Tinertia Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Tadah! We are back with another video game review of sorts here on In The Mind Of My Mind. This week we got access to a game that is still in development and thus far only in the Alpha stage of testing. A follower of the blog brought this game to my attention and told me to give it a shot so I did just that. We do it for the fans. So lets take a look at what Tinertia has to offer...

At its core Tinertia is a precision based platformer with a unique twist, there is no jump button. One might ask oneself how do you play a platform game without jumping but its actually a pretty cool concept. In what I can only surmise as homage the the old school days of Quake and rocket jumping the team over at Candescent Games decided to take this approach. Coming the finesse and skill of rocket jumping with air dashing to create an addictive and frustratingly fun game that you can't help but play. The game is slated for release on the PS4 and PC and has already been greenlit on Steam. The game supports Xbox 360 controllers, Playstation Dualshock 3, Playstation Dualshock 4, as well as the usual keyboard and mouse, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally I found it easier to play using a controller but whatever floats your boat. At launch the game will feature eight unique environments each with its own Robo-Boss to contend with comprising of approximately eighty challenging levels. Add to that varying gameplay modes such as Speed Run and #YoLo Challenge from which you can compete on the leader-board rankings for best time. There will also be a replay system in place to capture those epic speed runs and jumps that you will undoubtedly be pulling off. Oh and I should mention the unlockable skins to pimp out and customize your player with some personal flair.

This would usually be the section where I talk about what was good or bad based on your grading scheme for game reviews using the categories of Gameplay, Storyline, Replay Value, Soundtrack & Graphics but since its not a complete game and only in Alpha testing I will forgo that this time around.

What Should Have Been Added:

So in conjunction with what I said above there isn't much I can say since the game isn't done yet but ill say this from what I have seen. The game needs a proper tutorial mode before throwing you into the game itself so first time players can get acclimated to the controls and gameplay mechanics. Next up I feel given the fact that when you die you start from the very beginning that there should be a check point for players so that they don't get overly frustrated dying and starting from scratch. I could be an option in the menu for those that might prefer it over the hardcore gamers that want the challenge and leaderboard competition. Another issue I had was with the control scheme customizability, hoping they put a dedicated option in there to choose a controller type beforehand so that the tutorial instructions show up based on your controller choice instead of just always showing the controller layout even when the person uses a keyboard. Also it would be nice to customize your own controller layout instead of sticking with the default layout. Most importantly I hope they incorporate a well plotted story-line so you can connect with the main character and have more motivation to play the game than just getting the best time and least rockets used possible for the achievement medals.

Final Thoughts:

Honestly the game is ridiculously fun; and I can see it being a big success if it gets the needed exposure and support. It would be amazing if they could figure out a way to get this on mobile as well since these are exactly the type of  games that thrive on that medium. Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh wishes the team over at Candescent Games all the best and are rooting for their continued success at launch. Go check out their website for Tinertia at http://tinertia.com/ as well as follow them on twitter at @CandescentGames. Be sure to subscribe to their Youtube Channel as  well to stay informed with updates and video progress as the game matures. Enjoy the usual video gameplay with commentary as I play through Tinertia...

more.

Sniper Elite III Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Welcome back to another one of our video game reviews here on In the Mind Of my Mind. Been mad busy in real life running tournaments and trying to get eSports established somewhat in Jamaica so that's why you haven't really gotten your usual stream of content. So in keeping with our new model  of doing game reviews once every two weeks lets get right into it...

Sniper Elite III is a tactical shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by 505 Games for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The game is a prequel to Rebellion's 2012 game Sniper Elite V2, and is the third installment in the Sniper Elite series. Sniper Elite III is set several years prior to the events of Sniper Elite V2, following the exploits of Office of Strategic Services officer Karl Fairburne as he participates in the North African conflict during World War II, in which he learns of a secret wonder weapon programme by the Nazi forces. You can seek to change the course of history with a single bullet in Sniper Elite III.

