Review of South Park's Snow Day Switch: hilarious
Our Verdict
South Park: Snow Day is an enjoyable experience that offers something a bit different from previous entries, Stick of Truth and Fractured but Whole, through a hack ‘n slash-tyle combat, card-based powers system, and the ability to go on a hilarious adventure with your pals.
It should come as no surprise that I leaped at the opportunity to play Snow Day as I like South Park and get excited whenever a new game is announced. When it comes to a South Park, I know precisely what to expect. Well, I do most of the time, but Snow Day has a few surprises that I like.
As you might probably anticipate, a massive snowfall sweeps across South Park, a tiny town in Colorado, sending the children into a fantastical imaginary world as they rejoice over the cancellation of classes (oh, I remember snow days). Yes, that means you can play as The New Kid and build your own character, just like in Stick of Truth and Fractured but Whole, but you can also get up to all sorts of hijinks with Stan, Cartman, Kenny, and Kyle.
Once again, Snow Day pits you and the South Park kids against one other in the midst of an elven and human conflict. Well, at least you have the Grand Wizard (yep, Cartman from Stick of Truth reappears as a guide). But this time, things are a little different since the game has distinct mechanics from the first two installments.
If you've played the earlier South Park games, you probably know what to anticipate in terms of weaponry and fighting mechanics. With a variety of melee and ranged weapons at your disposal, you may launch a variety of attacks and use an assortment of abilities. The powers in Snow Day, on the other hand, are acquired via cards that you may equip and unlock as you go through the game. The first card you get is called "fart escape," which presumably tells you all you need to know. The game oozes with classic South Park comedy.
You may equip more than one card at time, but you must choose wisely since some are for battle, others are for healing, and the odd card may even aid with traversal (yes, fart escape can assist with that). Naturally, you are not able to employ your skills whenever you like. You must be "pissed off," to use Jimmy's words, "not a problem, bud; this is my calling in life." It irritates me that you have to either inflict significant harm on the opponent or inflict pain on yourself in order to get angry.
You can see your level of rage on the screen, and when it's low, it's time to get out your weapons and start beating the living hell out of some foes. The usage of "bullshit cards," which is maybe one of my favorite aspects of the game—yes, because it's okay for me to speak bullshit in this review—comes next. As if being angry, equipping cards, and engaging in some hack 'n slash-style fighting weren't enough. These cards are only playable by leaders, and depending on which one you decide to bring into combat, they may increase your opponents' attack power and health as well as theirs.
Both you and your opponent may choose which bullshit card to draw at the start of a chapter or encounter. Unlike your regular abilities, these cards have a limited amount of uses, so you must use them sparingly. I like to take full use of this intriguing concept while I'm in conflict.
Speaking of which, I'm ecstatic that the game allows you to freely maneuver your character and execute button-mashing strikes in a hack-and-slash fashion rather than having turn-based combat. You may utilize your equipped cards in addition to the usual attacks you can make with melee and ranged weapons. Standard equipment and abilities will only carry you so far in the game, so you'll need to see Jimmy in order to gain upgrades and new capabilities (as well as a fast trip to the armory for new weapons).
Aside from the fact that it's a South Park game, I think what makes Snow Day so alluring is that it has multiplayer, which is a first for the videogame series and is really welcome. I would think to myself all the time when playing Stick of Truth and Fractured but Whole, "This would be so much fun with friends, it should really have multiplayer." There's a multiplayer game called South Park: Snow Day, so apparently someone heard me.
You can finish Snow Day with three other players, but if you'd rather do it alone, you may play it by yourself. The game offers you three bot allies to level the playing field when you engage in combat. But after the fight, the assistance vanishes, so you'll have to navigate the stages on your own, much like the lone wolf you are.
Playing multiplayer is easy to understand and operate. You may set up multiplayer here by going to the war table and choosing the chapter or fight you wish to participate in. In your game, you may invite guests or respond to requests for player support. Although I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to try out the matchmaking and multiplayer features, when I was able to connect—there aren't many players until the game launches—it functioned well. When the game is out, I plan to test this mechanism more thoroughly and update my review appropriately.
Regarding the Nintendo Switch version of the game, I have no complaints about its performance. There are no bugs to be found, either in docked or portable mode. I'll jump in when there are more people to test this further, but as I said, my little experience with the multiplayer suggests that connection is good.
All things considered, I have to conclude that Snow Day is a blast for any fan of South Park. The characters are just as entertaining as they were in the earlier games, the new mechanics give something fresh, and the entire thing has a certain charm that will make you smile. You should play this game with your friends. I'm eager to return to the battle, for sure.
If you're not into South Park, see what else is available to play by visiting our listings of Resident Evil games, Sonic games, and Tomb Raider games.