Obsidian Entertainment is a studio that has a few successful IPs and franchises under its belt. In recent times, the studio is most well known for The Outer Worlds, a game that has players exploring the Halcyon star system in a future where capitalism has run wild, leading to mega-corporations with far too much power than they deserve. It appears as though Obsidian's future is with The Outer Worlds, as the studio is currently developing the sequel. However, years earlier, the developer made ripples in the gaming industry with a game that was controversial yet gathered itself a cult following, and that game is South Park: The Stick of Truth.
The Stick of Truth was released in 2014, and though there have been several South Park games that have come afterward, none have been developed by Obsidian. Perhaps the time is right for a new South Park game with the same kind of polish and fun that Obsidian provided with The Stick of Truth. With South Park enjoying yet another wave of popularity, it could be a good move for both Obsidian and gamers.
Obsidian Has Been Successful Before
Obsidian's The Stick of Truth landed well with South Park fans because it remained so faithful to the source material. It makes use of the same simple yet striking art style of the cartoon series, and it pulls no punches when it comes to replicating the show's crude and controversial comedy. This is thanks to the fact that Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who are the creators of South Park, also served as writers for The Stick of Truth. Although the combat is nothing more than serviceable, playing the game genuinely feels like hopping into an episode of South Park.
With The Outer Worlds, Obsidian has demonstrated that it is a studio capable of crafting engaging gameplay. Should the studio have another whack at a South Park game, it could blend that authentic South Park feeling with more refined combat to produce a game that improves on everything The Stick of Truth did.
The Time is Right
Despite its highly controversial nature, South Park has always enjoyed popularity. Though it first aired in 1997, it still manages to pull in viewers, and its twenty-fifth season aired in early 2022. In recent times, South Park has enjoyed renewed attention, and this is in part thanks to the South Park pandemic specials that were released in 2020 and 2021. The first special, simply titled "The Pandemic Special", aired in September 2020, and it drew in over 4.05 million viewers, making it the highest-rated South Park episode in seven years.
It would be wise for Obsidian to strike while the iron is hot and release a new South Park game while interest in the franchise is still high. The studio could work around the narrative threads of the South Park pandemic specials and allow players to explore a post-Covid version of South Park still under quarantine. Alternatively, the studio could focus on season twenty-five, which could be an easy task because it is only six episodes long, or Obsidian could surprise gamers with an entirely new plot that still manages to stay true to the television series.
After the amazing job Obsidian did with The Stick of Truth, it would be a shame if the studio did not visit South Park again. Obsidian has grown significantly since 2014, and it could do an even better job now with the franchise. With eyes on South Park again, perhaps it is time for Obsidian to team up with Stone and Parker for yet another masterful video game adaptation.