the show, and there’s no indication they’ll ever move to 5th grade.
Why is South Park Season 14 Episode 5 banned?
The episode “200 Million Dollar Email” was controversial for its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. Comedy Central ultimately removed the episode from circulation.