What’s Good:

Replay value: Decent replay value is present as there are bonus objectives that tend to get overlooked on the first play-through. As well as the co-op mode included which is sure to give a whole new perspective on the campaigns as you team up. Compound that with the fact that you have various weapons and tactics at your disposal to complete the missions as they arise.

Graphics: Graphics as is the norm on PC are ridiculous. I managed to max everything and still run it smoothly at 28-30 FPS and the game is truly a sight to behold. The dark night campaigns to the expansive desert daytime missions. Top that off with the detailed X-Ray camera view that happens whenever you get a special kill confirm and its easy to see this game is a visual masterpiece.

Story-line: Unless you are a fan of the series of war time stories you wont get as pulled in or invested in the story as it progress but there is a vast wealth of information strewn across this game that ties in with Sniper Elite V2. Lots of hidden information and back-story to be found in this game.

Game Mechanics: The game retains and improves on the mechanics of Sniper Elite V2. Stealth mechanics have been fine-tuned to damn near perfection even though the A.I. seems to have gotten dumber. An eye icon squints or opens to denote the player's level of detection by the enemy. X-Ray kill cam system is too much fun to see in action and adds further incentive to make epic kill-shots.

What’s Bad:

Graphics: Slight complaint here in regards to the character model and its animations in regards to entering a sniper nest and when activating the X-Ray kill cam. You can clearly glimpse one of two things; when entering the sniper next the character is supposed to enter a specific animation but instead remains standing, and when you see the bullet being shot out of the rifle in X-Ray view the model holds the gun in a weird manner that does not match the expected positioning or animation of the character model.

What Should Have Been Added:

I really wish for two things to be added and that's the ability to jump wherever the hell I please and have an onscreen listing for the campaigns bonus objectives. These are the two things that frustrated me greatly, a lot of kills I could have easily gotten if I had the ability to fully jump on and explore certain ledges or portions of the environments to get a better vantage points.

Final Thoughts:

Its been a while since I had this much fun playing a third person shooter to be honest so this was a pleasant surprise to review this game. Barring some lack of knowledge from the first two installments of this series I thoroughly enjoyed my playtime with this  game. I was also very pleased with how well my machine handled all this game had to throw at it to the point that even with graphics settings maxed I still loaded the load screens speedily and could not get to read the tips and tricks they typically have on the loading screens.

more.

Guild Wars 2 Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Wow its been ages. Lets see if I can remember how to do this. Welcome to another video game review, been missing in action for a while due to real life events and this game. Being as such I figured may as well write up a review for this game since we been playing it for like a month or so. A bit old a release but it is still being supported with new content by its publisher; so even though this is long overdue here we go.

Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Set in the fantasy world of Tyria, the game follows the re-emergence of Destiny's Edge, a disbanded guild dedicated to fighting the Elder Dragons, a Lovecraftian species that has seized control of Tyria in the time since the original Guild Wars. The game takes place in a persistent world with a story that progresses in instanced environments. As a sequel to Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 features the same lack of subscription fees that distinguished its predecessor from other commercially developed online games of the time, though a purchase is still required to install the game. As reported by NCsoft and ArenaNet, by September 13 (about 2 weeks after launch), despite temporarily halting first-party sales, the game has sold over 2 million copies.

What’s Good:

Replay value: As most MMORPG's go there is always replay value in the classes and profession variety that is offered, this game is similar as such. Guild Wars 2 take it a step further though and offers  more replay value by featuring a story-line that is responsive to player actions and choices.

Soundtrack: This is well executed and heartfelt as the overall tone and pace of the game is dictated. Also of noteworthy mention is the cut-scenes and epic battles that take you throughout the world of Tyria.

Graphics: Graphically for a 2 year game it still holds up pretty well and will require some portion of tweaking for maximum performance. Guild Wars 2 uses a heavily modified version of the proprietary game engine developed for Guild Wars by ArenaNet. The modifications to the engine include real-time 3D environments, enhanced graphics and animations and the use of the Havok physics system.

Story-line: The story though a bit hard to follow at times is quite entertaining due to the nature of how the story progression quests are presented and the potential for party members to help in the completion of it. The characters are quite influential and memorable as they have continuing impact throughout the game.

