South Park Snow Day review - A decent yet shallow co-op experience

The iconic animated American sitcom returns to the realm of video games with the arrival of the brand-new South Park Snow Day. Unlike the franchise's previous forays into the realm of RPGs, this is a 3D-action roguelike game. While this may sound like an odd move for South Park, the execution is surprisingly decent. That said, it's not without its issues.

Before we start, it should be noted that South Park Snow Day is operating on a much smaller scale than Obsidian or Ubisoft's offerings, so players will want to manage their expectations.

A chilly adventure awaits in South Park Snow Day

Every snow day is a holiday (Image via THQ Nordic)

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The game takes place in the titular town where the show is also set. Players step back into the boots of the 'New Kid' who aims to make the most of a snowstorm ravaging the town by having fun in the snow with their friends. Classic characters like Cartman, Jimmy, and more return, each LARPing specific roles in a DnD-style session.

This is what forms the basis of the story: South Park Snow Day is set throughout five levels, where the New Kid from the previous South Park RPG outings tackles challenges by fighting through hordes of foes and completing objectives to reach the end. Players can select between a few weapons (both melee and ranged) and powers, some of which become available after the campaign.

The tutorial will help players learn the mechanics (Image via THQ Nordic)

Before we dive into the finer gameplay details, you should know that this is a South Park game through and through. The cartoonish characters, the crass humor replete with vulgarities, and hilarious set-pieces all make South Park Snow Day a game geared towards fans of the series. The game can be played as a co-op adventure by up to four players, each of whom is able to create a custom avatar.

The story is also surprisingly intriguing. It starts with a silly war between the humans and elves and eventually devolves into a sinister mystery that slowly sheds light on the situation of the never-ending snow that's suffocating the town. It does not even come close to the heights of South Park: The Stick of Truth, but it suffices for a small-scale game like this.

The Dark Matter skill tree (image via THQ Nordic)

Players will also collect three different types of currency: PP (Platinum Points), DM (Dark Matter), and TP (Toilet Paper). PP is used to unlock cosmetics in the hub area's Bazaar (and there is adequate variety), DM allows you to upgrade the New Kid's stats via a skill tree, and TP is used to upgrade cards during runs. Interestingly, the Dark Matter skill tree allocations can be refunded at any time, allowing players to experiment with trait synergies.

All things considered, there is ample room for personalization here. Levels feature distinct objectives, like piecing together a catapult or fetching objects for an auction, along with further sub-area modifiers like line defense. Players will tackle different foes from standard elven mobs (from annoying snipers to tanky jockeys), so knowing which enemies to prioritize and take down first is important.

May the mightiest win

The Armory in the hub world (Image via THQ Nordic)

Melee weapons include dual-daggers, a sword-and-shield setup, and a great axe. The ranged options include a slingshot, staff, and wand. For my playthrough, I found myself leaning towards the axe and the wand. The former hits hard thanks to its charged-up spin attack, while the latter functions as a flamethrower. Applying status effects on foes is key to whittling them down faster.

On the powers side of things, you can find everything from a healing totem to a fart powerup that launches you upwards and out of an opponent's reach. Since this is a roguelike, players will obtain cards that help them tweak how powerups and weapons function. For example, the great axe spin can be augmented to a whirlwind that pulls in foes while also damaging them.

The healing totem is by far the best power-up in South Park Snow Day (Image via THQ Nordic)

Powers are governed by a P*ssed Off meter, which fills up as players attack foes, thus allowing for the use of these abilities in battle. However, only two powers from your arsenal can be picked during a run, and having the healing totem is mandatory for survivability. Others, like the drone, are less useful, as AoE (Area of Effect) damage is king in this game.

With that said, multiple strong AoE attacks from foes can wipe out your allies, who must then be revived by standing within the circle that spawns around them. Between level areas, you will also obtain random cards from Jimmy that enhance your moves, like allowing the totem to revive fallen players or heal you after you perform a slam with the axe.

Each modifier changes how players approach combat in subtle ways (Image via THQ Nordic)

You can also receive rarer cards from Henrietta that have effects like granting extra Toilet Paper or replenishing Bullsh*t Cards. The latter of these are unique "Ultimate" powerups that allow you to unleash devastating moves, but only a limited number of uses are available. Some examples include shooting powerful lasers from your eyes, turning invisible and healing, and summoning meteors to hail down on foes. Enemies can use them too, so you must stay vigilant.

It is important to use these rarer cards wisely. They are particularly handy against the main bosses found at the end of each level, all of which have unique moves along with set pieces that can be used to take them down. Unfortunately, not all of them are well-balanced, which brings us to one of the main flaws of South Park Snow Day.

Fun turned into a chore

The chaos is real (Image via THQ Nordic)

While the game can get very chaotic, it can often become too much of a mess. Coupled with the clunky combat, the experience often devolves into a session of mindless button mashing and repetition. Since I played the game solo (where AI characters are summoned during skirmishes to help with foes), there were definitely moments when things got rough. The level 4 boss in particular was impossible to beat solo, as the AI partners aren't able to avoid incoming AoE attacks.

There is also the issue of repetition. There are only five main levels, minus the Ravenous Horde free DLC that sees the New Kid and his friends go against increasingly hard waves of enemies.

Many players will likely have an issue with the game's length. South Park New Day is only about five to six hours long, especially if you beeline through the story without scouring around levels for any hidden collectibles. After beating what the campaign has to offer, it is hard to see why players would want to stick around for more.

Graphics, performance, and sound

South Park Snow Day gets the aesthetics right (Image via THQ Nordic)

South Park Snow Day is an Unreal Engine game, and it manages to capture the unique art style of the series despite opting for 3D visuals. The environments look great and help bring the kids' make-believe game to life. The performance is smooth, with no issues to report. As for sound, it is a decent package with standard action and adventure tunes across various levels.

In conclusion

While it is fun, the issues are hard to overlook (Image via THQ Nordic)

South Park Snow Day has a promising foundation but misses the mark far too many times. Still, the core elements work well enough, and those looking for a new adventure in the South Park video game universe will likely find things to enjoy here, especially if they are fans of the show.