South Park: The Fractured But Whole

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a game that you'll enjoy if you laughed when you read the words 'Fractured But Whole'. And luckily I'm one of those people.

The Fractured But Whole is a sequel to the 2014 title The Stick of Truth which saw the kids of South Park spoofing the fantasy genre. Here we see their take on the superhero genre which works extremely well with many topical references to Marvel and DC which got lots of chuckles out of me. What really stood out to me in the very early portions of the game was how seamlessly the game transitioned from the Stick of Truth to The Fractured But Whole. I was expecting to go into super hero mode from the get go but narrative it was really nice that they started from where the last game ended.  

The Fractured But Whole is like watching a 20 hour long South Park Episode with some quick time events thrown in. Which is so fantastic!! Far too often do game developers try to create games based on movies or television and have that game end up being an extremely poor equivalent, so for The Fractured But Whole to achieve this puts in in very high regard. In saying that, this game will most likely only appeal to those who are fans of the TV show such as myself. The humour is for the most part very funny and at times pushes the envelope but I would expect nothing less from an entry into the South Park franchise. 

One of the biggest improvements from The Stick of Truth is the combat system which has been changed to a grid based format. This change allows for a lot more strategy and thinking to take place when you're in combat situations and makes for engaging fights that never felt boring. Another aspect of the combat that I really enjoyed was when special objectives were introduced such as escaping to an exit or chasing after a fleeing enemy. This made for even more strategic thinking to take place during combat and the variety in game play ensured that the combat didn't become stale as the campaign progressed.

My biggest gripe with The Fractured But Whole is the huge amount of mindless walking that you do throughout the game. And I understand that the kids can't drive and that there were fast travel points throughout the map, but even with the use of them I found myself still doing a lot of aimless walking to each destination. The inclusion of a fast walk button to make your character move a bit quicker would have been a welcome inclusion.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is an excellent game for fans of the show who appreciate the humour that goes with it. It has built on the foundations of The Stick of Truth and has a combat system which is engaging and thought provoking. A must buy for any South Park fan!!

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is now available on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC.

4/5

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