Game Mechanics: Very well done character design system as well as combat system. The mere fact that they implemented the multiple weapon system enabling you to switch between weapons while your skill-set is in cool-down is really smart. Also of noteworthiness is the dynamic events system that replaces more or less the traditional questing format of most MMORPG's. This reduces monotony and encourages exploration and unique experiences for the player.

What Should Have Been Added:

This game needs mounts or some faster way to traverse the map and explore all the various aspects of the world of Tyria. Another potential good idea is to have full motion CGI cut-scenes with voice-overs and more back-story to better connect with the characters.

All the races available in Guild Wars 2

Final Thoughts:

All in all a very decent and enjoyable MMORPG experience. It manages to remain relevant in the sea of existing MMORPG titles even after 2 years and still has content updates to sustain and carry forward the community. Granted its no Vindictus but I can honestly say I had far more fun and addiction playing this than I would have imagined. I got lucky and had a friend buy me a copy when it was on sale maybe you can buy a copy for yourself and someone else to spread the love. Feel free to check out some of my game-play when I was streaming Guild Wars 2 below...

Watch live video from The_Ghost_Who_Walks on TwitchTV

more.

Child Of Light Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Oh my freaking freak. Whats up gamers? Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh here to bring you another video game review. Last week we checked out the free to play FPS game; Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms, this week we look at Child Of Light. Another game from Ubisoft which had garnered much attention recently at PAX East 2014. So lets go see what all that attention was about...

Child of Light is a platforming role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game puts players in the shoes of Aurora, a child stolen from her home, who, in her quest to return, must bring back the sun, the moon and the stars held captive by the mysterious Queen of the Night. Helped by her playable companion Igniculus the firefly and several unlikely allies, Aurora will face her darkest fears in this modern take on a coming-of-age story. Child Of Light was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in April 2014.

What’s Good:

Replay value: This is a classic RPG with turn-based combat, 200+ skills to unlock, and 600+ crafting combinations for Oculi. There is no doubt that there is replay value abound in this game not to mention the various party members and attack strategies to utilize in battle.

Soundtrack: This is well executed and heartfelt as the overall tone and pace of the game is dictated or should I say indicated by the various sound track elements that help to submerge the player into the world of Lumeria.

Graphics: The game itself is powered by UbiArt Framework, an in-house engine by Ubisoft previously used for Rayman Origins and its sequel, Rayman Legends. So it has a cartoon but very artistic and detailed design, which is very vibrant and engaging providing the player with remarkable environments to transverse.

Story-line: The story at times can seem cliche but even so everyone enjoys a heartfelt adventure filled with danger and challenges to overcome. As Aurora travels and grows you discover more and more about the land and its inhabitants so your focus expands from just the central theme of rescuing Aurora and completing the primary objective of making it back home.

Game Mechanics: Well executed turn based system that has appeal to both the casual player and the more adept. By including attributes of a side-scroller with RPG elements such as leveling-up to increase stats over time, the game gives you varying aspects of the overall game-play to master. Combat and Non-Combat features of the game are smooth and easy to utilize which further promotes an enjoyable gaming experience.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to been able to fully use all the party members I gained instead of having to randomly switch out or not use some at all. I ended up playing this through mostly with just Norma and Aurora cause they had a good synergy for AOE attacks and Status effects. Possibly they could have either had bigger party limits to allow full use of a more diverse party strategy. Only other thing I can think of is maybe voice acting for the cut-scene parts of the game like the below picture.

Final Thoughts:

This game is very well done and the game industry definitely could use more games this well executed. Games that place a strong focus on the art of storytelling and creating a connection between player and character that lingers even after the game has been beaten. Being a gamer that thoroughly enjoys platformer games and RPGS (my two favorite game genres followed by fighting games) I am very thankful I got to experience this game. I'm happy it did not pass me by due to lack of hype or major advertising like we typically see for franchise titles. Feel free to check out the below gameplay with commentary we did for Child of Light...

more.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Ok so its been a while since I gave you a free game to enjoy so buck up cause this one is on the house. Found out about this through a friend as I don't usually find myself playing a lot of free games but he said I should give it a try. So shoutouts to Alvarez aka Rez for bringing this to my knowledge, let go shoot stuff in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms...

