The first reviews for South Park: The Stick of Truth are out, and the game seems to have garnered general positive opinions, though technical issues (disappointing, considering the game doesn’t look particularly ambitious on the gameplay front), a short length and shallow gameplay are all cited as negatives.
IGN, 9.0/10.
The Stick of Truth makes one thing abundantly clear: I never want to play another South Park video game made without Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s direct, intimate involvement. With a controller in your hand, you are almost literally gloriously playing a 14-hour episode of South Park. There’s much, much more here for series fans than the uninitiated, but it’s a light but good quality role-playing game in its own right. It is, in a way, Season 18 all by itself. It is funny, shocking, self-effacing, and pretty much everything I could ask for from a South Park game — even if it’s mostly a one-and-done experience.
Eurogamer, 8/10.
A finicky combat system, a lack of challenge and few reasons to remain in South Park once the story is done – these minor disappointments hold The Stick of Truth back from greatness, but they don’t detract from the sheer audacious hilarity it delivers. In gameplay terms it may be soon forgotten, but there’s unlikely to be a funnier – or filthier – game any time soon.
Kotaku thinks you should wait for some patches:
Maybe in a few weeks, or months, when the patches are out and the bugs are squashed, we can talk about Stick of Truth for what it is: a wonderful, funny RPG that does some really clever, surprising things. For now, I can’t recommend it.
The Escapist, 4/5.
Even though it does threaten the player’s resolve at times, The Stick of Truth is still a surprisingly enjoyable title, and the first South Park game to truly feel like it has some real soul behind it. Rather than the litany of Family Guy and Simpsons games out there, this isn’t just a reel of out-of-context references to the TV show, strung lazily together in the hopes of coaxing a nostalgic smile. While there are indeed many nods to South Park episodes, they’ve been woven quite nicely into the plot, propelled by original content that is genuinely funny in its own right. Plus, there are just enough jokes made at the expensive of videogames and live-action roleplaying to keep the geeks among the audience happy.
One could say this is to licensed cartoon games what Batman: Arkham Asylum was to licensed comic book games. Many may weep that South Park was the property to do it with, but hey, I’m not complaining.
Computer and Videogames, 9/10.
That leads us to a brick-subtle conclusion: your enjoyment of the Stick of Truth is wholly reliant on how much you like South Park. If Lemmiwinks, super cereal and cows mean nothing to you, this is will just feel like a solid, workmanlike RPG. For everyone else, it’s like getting your first Okama Gamesphere: it’s the South Park game you’ve been waiting for since forever.
GamesBeat, 95/100.
The Stick of Truth is surprising. Not only is it a great South Park game, but it’s a fantastic RPG in its own right. The plot has enough ridiculous twists to keep you engaged, and the battle system offers enough variety to keep encounters from growing stale and tiresome. Meanwhile, fans of the show can get lost just exploring the town and searching for references to their favorite episodes.
This is one of the greatest licensed games ever made. Unless you’re easily offended or hate the show, you really shouldn’t miss it.
VG247, scoreless.
That said; this is still the best South Park game ever made and in my opinion one of the best treatments of a license to date. If anything, The Stick of Truth makes me wish the show itself could recapture its glory days of Good Times with Weapons and Make Love, Not Warcraft but we’ll always have those jokes and memories, and now, a brand new adventure to go along with them. The game may have been delayed often, but boy was it worth it.
Polygon, 8.5/10.
It’s a testament to The Stick of Truth that my enthusiasm for the game didn’t dim in the face of those hiccups. Despite them and the jokes that occasionally run out of steam this is an experience that even the most casual fan of South Park is going to get something out of, and one of the truest translations from screen to game I can recall. At the risk of belaboring the metaphor I started with, other developers have painted Cartman’s face on a stock car. Obsidian has ripped out the pistons and swapped in the still-beating heart of South Park. Other games treated the world Matt Stone and Trey Parker have crystallized over the past two decades as a prison they have to escape from. The Stick of Truth happily confines itself to that world, and manages to build a comfortable, hilarious home of its own.
EDGE, 8/10.
For all that, The Stick Of Truth is surprisingly game-literate. There’s a suite of in-jokes, ranging from the collectable toys that ape Pokémon to more overt nods to Skyrim and even 8bit RPGs. Elsewhere, conventions are sent up gloriously. Repeating soundbites are excused by NPCs insisting they’re being forced to stick to the script, while an inspired gag about audio logs only gets funnier the more you find. The jabs can be predictable, but they’re delivered with an affectionate wink, and it’s evident that Parker and Stone know and love videogames. So, yes, their irreverent take on the medium may have a few technical shortcomings, but you’ll usually be grinning far too much to care.
GameSpot, 7/10.
But The Stick of Truth cannot be separated from its license, and it’s in its vulgar attitude that it finds redemption. On your Facebook wall, which functions as your in-game menu system, Priest Maxi writes: “I’m glad you found Christ, my son. Be ever vigilant, for He may be found in the unlikeliest of places in the time of need. I found Him in my chimney once.” South Park: The Stick of Truth is not the second coming of role-playing games, so if you come seeking Jesus, you’ll be disappointed by the veritable second-rate televangelist you find in His place. But it’s as funny as the merry tune of Stratford, and more enjoyable than Butters’ favorite game, Hello Kitty: Island Adventure.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun, scoreless.
It is at once the South Park game we’ve been waiting for since the series started 17 years ago, and a cluster of stupid mistakes and bad balancing that we’d hoped Obsidian had put behind them. If you’re willing to plough through its dull opening hours (or perhaps mainline the main story until you reach the Taco Bell content to speed that process up), and put up with the technical issues, then there’s a lot on offer here. But that’s a big (if), and not one someone paying for the game should have to ponder.
PC Gamer, 90/100.
There are better RPGs out there, but no one’s buying The Stick of Truth just for that. You’ll probably buy it because you like, or at least are familiar with, South Park, and as an extension of that series it’s pretty much perfect. That it’s a decent game underneath it all too is a pleasant bonus. Above all, it’s just a wonderful piece of entertainment. It’s surprising, surreal, packed with jokes, and rarely frustrating. I didn’t get bored once across the 17 hours it took me to finish the story and most of the sidequests, and it kept me laughing consistently until the credits. If that isn’t worth 90%, I don’t know what is.
Joystq, 3.5/5.
How you’ll feel about South Park: The Stick of Truth comes down to how you prefer the peanut butter to chocolate ratio in this weird little flavor mash-up. To get the most out of it, you have to buy into its world; you have to play pretend. More than that, you’re going to want to know the kids you’re playing with. If you’re well-versed in South Park history and can imagine cookies as a “health potion,” you’re off to a good start. If you can also forgive the repetitive nature of combat and some uninspired quests, it’s worth taking up arms or dildos for The Stick of Truth’s hilarious, disgusting adventure.
