Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
South Park: Snow Dayfollows on fromThe Stick of TruthandThe Fractured but Whole, although that is not immediately obvious at first glance. This is because a pretty drastic design change has been implemented this time around, taking things from the 2D realm into 3D. It also places a multiplayer co-op mentality first and foremost across all of the game’s core mechanics, which again seems like a strange departure.
Fortunately, despite these arguably unwelcome changes, there is still fun to be had here. The question is; are there enough of these fun moments to smooth over the drastic departures from past games for fans to get on board?
South Park: Snow Dayreleases on March 26th for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
When it was announced that the nextSouth Parkgame would employ a 3D visual aesthetic, it had me scratching my head. Why ditch the 2D look that was already mastered in the past 2 games? It allowed the game to look almost exactly like the TV show source material and it also kept theSouth Parkgames from looking generic, as the rudimentary 2D animation is synonymous withSouth Parkmakes for something pretty unique in the gaming space.
The answer to that was apparently twofold. The developers wanted to do something different, rather than just another repeat of the same aesthetic. The other reason was due to a change in gameplay. Instead of being a turn-based RPG,SnowDayis a co-op roguelike featuring real-time combat requiring a great deal of button mashing.
The Outlast Trials Review (PC)
If you know me or have any idea of my taste, you’ll know that I have never been a fan of turn-based combat outside ofPokémon Red/Blue, so for me to advocate for it is unprecedented. However, turn-based combat actually suited theseSouth Parkgames so much better than the scrappy-feeling real-time combat seen inSnow Day.
Neither melee nor ranged attacks in this game ever feel precise, and every battle is won purely by you and your party incessantly mashing buttons without requiring any real thought or care. It all feels very sloppy and so much lazier than the combat systems seen in the previous two games. The movement mechanics aren’t much better, feeling floaty and imprecise.
Bigger is not always better
Aside from the jump from 2D to 3D, and the change in combat mechanics, there other big change is the new focus on co-op multiplayer. Despite the fact that you are still playing as the ‘New Kid,’ seen inThe Stick of TruthandThe Fractured but Whole, a 4-player co-op focus is cast over almost every element of the game, from the hub world that you start in, to various quests that the game has you embark on.
Again, this doesn’t seem like a change that anyone who enjoyed the first two games was asking for, given that neither of those titles included any sort of online co-op functionality. Don’t get me wrong, adding a party-based co-op mode into an already humorous game can make for some good laughs. We did have some fun during our playthrough as a group, even if the whole experience felt somewhat redundant.
Alone in the Dark Review (PS5)
The reason that the game feels redundant is simple; why would your party waste their collective time playing a sloppy roguelike that feels like a dilution of the previousSouth Parkgames, when they could be playingHelldivers 2? There are much better co-op games on the market right now, and I sadly don’t see this title being able to compete in that saturated market.
At times, this experience feels more like a spinoff title as opposed to a mainline franchise entry
If you are looking for a quick, dumb laugh with your mates that requires barely any thought or strategy, then you could definitely do worse thanSouth Park: Snow Day, but you could also do a lot better. The humorous writing and quotable voice acting from the show and past games is present here too, although I never found myself belly laughing at any of the risqué dialogue or awkwardly crass situations the way that I have in the past.
In summary, I cannot callSnow Daya bad game. At the very least it functions well, unlikecertain other online multiplayer titles that have launched recently.There are a few chuckles to be had here if you are looking for a mindless way to kill a few hours with friends, but beyond that, there isn’t much else going for this title.
JP Karliak Discusses His Experience Playing the Joker In the Upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League DLC (EXCLUSIVE)
In a market where there are always a ton of different properties doing their best to pull the player’s attention,Snow Dayisn’t quite able to do enough to stand out. The fact that it isn’t being released as a full-priced title does do it a lot of favors, although given how forgettable the game is, I don’t see it ever making its way onto anyone’s GOTY list.
South Park: Snow Day – 6/10
Daniel Boyd
Former Head of Gaming and Tech
Articles Published :169
Dan is one of FandomWire’s Former Gaming Content Leads and Editors. He is a 28-year-old writer from Glasgow. He graduated from university with an honours degree in 3D Animation, before pivoting to pursue his love for critical writing. He has also written freelance pieces for other sites such as Game Rant, WhatCulture Gaming, KeenGamer.com and The Big Glasgow Comic Page. He loves movies, video games and comic books.