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms (known during the beta as Ghost Recon Online) is a third-person perspective, multiplayer action video game released for Microsoft Windows PCs and planned for Nintendo's Wii U console. The game is part of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series. This game is supported by micro transactions. The Windows version is confirmed to be a free-to-play game, and requires a Uplay account. Whilst not officially confirmed to be a free-to-play model as well for the Wii U as of January 2013, Nintendo's president and CEO Satoru Iwata commented in an interview that he has no opposition against this model and is willing to work with it.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics: Not so much a fan of Third Person Shooter (TPS) games but Tom Clancy is a veteran at his craft so this long standing franchise has solidified and mastered its representation of the control and fluidity of a TPS game.

What’s Bad:

Replay value: Not much considering its a free to play online game. Shit will get pretty old pretty fast without much consideration of a story line or diversity between the three offered classes.

Story-line: There is none, there isn't much compelling you to play aside from completing the daily self challenges for the free in-game currency to buy upgrades or to level up your character class of choice.

What Should Have Been Added:

Some personal customization options would be nice so that you can better differentiate your own player from all the other people who play the same class as you online. Maybe something as simple as color dyes or something as complex as specialist/hybrid class building. 

Final Thoughts:

The game is free. It deserves at the very least a try. So what more can I say but go ahead and try it. Even better if you can get friends to sign up and play with you. Got the usual footage for you but no commentary due to technical difficulties that I didn't realize until it was already too late. I do apologize for the seemingly half-assed review but I honestly hold true to the point that if its free and tolerable it has to be someones cup of tea so its worth a look. The game is currently available on Steam at the following address:

 http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/243870/

more.

The Wolf Among Us Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Well as we inch closer  and closer towards summer we start trying to clear out our backlog of games for review. I had high hopes from this game as its from a studio I came to know and love for their epic work on their The Walking Dead game. This time around we will see if the people over at Telltale Games can recreate the same success they found with Clementine and The Walking Dead. So lets go find out all about The Wolf Among Us...

The Wolf Among Us is an ongoing episodic graphic adventure video game based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book series. The Wolf Among Us is a point-and-click adventure game, where the player, in control of the protagonist Bigby Wolf, can move about the environment and examine and interact with other characters or objects. It is similar to Telltale's previous game, The Walking Dead, in that the player may make choices in their actions or through conversation trees that will influence future events in the story, including events in future episodes. These include major decisions, such as deciding which of two culprits to chase after while allowing the other to go free. Some scenes are more action-oriented, requiring the player to respond to a series of quick time events. Failure to do these correctly may end the scene with the death of Bigby or another character, but the game will restart at a checkpoint just before that scene to allow the player to try again.

What’s Good:

Replay value: Many variables to examine and paths to take and potential relationships to form so one or even two breakthroughs wont be enough to explore all possible avenues.

Soundtrack: Wonderful ambiance, voice acting and overall sound quality. All characters are represented and depicted well and translate well into their modern gritty roles.

Graphics: The game itself seems to have a more refined and crisp look to it than The Walking Dead. I definitely like the art style utilized in this as it feels more real and less cartoon-like.

Story-line: Very interesting story-line; started out a bit confusing but slowly started making more and more sense as time went on. Considering the game is based on a comic book series that is already well fleshed out i have high hopes for the progression of this series.

What Should Have Been Added:

Only thing I can think of is a better save/level system so the player can readily reload key-points in the story to choose different options and see how they play out.

Final Thoughts:

Even though it felt a bit shorter than anticipated a enjoyable and worthwhile experience that I have grown to look forward to. I am very much looking forward to playing through this series from start to finish just as we did with The Walking Dead.

more.

