Never a stranger to controversy, South Park recently made headlines again after it was discovered that the upcoming video game based on the show will feature a difficulty setting based on a character's skin color, gender and gender identity.
The game, titled "South Park: The Fractured But Whole," requires a player to choose a "difficulty setting" at the beginning of the game, which ends up corresponding to a character's skin color. The harder you want the game to be, the dark your character's skin will get.
In a walkthrough featured on the site Eurogamer, the game's narrator, Eric Cartman, from the show tells players, "Don't worry, this doesn't affect combat -- just every other aspect of your whole life."
The game's developers at Ubisoft told the gaming site that the skin color will have an impact on how much money the player's character receives, as well as how other in-game characters speak to your avatar.
According to Telegraph, it was reported that gender also impacts the game's level of difficulty as well. In the game, "Mr. Mackey," the school counselor, will help you choose your character's gender. If you choose to be a girl, Mackey will hesitate before calling your in-game parents, who will reinforce the division.
You're then given the option of choosing a transgendered girl avatar. If you accept, Mackey warns that the game will be tougher. Your character is then met by a group of aggressive locals as you leave the school.
Public responses to the game have been mixed, but if you so choose, you can check out the game for yourself when it hits the shelves on Oct. 17.
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