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CD-ActionJan 10, 2018The Fractured but Whole might be a better game (mainly thanks to significantly improved combat) but The Stick of Truth was a better South Park by a long shot. The Stick was brimming with humor and creativity (remember the 8-bit Canada?), this one is a forced compilation of jokes that are mostly either lazily rehashed (City Wok’s owner mispronouncing words, they took our jobs, poof! It’s gone and many, many more) or shallow. Where’s the show’s brilliant satire!? I’m not just disappointed by the fact that Parker and Stone botched this. As a die-hard fan of the show I’m simply embarrassed. [13/2017, p.46]
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Playstation Official Magazine UKDec 15, 2017Its not the game its forerunner was, but The Fractured But Whole's accessible combat tactics and occasional rib-ticklers ensure most players will have a good time. [Christmas 2017, p.96]
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Nov 11, 2017Ubisoft makes a good attempt to continue the legend of Obsidian, with some good gameplay improvements and nailing down the spirit of the show. The uneven pace of the story though, together with a half-baked crafting system and low quality filler type quests, keep the game from reaching the heights of its predecessor.
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Oct 26, 2017Though mechanically The Fractured but Whole can feel rather flat, it remains a genuine South Park production with all of the humor, farting and ridiculousness you would expect, and that should be enough to satisfy fans - even if it doesn't wow them.
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Oct 18, 2017The real saving grace is that the game is mechanically one of the best, most accessible RPGs crafted in a long time.
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Oct 16, 2017The longer South Park: The Fractured But Whole went on, the less I laughed. Exploring the mountain town, however, is a delight, and the battles are a marked improvement on the original's combat.
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Oct 16, 2017For fans, there are plenty of surprises to uncover and tons of references to even the most obscure episodes of the show. Thanks to a strong level of personalization coupled with South Park’s distinct atmosphere, The Fractured But Whole makes wandering around the faithfully recreated and detailed map of the town a constant delight.
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Oct 16, 2017South Park: The Fractured But Whole is still a polished RPG that die-hard fans of the animated series will love. However, while its combat system has been greatly improved, its failure to provide the same belly laughs as The Stick of Truth, the lack of variety in its locations and its mundane puzzle-solving make for a disappointing follow-up.
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Oct 16, 2017A complicated game to score. It’s a mechanically-superior sequel in every way, with more robust combat mechanics, mini-games, and puzzles populating the reference-stuffed open world. But there’s a nagging feeling the extended length and focus on combat has come at the expense of a memorable story. It’s still an essential play for fans of the show, and role-playing nuts will greatly appreciate the surprising amount of depth, but a South Park game propped up by its game mechanics is perhaps the most unlikely twist you’ll find here.
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Oct 16, 2017And I think that what really hinders South Park: The Fractured But Whole more than anything is the story does not take things to the epic scale the first one did. The gravitas and imperativeness of saving the entire world are not there like it was in Stick of Truth. Which is a bummer because these superhero characters were so great and this could’ve gone for a way larger scale.
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Oct 16, 2017The Fractured But Whole’s breezy combat and puzzles provided a few days of entertainment, and the best moments of the game had me either laughing or, against all expectations, emotionally touched. I don’t particularly regret my time with the game, but it mostly made me think about how much better the creators of both South Park and The Fractured But Whole could do if they were given the opportunity and space to grow up a little.
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Oct 16, 2017The game looks amazing, the combat system is great, and some of the comedy is extremely funny. But in terms of plot and humor and even customization, it feels like a step back from the first game, which should never be the case for a video game sequel.
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Oct 16, 2017The Fractured but Whole feels like it’s for the superfan, the person who has been with the series since 1997 and has a shelf full of merchandise. It is for the kind of person who finds glee in self-referential content and doesn’t mind clicking through a bunch of banal video game tropes to find the next “I recognize this thing and clapped!” moment. South Park: The Fractured but Whole feels dated, shallow, and lacking in the purpose or self-awareness needed for a work of satire to hit its mark. It feels like it’s trying too hard to recapture that edge.
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Oct 16, 2017Ultimately, I believe that The Fractured But Whole has a problem with quantity over quality. Ubisoft San Diego crammed the game with lots of things to see and do, most of it comes off as a result of someone repeatedly asking, “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we put this in?”
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Oct 16, 2017There are improvements over The Stick of Truth, but the positive changes are diminished by the monotone game mechanics.
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Oct 23, 2017In brisk 22-minute episodes, this kind of humor might pass as satire, but the punchlines sour when they’re spread out across a 20-hour video game.
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Oct 16, 2017South Park: The Fractured But Whole isn’t an even experience. Some moments are fun and pretty funny, but others feel pretty uninspired. Exploring the town of South Park isn’t as novel this time out, and it largely isn’t as funny. RPG systems like combat, looting and crafting are just involved enough to make them interesting, but the firm emphasis is on the story and humor of the show. With the plot taking a while to develop and with so many jokes just feeling played out, loose on their landings or easy and obvious, it’s tough to really get excited to head back down to South Park.
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Oct 17, 2017It’s better than its predecessor but also not quite as revolutionary, and I hope that if Parker and Stone decide to make a third game, they take a more radical approach. I also hope they keep throwing grenades, even if I wish they were more selective about the targets.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 407 out of 574
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Mixed: 112 out of 574
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Negative: 55 out of 574
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Oct 17, 2017
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Oct 17, 2017
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Oct 18, 2017