Superheroes are all the rage these days. If we aren’t excited about a Marvel movie, we’re excited about a DC movie. If we’re not getting a recommendation to pick up Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on Blu-Ray, we’re getting told to snag Spider-Man: Homecoming on Blu-Ray. And let’s not forget that Justice League, Infinity War and Black Panther are all coming our way in the next few months.
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Leave it to Ubisoft and South Park Digital Studios to hop on the superhero express at just the right time, as South Park: The Fractured But Whole doesn’t just run with the idea, it pretty much points out its many aspects while having a great time doing so. If you thought The Stick of Truth was spectacular, you ain’t seen anything yet.
The game picks up right where Stick left off, with everyone concluding their medieval ways in favor of a superhero theme, as Coon and Friends battle evil elements within their hometown, from untrusted police officers to waitresses from a knock-off of Hooters (called, what else, Raisins) to their own allies, who have turned against them in full-on Civil War fashion. As they should.
Fractured’s story holds up far better than expected, but that’s not a surprise, considering that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had a hand in the scripting, with a little help from Ubisoft. And it’s a far cry from what’s happened in past South Park games, where the likes of Acclaim ran willy-nilly with the license. This is, in essence, a playable South Park episode that never gets old, and keeps the surprises coming. (No spoilers, no spoilers!)
Fight For Your Right To South Park
The battle system has gone through quite a few changes since Stick, and for the better. You’ll choose superhero abilities that best suit you and then charge into battle against priests, sixth graders and whoever else stands in your way, all while trying to get to Professor Chaos and other ne’er-do-wells. Along the way, you’ll pick up other allies that can help you out, like the zippy Fastpass and the Human Kite – who, apparently, flies? He probably does more than that, but he’s a kite.
Anyway, the system works in a role-playing fashion with turns, but it does so very fairly, and gives you access to a number of abilities that are nothing short of wondrous, as you unleash stink bombs that make enemies vomit, or run roughshod over them into a combo attack that knocks them all back. And your Ultimates live up to their name, as you trash enemies with one swift stroke, ranging from a massive punch attack to a gerbil going on a rampage. (Or ferret? Some small, furry thingy.)
There are quick-time events littered throughout as well, but they’re done very nicely here, whether they add an implementation in battle, or have you jumping off roofs or surfaces at the right time – or you die, obviously. The game isn’t overloaded with them, thank heaven.
You can also add modifiers to keep things interesting, mixing up your battle styles and adding Fidget spinners to add secondary strengths. You’ll also have to choose a weakness too, because every hero has their Kryptonite, right? Otherwise, that’d be cheating. Like Batman.
It’s a great system, though the Artifacts can be a bit tough to maintain. Fortunately, the rest of the game is pretty easy to figure out, thanks to a handy in-game phone system where you can look up maps, add characters to your Coonstagram (and thus spreading the word about your mighty league) and modify your battle party.
Welp, It Looks Like The Show All Right
Speaking of the map, it’s very cool, with pretty much the entire town in perspective, although there are hidden goodies throughout if you wish to scavenge a little. Kudos to Trey, Matt and the Ubisoft crew for assuring that every bit of essence the city is known for is included – even a few surprises we didn’t expect. We can’t imagine a better guy to run the taco stand in this town. (Again, no spoilers!)
There is one slight downside – it can take a while getting from place to place, even if you’re using the “fastpass” flag system. It doesn’t always sit close to your objectives, so it can take slightly longer to get there. That said, at least there are a few challenges to take on along the way, should you feel like getting into a scrum with some ninjas. Y’know, just so you can say you got into a scrum with some ninjas. (Also, the word “scrum” is something else.)
Along with solid gameplay, Fractured also highly benefits from the best presentation we’ve seen yet in a South Park game. This doesn’t just resemble the crudely made cartoon – it is the crudely made cartoon. The animations are spot on and the environments really draw some influence from the show, even in the most unlikely of places. And, yes, it’s kinda nuts seeing some old characters return, along with those surprises, like that guy from…ACK! No spoilers, sorry.
Come On Down And Have Yourself A Time
Oh, and the writing? You probably won’t laugh at a game harder this year than you will at Fractured. It’s absolutely hilarious, if you’re into the South Park level of humor. There are plenty of juvenile cracks and character jokes to go around, as you might have seen from the trailers. The music is true to the nature of South Park as well, though I would’ve liked to hear more Primus. Because, you know, Primus.
But it all comes down to voice acting, and Trey and Matt deliver once again, with all the in-game voices done by them (with a little help from some friends). Their delivery continues to make South Park the fun show it is today, and having them included in Fractured lends to its authenticity. Fans will eat up whatever they have to deliver, raunchiness and all.
South Park: The Stick of Truth proved that, despite all the delays, a good game in the series could be made, with the right team on board. But The Fractured But Whole goes the extra mile, playing around with themes, improving on the presentation, adding worthwhile components to the gameplay and just plain having fun with everything. It doesn’t hold back either, which makes it an even more devoted South Park product.
Those that aren’t fans of the show can safely skip this adventure, but if you know and appreciate what Trey and Matt are doing – or you just want to see Cartman explain the horrors of a true origin story (while Butters hams it up, of course) – then The Fractured But Whole is a must-have.
Especially if you like pooping. It’s got the greatest pooping mini-game in the world. Wait, is that a spoiler? Damn.
RATING: Four and a half stars out of five.
Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.
