Summary
Although the roguelike format of Snow Day is designed to keep you coming back for more, I found myself struggling to find a reason to return to reply after beating a level. There are some cosmetic items to unlock and maybe a few weapons you didn’t try out, but that’s not enough.
Snow Day is a blast to play, and you can’t beat the price! But it could use a bit more to keep players engaged for the long haul. With some extra content and incentives to keep players coming back, it has the potential to be a standout game. As it is, it’s a great option for fans of South Park and roguelike games, but it might not keep you hooked for a long time. Overall, it’s a solid choice, but with a few tweaks, it could be even better.
Developer – Question
Publisher – THQ Nordic
Platforms – PS5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, PC (Reviewed)
Review copy given by Publisher
When a Blizzard hits the town of South Park that only means one thing, the Adults rush out to buy all the Toilet paper, but more importantly for you the “New Kid”, and your South Park friends, that means… IT’S A SNOWDAY!
The South Park gang is back and this time, it’s a Snow Day! Moving away from the two previous entries’ RPG venture (Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole), South Park: Snow Day! sees Cartman and crew enter the roguelike adventure territory, in a Diablo-like, action-adventure game developed by Question and published by THQ Nordic in association with South Park Digital Studios.
You’re back in the role of the ‘new kid’, with a major snowstorm raging outside, school is closed and the kids are suiting up for an epic battle, ready to pummel each other into oblivion for the ultimate prize: Cheesy Poofs! But the kids have been fighting over the rules of their role-playing adventures since the New Kid (you) has become OP in the past two games.
But things take a turn for the bizarre when the snow doesn’t let up. The flakes keep falling, deeper and deeper, until the kids are buried up to their necks. It’s up to you and your pals to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it before it’s too late. So Grab your snow Suit and let’s jump in head first (and maybe make some snow angels and angry snowmen).
In this game, you’ll make your way through levels filled with battles against other kids and boss fights against main cast members. At the start of each run, you’ll be armed with daggers and a bow and arrow, but as you progress, you’ll unlock additional weapons to add to your arsenal.
Throughout the game, You’ll also have access to special powers that can give you the edge in battle. For example, you can set down a healing totem to restore your health, or use your fart powers to blast yourself into the air, escaping danger and dealing poison damage to any enemies unlucky enough to be in your path.
The combat itself is fairly easy to figure out and master ,and is definitely made with co-op in mind. If you are playing solo, then bots will fill your lobby when a fight kicks off, meaning you’re never alone.
Although the AI for these bots is beyond horrible, Throwing themselves into situations that often get them quickly killed and needing to play a game of always being a medic and reviving them. Playing with others is definitely the best way to play.
In Snow Day, the roguelike elements really shine through, adding an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay. At the start of each level run, you’ll get to choose from three random buff cards that will give you a boost in one of three areas: your powers, weapons, or character. These cards can be found throughout your runs and can even be upgraded before you buy them, using the valuable resource of toilet paper. With each run’s upgrades being randomised, you get to experiment with a bit of everything and learn what works and what doesn’t.
At the start of a run, you also get to choose another kind of buffs called Bullshit Cards. These cards are limited use, but provide some insanely strong attacks in times of need. Your enemies also get Bullshit Cards as well and will regularly activate them during battle, making your weapon useless or upgrading enemies though.
As you go through each run, you’ll also want to collect Dark Matter. This valuable resource can be used to purchase permanent upgrades from none other than Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo ! With up to thirty nodes to choose from, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to customize your gameplay style and make your character truly your own.
But Mr Hanky it’s the old merchant dealing in Dark Matter , Keep an eye out for Henrietta, who can be found lurking in levels throughout the game. She’s got some amazing deals for you, offering to trade your upgrades for even more Dark Matter, she might just give you some extra toilet paper or upgrade your existing powers on the spot aswell.
The game offers Five different Levels or Runs ,each one taking about an hour to complete. With some randomization thrown in, you’ll have a different experience every time you play, however , the game feels like it needs more levels or something like seasons to keep people playing the game and to keep the co-op/multiplayer alive.
Although the roguelike format of Snow Day is designed to keep you coming back for more, I found myself struggling to find a reason to return to reply after beating a level. There are some cosmetic items to unlock and maybe a few weapons you didn’t try out, but that’s not enough.
Snow Day is a blast to play, and you can’t beat the price! But it could use a bit more to keep players engaged for the long haul. With some extra content and incentives to keep players coming back, it has the potential to be a standout game. As it is, it’s a great option for fans of South Park and roguelike games, but it might not keep you hooked for a long time. Overall, it’s a solid choice, but with a few tweaks, it could be even better.
Now that you read the review , go check out our video on the first mission of the game :
