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0 I got to check out South Park: Snow Day, the next addition where we’ll play as the “New Kid” as Cartman pulls us into another game. Thanks to the developers at Question, you and three other New Kids will team up together and face off against Elves, Marshwalkers and Sixth Graders. The game releases for PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam on March 26th for £24.99.
Goin’ down to South Park, gonna have myself a time.
I’ve enjoyed the last two South Park games and was happy to hear of this one. It’s interesting to see them take a different approach with the multiplayer and hack-n-slash gameplay, but it never hurts to try new ideas. As a disclaimer, I’ll be using curse words in this article and maybe a reference or two from the show.
Better context for the story.
I won’t be talking about South Park: Snow Day’s story as it has a simple plot, and there would be spoilers. I recommend to anyone looking to play the game that you check out Season 22 Episode 3 for better context first. They also reference the other games a little, so if you haven’t played them, I highly recommend them since they are great as well.
Gameplay
Like in the other South Park games, you’ll create a character as your avatar. There isn’t much choice in the outfits department, but you can earn more. The first major change is that the game isn’t turn-based like its previous entries and instead plays more like a hack-n-slash. Another is that you can now play with three other players.
If you can’t find anyone to join you, then don’t worry. You will get three AIs to help you through the missions of South Park: Snow Day. The ability to have random players join you is also an option as well.
Weapons & Powers
In South Park: Snow Day, the player can use a melee weapon, with the starter being two daggers and a bow for distance. There is a total of six weapons in the game, three melee and three ranged. I preferred the daggers, thanks to the bleeding effect they offer. The ranged weapons do great at dispatching enemies from a distance and, luckily, don’t require ammo to fire.
The other items at your disposal are two Power Cards. They allow you to activate awesome abilities to help assist you in battle. For example, you can fart (yes, farting returns!) to jump high and leave noxious gas to damage foes. Why not do some Cheesing and turn those foes into friends and take out the rest? Remember, The Breastriary awaits its champion still. To use the Power Cards, you will need to get “Pissed Off”. This meter will fill up as you attack enemies or take damage.
Upgrading Your Power Cards
When you play through the missions in South Park: Snow Day, players will come across Jimmy. He offers new cards to the player that will provide helpful bonuses depending on what weapons you have. Such as if you chose to use the Wand for ranged fighting instead of the bow. Then, you may get a card that buffs your damage, but you steadily build up a burning effect. The Power Cards get different rarities, and you can upgrade them with the game’s currency, Toilet Paper.
One of the other characters you’ll meet is one of the Goth Kids called Henrietta. She offers the player three choices, some of which come at a cost, such as losing a card. In return, you can receive upgrades for other cards, Toilet Paper and Dark Matter (we’ll come back to this one).
Well That’s Bullshit
One of the more interestingly named features in South Park: Snow Day is the Bullshit Cards. They add a little spice during the game when a villain triggers it during combat. For example, one card can transform an enemy into a vampire, which gives them more health and new attacks. Another might be that enemy archers fire multiple shots or melee fighters now have flame damage.
There’s no need to worry because you also have some bullshit of your own to use. You may not be able to have a fire sword, but you can shoot lasers out of your eyes. Is the enemy outnumbering you? Why not summon some allies to help fight back?
Kupa Keep And Who’ll You Meet
After a mission, the player will return to the Kupa Keep. This place serves as the lobby for when you invite other players. You will also be able to meet other iconic characters from the show, and some will offer services as well. As I mentioned at the beginning, there isn’t much in the ways of customizing your character. If you visit the Bazaar in Kupa Keep, you can purchase new clothes, make-up, emotes and accessories from Craig & Tweak.
You can also meet Tolkien (no, it’s not Token. Where did you hear such a silly thing?), who allows you to change their weapons and Power Cards once they’re unlocked. Lastly, you can find the adorable Mr Hanky The Christmas Poo; he will help you to unlock your Dark Matter Perks. These perks can offer passive bonuses to your character. For example, some of these perks can increase melee damage or offer more health.
Graphics & Audio
South Park Snow Day‘s visuals stay true to the iconic art style whilst incorporating the 3D style well. The way transitions slide effortlessly from 2D scenes to 3D gameplay never ceased to impress me, and I enjoyed it every time. Despite being covered in snow, the town of South Park remains as colourful as ever, with plenty of references and gags to find throughout. Not to mention the fittingly childish yet brilliant art on the Power and Bullshit cards also add an extra touch to the game’s personality.
While the music was fun, fitting and great to listen to, Chapter 4’s music went hard. It was epic and included plenty of guitar shredding to amp up the fight. The voice acting also had me cracking up laughing multiple times, from out-of-pocket lines to typical douchiness from Cartman (of course). My only minor nitpick is that there aren’t as many customisation options when creating your New Kid as in the previous entry, which is a shame, but that isn’t enough to take away from what an excellent visual and audible blast that South Park: Snow Day is.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed South Park: Snow Day. The jokes were funny, and the game does play really well with no glitches. But (and this is what hurts the most), the game overall just isn’t long enough. I managed to finish the game in just over two hours. When completed there was no real reason to keep on playing.
The game lacks anything for the player to work towards. If players enjoy collecting trophies, they can add some longevity that way. I did find a bus shelter that may hint at DLC in the future.
The problem is asking for £24.99 for a two-hour game with no real reason to play. This is why I sadly have to give South Park: Snow Day the Thumb Culture Silver Award. I really would give it Platinum, but they need to justify the price, in my opinion.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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