Goat Simulator Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

The little goat that could; or should I say the little joke that could. Goat simulator fever has taken the gaming community by storm and what started out as a simple joke project soon became a reality. Coffee Stain Studios, the Swedish team behind the Sanctum series, have used artistic licence and given us their view on the epic day to day life of a goat. So come along for the ride and experience the only Goat Simulation game in existence...(as far as I know of anyways)

Goat Simulator is an open-ended third-person perspective game in which the player controls a goat. The player is free to explore the game's world, a suburban semi-urban setting, as a goat, and jump, run, bash things, and lick objects, which attaches the goat's tongue to the object and lets the player drag the object around until they let go. At any time, the player can let the goat drop into a rag-doll model, allowing the game's physics to take over, and another control makes the game run in slow-motion. It was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam on 1 April 2014, while ports for Mac OS X and Linux are presently being developed. The game has been compared by the developer as akin to skateboarding games, but where the player controls a goat aimed at doing as much damage as possible around an open-world map, without any other larger goals. The game, initially developed as a joke prototype from an internal game jam and shown in a early alpha state in YouTube videos, was met with excitement and attention, prompting the studio to build out the game into a releasable state while still retaining various non-breaking bugs and glitches to retain the game's entertainment value.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics: Somewhat paying homage to the innovator of its engine Goat Simulator the game features a scoring system similar to skateboarding games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, whereby doing tricks or other actions earns points. Like the old adage goes "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and oddly enough this works well in Goat Simulator. Couple that with insane rag-doll physics and even a slow down time button and you have the makings of a fun time whether you are high, drunk or sober.

Replay value: The DLC is a coming so that give us hope for replay value as well as a Leaderboard that tracks world wide ranking points for the game so you can be the very best like no one ever was. There also exists a variety of different goat models that the player can gain access to via small golden goat statues that are hidden in the game's world and certain quests. 

Soundtrack: The game's soundtrack is somewhat limited but this is to be expected somewhat given the overall nature and price of the game. The soundtrack music is however quite catchy and I found myself quite naturally humming along to the music.

What’s Bad:

Story-line: There is none, short of a couple quests that get you acclimated to the game and its controls there is no real directive or flow to the mayhem that is Goat Simulator. I can see how since the game is a open world sandbox title it lends itself to the premise of creativity though. Essentially letting the player do as they please, but there isn't any excuse not to have even a crappy story-line instead of none at all to give some sense of meaning to the twisted world of Goat Simulator.

What Should Have Been Added:

Definitely should have added multiple levels at launch considering the small size of the only level available. Can't really fault them though since the game is in general just one big joke that went viral and had a strong enough hype to get it made into a reality.  Obviously a story-line would need to be added as well to give further motivation past just the occasional cheap laugh at the rag-doll physics that befall the goat. Some form of multi-player interaction maybe akin to the Dark Souls franchise where you can invade other players games. 

Final Thoughts:

Honestly the game is ridiculously fun; for about the first 15-30 minutes depending on your sense of humor, creativity and maturity level. Without a story-line or sense of meaningful progression its hard to say that you will stay motivated to play. This is the fundamental flaw of the game as its novelty and viral hype can only be expected to carry it for so long and no more. Thankfully this game is priced nowhere near the full retail price of a AAA game title so you don't have much to lose on experiencing the one of a kind "goating" experience.

more.

Strider Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Well not much to say for this week's game review, This game has been sitting on my back burner for a while now but we finally found some time to jump into it. A classic franchise is reborn with improved graphics and an all new story-line to appeal to a new generation of gamers as well as placate the die-hard fans. So without further adieu lets start on our path as ninjas....

Strider is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Double Helix Games and Capcom's Osaka studio. It was released in February 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows. The player control the series' main character, Strider Hiryu. The environment is freely explorable in search for weapons and items. Strider Hiryu's main weapon is his Cypher, a plasma weapon that can take several properties. Upgrades for the Cypher can be obtained by exploring the various levels throughout the game. In 2009, a Strider reboot was in development by Grin. However, due to financial difficulties that bankrupted the company, the game was cancelled. Development of the 2014 game was made possible thanks to the series' popularity especially in thanks to Capcom's surveys and forums.

