South Park: The Fractured But Whole

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is another epic-length episode of the humor that's kept fans of the show laughing for 20 years. The Marvel vs DC parody delivers regular laugh-out-loud moments with only a few faltering gags, and the combat soon evolves into something much more complex and interesting than The Stick of Truth's simple system.

Ubisoft's follow-up to the Stick of Truth shines with a rewarding combat system wrapped around South Park's distinct brand of humor.

Ubisoft tightens up the systems but can't quite replicate the sparkle for this fun but flawed RPG sequel.

A slick RPG with superb tactical combat, a detailed world to explore, and a gleefully crude sense of humour.

At the beginning of this review, I outed myself as someone who's not a huge South Park fan, but I've watched enough of the show to understand that this is its modus operandi. It foregrounds loud, over-the-top, “edgy” humor, and it backgrounds surprisingly thoughtful character arcs. South Park: The Fractured But Whole matches the show's strange mix of intentions; it is totally aligned in that way. And in that way, it provided the perfect reminder for why the show (and, to a lesser extent, this game) aren't for me.

South Park balances ample fan service with gameplay that stands on its own merits and an engaging story. It won't make you a fan if you weren't one already, but it's hard to imagine a better-realized adaptation.

The Fractured But Whole is a worthy follow-up to one of the best video game adaptations of a TV show ever made. It has consistent humor, a story with a satisfying pay-off, and a fun new combat system

South Park: The Fractured but Whole is a game that's too eager to laugh at cruelty

With the combat system and the way it's actually trying to make a point with its exploration of social issues, The Fractured But Whole does improve on its predecessor in some ways, but it quickly starts to coast, relying too much on familiarity to get by.

Despite its sometimes uneven writing, The Fractured but Whole is worthy of the highest compliment a game like this could get: It feels like a long, quality episode of South Park. It's an improvement over The Stick of Truth in terms of combat mechanics, ridiculous plot escalation, and amount of content. It's really all that a South Park lover could ask for.