'South Park: The Game' Screenshots, Combat and Class Details

Since its out-of-nowhere reveal two weeks ago, South Park: The Game has quickly become one of next year’s most anticipated titles. South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are involved every step of the way, and their work is clearly paying off. The first screenshots of the game have hit the web, and they look just like the show.

Along with the first screenshots, South Park: The Game lead designer Matt MacLean dropped some new details on the game’s combat, weapons, and class system.

Citing the Paper Mario games as inspiration, MacLean notes that South Park’s turn-based combat will make use of timed button presses to either boost the strength of an attack or the effectiveness of defense. Attacks themselves run the gamut from such school-yard classics as a solid kick to the crotch, to class-based magical techniques as in Final Fantasy, “Only, without like 14 minute sequences of Knights of the Round attacking your enemies.”

As noted in the first South Park details released after the game was revealed, players will be able to choose between five classes, though only the first four — Fighter, Mage, Thief, and Cleric — were named. Now the mystery class has been revealed, and in keeping with the show’s irreverent, controversial tone, it’s bound to upset some folks. The game’s final class is Jew, which MacLean refers to as “…our Paladin/Monk Type character.” The closer players who choose this class come to death, the more powerful they will be.

South Park: The Game places a premium on weapons, and players can expect to spend a significant amount of time upgrading, augmenting, and customizing their implement of choice.

“We don’t want this game to be a slot machine of loot where you just keep getting weapons and use them for five minutes and throw them away. We want you to form relationships with all your little toys.”

For the complete interview with MacLean, head on down to Game Informer.

Character customization, weapons upgrades, player classes — yep, that’s a role playing game. That the game (at least in still images) manages to perfectly capture the look of the show, and is being both scripted and voiced by Parker and Stone, all but ensures that South Park’s many fans will line up to give it a try. The question is whether South Park: The Game’s old-school RPG mechanics will keep those fans on board for its twenty-hour play time. What do you think?

Ranters, are you relieved to see that the game looks just like the show? How much controversy do you think the classes are going to cause?

South Park: The Game is slated for the second half of 2012 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.