“Hey There Children!”
If you don’t get that reference or hear it in the late great Chef’s voice, you can leave this review now. Whether it’s taking a dump at a random person’s house or exposing a criminal mastermind, South Park: The Fractured But Whole has something for everyone. I’m going to give you the full breakdown of this highly anticipated title and what it means for the franchise’s future. We’ll hop into the main three categories: Story, Gameplay, and Fun Factor. So without further delay, screw you guys I’m going to review!
My, Myself, and My Anus:
You member Earth Day? Member? I Member? Oooh Chewbacca, member?
South Park: The Fractured But Whole kicks off with a great nod to its previous title, Stick of Truth. You start off as King Douche, the new kid who previously moved into town and set off the events of the Stick of Truth. Before continuing on your quest, you are thrust into the superhero genre universe with Coon and Friends. It’s at this point where your journey truly begins and you learn of your “tragic” past. I have to say the opening moments of this game are not only funny, but just down right genius. Matt and Trey bring out the best of the best when it comes to the dialogue and interactive elements of this title. Whether its Cartman introducing you to the new battle and character selection or choosing your difficulty based on your race, I found myself obsessed with the notion of continuing this game all the way until the end.
Backdoor S***s 9 makes Crotch Capers 3 look like Naughty Nurses 2!
As you progress through the campaign, you’ll encounter a plethora of familiar faces telling you the ins and outs of the game. I laughed out loud when Craig’s dad asked me to find Yaoi of his son and Tweek, the little coffee addict. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of Mysterion early in this story. It’s funny though that I didn’t realize the boys had actually split into two superhero factions prior to the start of the story. By the way, the second you meet Timmy (Timmeh!), there’s no containing your laughter. I will say, some of the classic jokes will be lost on newcomers, but the die-hard fan will find everything they want and expect from a South Park game. This is a good thing! (Member when South Park produced awesome games? I member.)
How To Fight Like Lemmiwinks!
Fight Me, You Won’t!
This time around, the combat system has received a complete overhaul. Instead of just turn based moves, you also have to strategically place your characters. This could mean the chance to deal a final blow to an enemy or to avoid a sixth grader’s piss filled balloon. I have to admit, I like this new style of gameplay. It’s quite handy when you’re avoiding a priest who, for better lack of term, is trying to molest you. Fractured but Whole brings back some grotesque moves, yet also introduces some pretty ingenious moves, allowing for a great range of combinations.
I’m just gonna leave this here. Wait, what do you mean we can’t show this?! I demand to speak to the editor!
Fractured but Whole also includes a large number of side quests. Whether you’re into combat or collecting, I found exploration of the entire town to be the best experience I’ve had with a game like this in a long time. I loved the intricacies of the map. Everything is easily recognizable and you feel right at home. For some of us die-hard fans, Easter Egg hunting is the peak of what this game will offer. I don’t want to make it sound like this isn’t an epic, all I’m saying is, you’ll be checking out every finite detail the studio pumped into this game.
About as useful as an actual iPhone…
With all that said, I must say that South Park has upgraded is its boss fights. Almost all bosses in this game offer a tier style combat system. In other words, the further you progress against a boss, the harder they become. Such as Professor Chaos, whom not only has one of the funniest Mexchasuits, but also has some of the most challenging combat tiers in the game. I honestly have not faced the final boss, as I am about 1/3 of the way through the story. I genuinely can’t wait to finish this story, and will even stream it for your pleasure.
As Much Fun as Casa Bonita!
Easter Egg Hunt Time! I snuck Jake our EiC into this picture. First one to find him wins a 10 year old cookie make of oatmeal!
Where to begin, hmm, South Park the Fractured But Whole is one of the best adult oriented games I have played in my 31 years of existence. In other words, no child should ever be allowed to play this game. However, adults should immediately go out and purchase this title. The humor makes South Park the Stick of Truth seem tame by comparison and there is a ton of non quest related activities. I can say, this is the first Ubisoft game I have fully enjoyed from day one since 2010. There’s all type of pandering I could do to sell you this game, but I’m not going to do that. I will say; if you’re going to buy any Ubisoft title, make it this one. The Fractured But Whole isn’t just another game, it’s a living culmination of 20 years of hard work from Matt Stone and Trey Parker. I think this game has set a new bar for franchise quality.
*Expect a game play review video of this title in the future*
All images and gameplay are courtesy of Ubisoft.
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