Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Audacious, satirical RPG with mature themes to the extreme.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
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South Park: The Stick of Truth
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 42 kid reviews
Kids say this game is a hilariously crude RPG that captures the essence of the South Park series, packed with adult content such as strong language, nudity, and dark humor that makes it unsuitable for younger audiences. While some reviewers see it as fun for mature teens, they emphasize that parents should gauge their child's maturity due to its offensive themes and intense humor.
- mature content
- strong language
- humor style
- parental guidance
- age recommendation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Based on the long-running Comedy Central animated show, SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH is a role-playing game packed with crude and satirical jokes. The script -- written and performed by show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker -- tells the story of a new kid in town who begins the game looking to make some friends. He stumbles upon Cartman and his pals playing a fantasy role-playing game around the neighborhood and is drafted into Cartman's army of heroes, where he must decide whether he wants to take on the role of a fighter, mage, thief, or Jew. Then he begins adventuring around town, where he makes friends by adding them to his Facebook account, gets into turn-based fights against other kids using weapons ranging from a police baton to an izmel knife, and completes a wide array of quests that range from escaping from a ship full of aliens intent on giving him an anal probe to helping Al Gore track down and slay the ManBearPig.
Is It Any Good?
Like the TV show, South Park: The Stick of Truth is definitely not for kids. And its sense of humor -- more edgy and boundary-pushing than ever, thanks to a lack of network censorship -- won't be to all tastes. That said, grown-ups attuned to South Park's unusual brand of comedy will find a season's worth of politically incorrect satirical jokes scattered through the game. Its animation and dialogue are so similar to what's seen on TV that the game is essentially an interactive version of the show.
Sadly, though, the role-playing isn't quite a match for the presentation. Turn-based combat is sloppy and unforgiving, and navigating the two-dimensional town can be frustrating. Making matters worse, the controls are hard to figure out -- especially when it comes to solving puzzles outside of combat -- and likely will leave many players stumped in some areas. None of these issues will be deal breakers for die-hard South Park fans, who'll likely keep moving along just for the laugh-out-loud jokes. But players hoping for a great gaming experience equal to the comedy are bound to be disappointed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the concepts of satire and parody. Comedy often tackles hard subjects by making the audience laugh about things they normally wouldn't. Do you think this is effective? Are there certain subjects that should remain taboo?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : UbiSoft
- Release date : March 4, 2014
- Genre : Role-Playing
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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