When comparing South Park: The Stick of Truth vs Portal 2, the Slant community recommends Portal 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best singleplayer games on Steam?” Portal 2 is ranked 1st while South Park: The Stick of Truth is ranked 52nd. The most important reason people chose Portal 2 is:
While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game, as there are no in-game setbacks when you die. Being able to stop at any point in the game to just goof around is great for releasing some steam, even when it is at the expense of your co-op partner.
Specs
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Pros
Pro South Park's trademark humor throughout the turn-based combat
When you start the game, you have the option of choosing between four distinct classes: Fighter, Mage, Thief, or Jew. The classes all give you a different edge in combat to suit your style, and the armor for each one makes you fit right in with classic dungeons and dragons fantasy games. If you choose to be a Jew, then you'll be able to take down groups of bad guys all at once with huge, powerful attacks named after religious references. Later on in the game, no matter which class you are, you can summon Jesus in combat to come down from the sky and purge groups of enemies with an automatic gun. South Park fans will probably get a good laugh out of the combat and how over-the-top it is.
Pro Puts you in the middle of the South Park show
The art style makes the game indistinguishable from the South Park show, featuring the same voice actors and an abundance of references to the long-running series. You'll get to meet the kids, team up with them, and earn their friendship as you explore the town and get in all sorts of trouble together. Each of the characters' houses are mostly fully explorable, and whichever companion you choose will make remarks about the things you find, like what someone's parents might have gotten up to as you rummage through their bedroom. There's a lot to discover, and all of it feels like an authentic recreation of the show dedicated for South Park fans or anyone who wants to jump into the franchise for the first time.
Pro Entertaining parodies of the RPG genre
All throughout the story, you'll find funny knocks on the fourth wall as characters make comments about why the voiceless protagonist doesn't talk, and the meaning behind why everyone has to take turns in battle. The whole premise of the South Park kids embarking on an epic fantasy quest together is fun and imaginative, especially as they make remarks about why they're dressed in their outfits and carrying swords or staves. It pokes fun at the role-playing genre while serving as a reminder that the kids are only playing a very convincing game of make-believe.
Pro Customizable player character
You can tailor your male protagonist to look however you want, with plenty of hair options, skin tones, eye shapes, and more. While your protagonist isn't voiced and has no name, you'll still feel like a realized character in the South Park show because of how much the boys include you in their activities. Later on in the game, you'll find the girls who will offer to give you a make-over with dresses, shoes, makeup, and hairstyles for a whole new look.
Pro Co-op does not punish when you want to goof off with or troll the other player
While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game, as there are no in-game setbacks when you die. Being able to stop at any point in the game to just goof around is great for releasing some steam, even when it is at the expense of your co-op partner.
Pro Huge selection of user-generated content that should appeal to any use-case
The game has more than 60,000 co-op puzzles created by users through the Steam Workshop and through mods. Because it is user-generated content, the quality and size of these puzzles vary widely, including everything from simple, one-off chambers to full-fledged expansions with high-quality stories, voice-overs, and new gameplay elements (for example, Mel). By having such a selection of content, there should be something that appeals to just about anything someone is looking for.
Pro Entertaining and well delivered voice acting
Voice acting for Wheatley the AI robot is done by Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office UK, Life's Too Short) in humorous fashion. His delivery is well executed on all dialogue. On top of this specific experience, the rest of the voice acting of every other character in the game is performed just as well, in part due to the fact that the dialogue was written in a funny smart and entertaining cool fashion. This makes for a top quality listening experience that shows a lot of care was taken with the acting of the game.
Pro Creates a sense of accomplishment through a high level of teamwork
Game is shit
Pro Challenging puzzles that require creative thinking
Pro Witty and funny character driven story
Four major characters drive the single player poop campaign, and they are amazing. Three of which have explosive personalities, bring humor, suspense, sadness, and empathy. The other being Chell, who doesn’t speak but her interactions with the rest of the cast make her all the more mysterious and interesting. Most of the time you don’t even see or directly interact with the characters, but that just shows how great and cool they are.
Pro Cross-platform co-op
As long as both players have a Steam account, the co-op is able to be played even if one user is playing on the PS3 while the other is on a PC.
Pro Well implemented tools that improve teamwork
Pro So large in scope that it takes multiple playthroughs to see everything
Portal 2 is larger in every way when compared to the first title, from the longer and more detailed story to the larger levels and new game mechanics. This makes for a title that will last 8-9 hours minimum, with many elements that are worth revisiting, not to mention the co-op section of the game, which is separate from the single player story.
Pro Versatile selection of co-op multiplayer
It’s possible to play a multiplayer game for free online using the Steam servers, as well as locally on your machine using split-screen (the second player must use a gamepad controller if playing locally). This keeps the multiplayer options versatile to any players needs.
Cons
Con Too easy on the default difficulty
Battles aren't all that challenging on the default difficulty that the game starts with. If you notice that the game seems too easy, then you can go into the options menu and adjust things to your liking.
Con Crude humor that isn't for everyone
If you don't enjoy the crass, vulgar humor in the South Park shows, then this game probably won't change your mind. Some players might be put off by the shocking jokes, cursing and foul language, and other raunchy and inappropriate scenarios.
Con Main co-op campaign is short
The co-op campaign in Portal 2 is about 4 hours long for experienced players, meaning it could be beaten in a just a couple days. With almost zero replayability, this makes the game feel incredibly short. Luckily, hundreds of hours of user-generated content is available.
Con It's already on every coop list since 2011
Con Steep co-op learning curve
Although the single-player campaign features a gradual learning curve, co-op offers no mercy. The puzzles start off hard and only get harder. It’s highly recommended that you play through single-player first if you are not familiar with Portal's mechanics.
Con Sense of accomplishment is often onesided
Con Frequent motion sickness trigger
Con Late game single player can be quite difficult
While the single player learning curve is quite gradual, late game the puzzles can become quite difficult, sometimes leading to the player being stuck for long stretches of time. While not impossible to solve, some creative thinking will need to be done in order to finish.