South Park: Snow Day is a haunting return to PS2 licensed drivel – review

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that South Park: Snow Day left me feeling like I was stuck in a time warp back to the PS2 era – and not in a good way. After the delightful 2D RPG adventures of Stick of Truth and Fractured But Whole, this hack-and-slash 3D affair felt like a huge disappointment.


South Park: Snow Day departs from the enchanting 2D RPG style of Ubisoft’s Stick of Truth and Fractured But Whole, transitioning instead to a 3D hack-and-slash game with online co-op. Unfortunately, the combat is rather monotonous, and the overall feel of the game resembles a budget production from the PS2 era. While it’s not completely devoid of charm, it’s quite disheartening compared to the two impressive games that preceded it.

In the beginning of Snow Day, there’s an unusual 2D animation sequence reminiscent of the show, one of the few times you’ll encounter this style. The story starts with Cartman yearning for snow to shut down school so intensely that it actually happens, along with a massive snowstorm freezing people into blocks of ice, resulting in numerous casualties among civilians and causing everyone to struggle to find essentials. Yet, despite the tragic circumstances, the school closure is a victory for Cartman because it fulfilled his wish.

During summer break, the group reunites to revive their fantasy escapades from the Stick of Truth. As a continuation to The Fractured But Whole, you assume the role of the New Kid, engaging in combat against various adversaries in an ordinary hack-and-slash role-playing game with progressive levels.

Instead of embarking on solitary single-player journeys featuring South Park’s endearing and comical residents from past games, this time you’ll be working alongside a group of three other New Kids. You are “New Kid #1”, but your friends can also bring their custom characters to join the adventure.

Regrettably, this game seems quite sparse on the entertainment front. It offers five lengthy levels with varying modifications, primarily focusing on hacking and slashing. For those seeking a challenge, there are tougher settings to explore, but Snow Day feels remarkably basic, particularly when considering Ubisoft’s past games that often provided over 20 hours of gameplay.

Snow Day exudes the feel of an older PS2 game, however, it’s not one of the greats like Ratchet and Clank or Devil May Cry 3. Instead, it’s more akin to Fight Club or The Simpsons: Skateboarding. It’s a concept that’s stretched thin by a meager budget that’s already straining under the weight of its prestigious IP, struggling to deliver an engaging experience.

As a hardcore gamer, I’ve got to say, playing Snow Day brings me back to the old days of South Park games before The Stick of Truth. If the frustrating levels like Chef’s Luv Shack and South Park Rally were somehow part of a ritual that conjured up Snow Day, then we’re all to blame for this misfortune. It’s downright bizarre when the free-to-play gacha game South Park: Phone Destroyer seems more appealing than this premium experience – it just feels off, man.

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While South Park: Snow Day may not be entirely fantastic, there’s still a touch of appeal to certain aspects, such as some of its boss fights. Although the repetitive hack-and-slash combat can become monotonous, the anime-inspired battle against Princess Kenny offers a level of adorableness and creativity – despite the fact that this theme has been previously explored in the series and games almost a decade ago.

1. In addition, the game’s card system offers enough diversity to make playing through its brief campaign enjoyable. With these modifiers, you can create wands with multiple elements or healing items that also damage enemies. While it’s not completely developed, it’s a charming feature that helps tie the experience together. There’s even a special button on the right D-Pad for passing gas, earning you an achievement. I suspect this contributes to your overall score.

Unfortunately, what sets the latest South Park apart is its sense of being distressingly out-of-touch. Beyond the antiquated mechanics, Snow Day seems to be repeating a theme first tackled a decade ago, with humor primarily centered around COVID-19 themes that were already exhausted in 2020’s episodes. Granted, game development can take time, but it raises questions about whether it’s advisable to create a topical game when you’ll likely miss the mark by nearly four years.

South Park: Snow Day offers minimal content, yet I’m not anticipating a more substantial experience. It’s my hope that Question LLC, who have shown strength with The Blackout Club, will return to developing the critically acclaimed games of their past instead of continuing with an expensive and resource-intensive license. This team has demonstrated potential for greatness, as evidenced by their previous work.

Review
South Park: Snow Day
THQ Nordic has truly channelled its namesake with South Park: Snow Day, an underbaked, content-less licensed game that imbues the worst of the PS2-era for a modern audience. Stay indoors.
3 out of 10

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2024-08-27 19:44