When it comes toSouth Park, no one and no organization is safe from the vicious parodies the franchise creates. Not only do the movies and the shows do so, but the video games poke a lot of fun at pop culture too.South Park: The Stick of Truth, for example, may have been a more classic,Dungeons and Dragons-styleLARP-based RPG, but it didn’t back down from abortion, drug addiction, sex, violence, poverty, and many, many more social issues.
At the same time,South Park: The Fractured But Wholetook its comedic approach to each of these things as well, but at the same time, it was poking fun at the emphasis on superhero franchises, seen in Marvel and DC, too. Overall, these games really bringSouth Parkto life, and the confirmation that anewSouth Parkgame is in developmentis exciting news for fans. However, what it should take aim at this time around is the games industry itself.
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A South Park Game About Games
There are plenty of elements related to the games industry that would be perfect for the newSouth Parkgame to parody, and it’s not like there isn’t a whole lot in the show related to games either. Stan and Kyle’s Guitar Hero episode is just one of many things that could be built for the game to tackle, but just asSouth Park:TheFractured But Wholefocused on the movie industry’s trendof growing cinematic universes, it could focus on any number of gaming trends—probably multiple at the same time.
For example, fromReturnal to Deathloopand many more in-between, time loop gameshave been all the rage here lately.South Parkcould be a time loop game, as time travel is no stranger to the franchise, and they are trying to destroy the time loop by finding and destroying a time loop game–itself. Roguelike elements are also increasingly popular, and working that in with a time loop element would go hand in hand.
At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the recentrelease ofElden Ringand gaming’s growing obsession withSoulsgames. To throw in bosses that are hard, to use the famous “You Died” phrase, and to mock a lot of discourse of these titles would go right in. Perhaps it was more limited to one boss where, to actually beat him, players have to die to it quite a few times—just for the laughs inSouth Park’s gameplay.
It could go even further than that, as more and more live-service games are releasing too. Adding an in-game shop—that’s not live-service but an actual in-game shop with items bought by earnable currency—could name items things that just fire off atLive-Service games. Perhaps Cartman could even gently berate the player when they are shopping.
At the end of the day, there are so many things in the games industry that could fit itself into aSouth Parkgame that was self-aware and mocking games. This “metagame” component would really makethe nextSouth Parkgame, whenever it releases, stand out.
A NewSouth Parkgame is in development.
MORE:What The New South Park Game’s Developer Tells Us About The Project
