Obsidian's South Park RPG detailed

A few salient gameplay details regarding Obsidian's recently announced South Park RPG have slipped out.

As detailed in the latest issue of Game Informer magazine, summarised by a generous NeoGAF poster, the game revolves around your character attempting to fit in in South Park.

The game begins with you taking part in a live action role-playing game with other kids from the neighborhood, which eventually evolves into a real adventure.

There will apparently be five character classes for you to choose from: wizard, paladin, adventurer, rogue and a fifth "unconventional" class made up by Cartman.

The lead character will be a silent protagonist at the request of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who are writing the script.

One of the key gameplay features is a smartphone that acts as the game's menu. A Facebook-like app indicates how many friends you have and your current standing with the game's various factions.

Combat is turn-based and said to be similar to the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games, with time button presses offering multiple hits or additional defense.

There'll be both ranged and melee weapons to pick up - all of which can be augmented - as well as a summons feature.

Plenty of collectibles are also promised, with different Chinpokomon dolls offered as an example.

You'll be able to explore South Park between quests. Though it's not made entirely clear in the summary, it appears that the game is 2D, with the action taking place in both the foreground and background of a scene.

The game is being developed in the same engine that Obsidian used for Dungeon Siege 3.

A GameInformer video interview with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart offers a little more background to the collaboration.