What’s Good:

Story-line: The game is considered a retelling of the first arcade Strider game with elements from the NES console game. So its nice to see the attention to nostalgia.

Graphics: Double Helix has done a phenomenal job in bringing the futuristic ninja into the modern day by upgrading the visuals while maintaining the two-dimension plane.

Game Mechanics: Robust game design with a wide variety of attacks, powerups and level interaction.

Replay value: Just enough replay value can be found in the various hidden areas of levels and added concept art rewards hidden through out levels for the die hard fans.

Soundtrack: The game's soundtrack features multiple homages to classic Strider themes but with several modifications. The sound quality is also meant to resemble the music from the original games.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: They have utilized what I like to refer as the A.I. reload mechanic where if you go off screen the enemies you already cleared are reloaded and you have to fight them again. This deters you from actively wanting to explore a level for fear of dying.

What Should Have Been Added:

Pretty good for a standard 2-D side scrolling game but I feel the combo system was a bit lacking in depth.

Final Thoughts:

Solid reboot of the series no doubt; long time Strider fans will appreciate the nostalgia. The game certainly retains much of the appeal of the original games. From the reloading enemies, to the random A.I. difficulty spikes; the game is sure to bring a tear to your eye. Feel free to check out our game-play with commentary videos...

more.

The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 2 Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Alrighty then, ladies and gentlemen we back back all up in this bitch. Full recovered from our near death experience we are back to business as usual. Taking it slow and getting back into the swing of things this week we get our grubby little hands on episode two of Telltale Games wonderful game The Walking Dead. Episode one really hit things off with a bang last time and left us on the edge of our seat. Will episode 2 follow suit and deliver on the high level quality we have come to expect from The Walking Dead Series?

The Walking Dead: Season Two is an ongoing episodic graphic adventure based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series and developed by Telltale Games. It is the sequel to The Walking Dead, with the first episode released digitally in December 2013, and a retail collector's DVD edition planned at the conclusion of the season. The game employs the same narrative structure as the first season, where player choice in one episode will have a permanent impact on future story elements. The player choices recorded in save files from the first season and the additional episode 400 Days carry over into the second season. Clementine, who was the player's companion during the first season, is the player-character in Season Two. If you haven't already feel free to check out our game-play videos of Season 1, 400 Days DLC, and the start of Season 2 on our YouTube channel.

What’s Good:

Replay value: So many options but so little time.

Soundtrack: Wonderful ambiance, voice acting and overall sound quality.

Graphics: The game itself seems to have less graphical options to tweak so I take that to mean there were default improvements made behind the scenes.

Story-line: Oh my god!! I don't want to spoil it but a character from Season 1 makes an appearance in this episode. I nearly lost it when I discovered it, you definitely gotta play the game or watch my play through to see who the mystery character is.

What Should Have Been Added:

Maybe a flashback portion of the episode to help give some explanation as to how that character from Season 1 survived and what they experienced to get to where they are now. 

Final Thoughts:

Even though it felt a bit shorter than anticipated a enjoyable and worthwhile experience as always. I'm starting to wonder if I even need to review this series anymore since honestly I cant see Telltale Games messing up this excellent franchise they have created.

more.

South Park: The Stick Of Truth Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

The long await day of salvation has arrived. After many a setbacks and delays we finally have the game of prophesy. Today is truly a special day here on In The Mind Of My Mind as there is much mirth and rejoicing in the land of gaming. South Park: The Stick Of Truth is finally a reality and I could be none the happier as it has fulfilled my hopes and dreams. In an age where licensed franchise video games usually suck, South Park: The Stick Of Truth has answered the call to greatness. If you are a fan of the cartoon you will go crazy for the gaming experience it has to offer; if not you can very much still enjoy the game at its core values of story-line, game mechanics and content. Come on down to South Park and meet some friends of mine...

