Since video games went from a niche hobby to mainstream entertainment, adapting works from other media has been a standard practice. From the days of Atari to the gaming culture of today, most successful works in pop culture have inevitably come with a form of licensed games. Because licensed games are often made to profit off of these works’ popularity, their direction can be shallow.South Park, a late 90s cultural phenomenon and one of the longest-running animated series of all time, was not spared from this.South Parkgameswere notorious for earning the ire of the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, but two decades into the show’s run a pair of RPGs -The Stick of TruthandThe Fractured but Whole- were made under their supervision.
Both were well-received, and are now considered some of the best examples of licensed games. Now thatSouth Parkwill get years' worth of additional content, including over a dozen movies and a new game, Parker and Stone should aim to make the titular town even bigger - especially if this new game is another RPG. Due to how long the series has lasted, South Park has evolved as a setting, to the point where modern episodes make the town look like a developed suburb instead of a “hick” mountain town. The number of distinct locations introduced over the past two decades even rivals the development of Springfield overThe Simpsons’ 30 years.
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Creating a Bigger Love Letter Than Stick of Truth
Part of the appeal ofSouth Park: The Stick of Truthwas how it provided the closest thing fans might get to an official map of South Park. Iconic locations in the game include the houses of the four main boys (and Butters); South Park Elementary; several small businesses like City Wok and Tom’s Rhinoplasty;as well as Canada, despite its hilariously inaccurate geography.
The Fractured but Wholegenerally has the same map with additional references to what happened between the two games’ developments, like the gentrification of Kenny’s house and the destruction of the South Park mall. The game notably allowed the player to explore the houses of more major students like Clyde Donovan, Craig Tucker, and Bebe Stevens, as well as additional iconic businesses likeMedicinal Fried Chickenand the Hooters-inspired Raisins. These locations were priorities for Parker and Stone, as they are the core of the town’s features and the show’s setting.
That being said, a newSouth Parkgame would come out over five years afterThe Fractured but Whole. There are at least five seasons' worth of shifts in the status quo, such asStan’s family moving to a farm, to add, but also plenty of time to make said map even bigger. This does not mean expanding the in-game version of the town for the sake of it, but there are plenty of things from the show that could contribute to an immersive experience.
Such strategies include adding explorable houses of random citizens like Wendy, Tweek, Timmy, Mr. Garrison, and Mr. Mackey, possibly by adding more streets. Making South Park Elementary more explorable using the boys’ memorable fourth and third grade classrooms accessible, and adding more districts with one-time locations could contribute to the town’s flair and thisfutureSouth Parkgame’scharm.
TheSouth ParkRPGs thrived on inserting references from the show’s entire history, with the town’s locales playing a major part in their appeal. Whatever ends up followingThe Fractured but Whole, whether it is an RPG or another genre, will have pressure to live up to its predecessors. The game should take inspiration from both its predecessors andThe Simpsons Hit & Run, another licensed game that is more jam-packed with references than theSouth ParkRPGs. Making an even closer version of a canonical layout for the eponymous Colorado town is essential to create a more unique experience.
