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Sights & Sounds
- Looks just as faithful to the show as The Stick of Truth did. I never personally saw this season of the show (I watched until season 11 or 12), but now I'm a little tempted to go back and watch
- The VA work also matches the energy, tone, and attitude of the franchise as well. Matt Stone and Trey Parker are all over this title
- Ditto for the soundtrack
Story & Vibes
- Fractured but Whole takes place not long after the events of Stick of Truth; however, the LOTR LARP that overlaid the events of the previous game are quickly ushered out for Avengers-inspired shenanigans
- While amusing, the plot doesn't reach the same levels of outlandishness as its prequel. I would hesitate to call it "muted", but definitely doesn't go to the same lengths as the first game does to shock or surprise you. Then again, giving you an achievement for farting on a dead nazi zombie baby was always going to be a tough act to follow
- Still, though, if you enjoyed the first game or the show, you're almost sure to enjoy the narrative and tone of Fractured but Whole
Playability & Replayability
- Although the game is a very slightly less silly version of its prequel in terms of story and vibes and the town map is essentially the same (though updated to match the events of the show), it quickly becomes evident that the mechanics in this game are very different
- The most obvious change is the battle system. The JRPG combat has been shown the door and replaced by a grid-based tactical RPG system (think Final Fantasy Tactics on a small scale). While I eventually adjusted and came to appreciate the strategic battles, I don't like how drawn out combat is in this game. Stick of Truth was really good about getting you in and out of battle quickly, but the slower pace here wasn't to my liking
- Fractured but Whole also drops stat-altering gear and weapons while introducing a crafting system that allows you to construct artificts to increase your team's combat capabilities
- Making a build for your character is somewhat improved. You add multiple superhero archetypes to your build throughout the game, which gives you access to new attacks and abilities. You can min max by picking abilities to match your gear, which can boost body (melee), mind (magic) and, uh, "spunk" (ranged/support) skills
- Thankfully, the little map puzzles that are solved by your farts and other map abilities make a return. I really enjoyed these little adventure game mechanics from the prequel, and I'm happy to see that they're still around
- In terms of replayability, I think I'd be more tempted to replay the first game or wait until Snow Day, the next game in the series, releases
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Overall, Fractured but Whole was a worthwhile playthrough and should satisfy fans of the first game. Some may bounce off the combat changes, but the game is easy enough (and combat avoidable enough) that it's possible to just focus on the plot. Just make sure that your stats exceed the suggested power level for each mission
- I played the game on the Steam Deck. You'll probably have to install/update the Ubisoft launcher. Unfortunately, since you need it to play the game, you'll be saddled with long boot times, intrusive modal popups, and a bad exit process that will require you to close the game manually while hoping your Ubisoft cloud save synced properly. Just an annoying bit of overhead to sully your enjoyment courtesy of the pinheaded troglodytes who run Ubisoft. The industry would be better if their C-levels decided to embark on the first manned mission to the sun
Final Verdict
- 7.0/10. A step down from the series' previous entry, but not a huge one. There's still plenty of South Park goodness to enjoy, and fans of the series will still be pleased with this game. Looking forward to the sequel!