South Park: The Fractured But Whole Review Roundup

Ubisoft's second South Park game, South Park: The Fractured but Whole, is almost here. The irreverent RPG launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC tomorrow, October 17, and now reviews for it have started to appear online.

Like its predecessor, The Stick of Truth, Fractured but Whole puts players in the role of the New Kid, who moves into South Park and joins a superhero team with Cartman and other South Park mainstays. In GameSpot's South Park: The Fractured but Whole review, critic Miguel Concepcion called the game "a delightfully fart-tinged journey that delivers satisfying gameplay and surprising absurdity in equal measure."

Other outlets have likewise begun posting their reviews, and most seem to agree that South Park: The Fractured but Whole is another enjoyable adventure, especially for fans of the series. We've collected a sample of the game's reviews below; for a broader look at what critics think of the latest South Park RPG, be sure to visit GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: South Park: The Fractured But Whole
• Developer: Ubisoft San Francisco
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Release date: October 17, 2017
• Price: US $60 / £55 / AU $100

GameSpot -- 8/10

"Fractured But Whole succeeds as an interactive South Park mini-series, while effectively emulating the show's current style of adult-targeted entertainment and satirization of political correctness. In other words, it's consistently amusing and provocative without the edginess the series used to be known for. Both the game's combat and explorative strengths effectively bridge the many comical plot developments, which range from mildly amusing to downright hilarious. It's an accomplishment that this game will wholly entertain devoted fans while delivering a heap of jokes that won't fly over the heads of casual viewers." -- Miguel Concepcion [Full review]

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IGN -- 8.5/10

"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. Navigation and repetition of some of its simple puzzle mechanics drag a little, but it's otherwise an excellent South Park game that's also a strong RPG." -- Dan Stapleton [Full review]

Polygon -- 7/10

"The 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." -- Philip Kollar [Full review]

US Gamer -- 4/5

"Like Stick of Truth before it, South Park: The Fractured but Whole plays like an episode of the show. One of the good episodes, mind you, that's more about the kids interacting with each other than politics. Though it drags at times, The Fractured but Whole carries a sweet, twisted charm that makes it hard to resist if you're similarly twisted. It's still not recommended for anyone who never found the show funny to begin with, though." -- Nadia Oxford [Full review]

Eurogamer

"South Park: The Fractured But Whole is an RPG with tangible qualities and enjoyable passages, but without the bite or imagination you'd expect of the name. For anyone who grew up with the TV show, there's still some thrill to be had in simply walking around that familiar town, rubbing shoulders with its famous denizens and savouring the feeling of having an episode play out around you. But these were qualities of the last game too, and they have that bit less impact the second time around. Ubisoft San Francisco's rebuilt combat system goes some way to push back the sense of deja vu, but it entirely can't shake off the suspicion that this is a sequel which exists because its predecessor was so popular, not because its creators were brimming with more ideas." -- Phil Iwaniuk [Full review]

GamesRadar+ -- 4.5/5

"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." -- Sam Prell [Full review]