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a role-playing video game, based on the American animated television series South Park. The game was developed by Obsidian Entertainment in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios and published by Ubisoft. The game was expected to be released sometime in 2013, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, and Microsoft Windows, but was postponed to 2014, due to the shutdown of original publisher THQ and numerous delays. The player takes control of "The New Kid", who moves to South Park with his parents after a mysterious event forced the family to move. Similar to their duties on the TV show, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote the script for the game, oversaw the project, and provided the voices of the characters. This is without a doubt the definitive South Park game and goes the extra mile to deliver and authentic South Park experience first hand for the player. This sadly also works against the game because due to the authenticity of the South Park content the game received unfavorable reviews in Australia and Europe from the Electronics Rating Standards Bureau (ERSB). This led to it being censored as you can see an example of below:

What’s Good:

Soundtrack: Soundtrack is superbly executed. From the occasional ominous medieval music to the voice acting even hinting to the illustrious career work of Trey Parker and Matt Stones with the long list of songs on the radio. Another noteworthy bit of praise is for the audio cue that plays whenever your weapon flashes before an attack so you get the timing right for a perfect attack. This single feature has been the saving grace for me while playing as trying to watch for the visual cue for the attack at times is a bit tedious.

Graphics: Not the most cutting edge graphics one might expect from current gen consoles but it is pixel for pixel an accurate representation of the South Park universe. This helps to solidify the immersion factor of the game as it makes you feel like you are literally immersed in the South Park world. Not only does it feel like an episode of the iconic TV show but also it makes you the central focus and star of it all.

Story-line: The characters' costumes and classes appear to be based on the South Park episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers". The costumes and class names also appear in the three-episode story arc formed by "Black Friday", "A Song of Ass and Fire", and "Titties and Dragons". These all tie into the story-line development of the game and gives the fans a "sneak peek" for the game, and at the very least, was "good marketing/PR" in light of the numerous delays to the release of the game.

Game Mechanics: The very well executed game-play design of this game will appeal to many die-hard RPG fans as it favors turn based combat. The game has also managed to incorporate and represent most tell tale aspects of a good RPG game such as varied classes, deep combat system mechanics and character customization to suit all players. The game also has a well layered tutorial system; this helps the player learn the inner workings of the game, and as a bonus features a help menu for future reference.

Replay value: A fair amount of replay value exists as there are 4 classes to choose from which offer varied combat experiences. There are also key points within the story progression that offer multiple choices and outcomes for the player to explore.

What’s Bad:

Story-line: For a Role-Playing Game (RPG) title gamers are used to 20+ hours of gaming not to mention higher level caps one character classes. Sadly South Park falls a wee bit down in that regard as the campaign will run you about 10-15 hours worth of time overall. Add to that the low level cap of 15 and you know somebody somewhere is going to complain about it.

Game Mechanics: Not much to say here aside from this one off instance where I was playing a mini game for a quest where you are dancing for the Goth kids. For some reason it only recognizes the directional arrows on the keyboard instead of the movement keys assigned at W, A, S, D. Not really a big deal as this only occurs on PC but had to make mention. 

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to see more variety in the classes offered, granted they have subtle differences but I felt like there was no clear cut distinction between the moves, weapons, and equipment for the respective classes. I found myself not caring much about sticking with a particular weapon type as one would when playing an RPG; certain class limitations would have been nice to emphasize more the choice of character the player decides to go with.

Final Thoughts:

As a die-hard fan of the series I must say this game is not for the easily offended or weak willed. This game serves up a big helping of fan service and gone above and beyond the expectations of its followers. If I had a hat I would be tipping it to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, as I sip some lemon tea on a warm afternoon. I imagine somewhere out there on a patio somewhere with legs crossed like gentlemen they marvel at how well this game is bound to do. I very rarely find myself singing the praises of a game but this game deserves it and has my stamp of approval as a game of the year candidate for 2014. I have pre-ordered a copy of the Grand Wizard Edition of the game for my personal collection and if you are a fan of the TV show you probably should too. Feel free to check out some of our game-play with commentary below...

more.