Honestly, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since Ubisoft San Francisco took the reins from Obsidian to give us South Park: The Fractured But Whole. When you think about licensed games, they usually suck. They’re often rushed, soulless cash grabs designed to ride the coattails of a movie or a TV show. But Matt Stone and Trey Parker aren’t typical creators. They actually cared.
The game landed in 2017 after a series of delays that had fans sweating. People were worried. Could they really top the fantasy-themed brilliance of The Stick of Truth? Transitioning from high fantasy to a gritty, Marvel-esque superhero civil war felt like a gamble. But it worked. It worked because the game understood exactly what makes the MCU and DC Extended Universe so ripe for mockery: the obsessive focus on "phases," origin stories, and the inevitable corporate bloat of a billion-dollar franchise.
Why the Combat Overhaul Changed Everything
If you played the first game, you remember the combat was basically a "baby's first RPG" version of Paper Mario. It was fine! It did the job. But South Park: The Fractured But Whole introduced a grid-based tactical system that actually forced you to think. Positioning matters. If you’re standing in the wrong row, you’re going to get blasted by a drunk Randy Marsh or a swarm of sixth graders.
The classes are where things get weird. You start as a Speedster, Brutalist, or Blaster, but eventually, you’re multiclassing into things like the Plantmancer or the Gadgeteer. It’s a literal playground for anyone who likes a bit of "min-maxing" without the headache of a Baldur’s Gate 3 spreadsheet.
Movement is the secret sauce here. In most turn-based games, you just stand there and take it. In The Fractured But Whole, you can knock enemies into each other for extra damage or swap places with a teammate to save them from a killing blow. It feels more active. Kinetic.
The Difficulty of Being Yourself
One of the most talked-about features at launch was the difficulty slider. It’s tied to your character’s skin color. Now, if any other developer tried this, it would have been a disaster. But in the context of South Park’s biting social commentary, it was a meta-joke about systemic bias that actually made people stop and think.
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As the game explicitly tells you: "Don't worry, this doesn't affect combat. Just every other aspect of your entire life."
It’s uncomfortable. It’s meant to be. That’s the South Park brand.
The Coon and Friends vs. Freedom Pals
The plot is basically Captain America: Civil War if it took place in a backyard with cardboard boxes. Cartman (The Coon) wants a Netflix series. Timmy (Iron Timothy) and the Freedom Pals want their own franchise. This split drives the entire narrative.
What's impressive is how the game handles the "New Kid." You’re still the silent protagonist, but your "origin story" keeps changing because Cartman keeps rewriting your backstory to make it more dramatic. One minute you’re a kid who walked in on his parents having sex (the ultimate trauma in this universe), and the next, you’re a multiversal anomaly.
A Living, Breathing South Park
The map hasn't changed much from the first game, but it feels more lived-in. You’re exploring the same streets, sure, but the interactions are deeper. You’ve got the "Coonagram" social media feed where you have to take selfies with citizens to increase your "influence." It’s a perfect parody of modern clout-chasing.
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- The Details Matter: You can walk into almost any house.
- The Loot: Most of it is literal trash—scraps of wood, old tacos, and "biohazard" waste from toilets.
- The Summons: They went all out. Calling in Moses to heal you or Jimbo and Ned to mow down enemies with assault rifles never gets old.
The humor is subjective, obviously. If you hate the show, you’ll hate the game. But for fans, it’s like playing through a 20-hour episode. The voice acting is all there. The music is a pitch-perfect recreation of cinematic orchestral swells that sound exactly like something Hans Zimmer would compose for a $200 million blockbuster.
Technical Improvements and Modern Playability
Is South Park: The Fractured But Whole still worth playing on modern hardware? Absolutely. On a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the load times—which were a bit of a drag on the original PS4/Xbox One—are basically gone. It runs at a locked 60 FPS, making the animation look identical to the show’s paper-cutout aesthetic.
The DLC is actually worth it, too. Casa Bonita is a highlight. It’s a love letter to the real-life restaurant that Matt and Trey eventually bought and saved from bankruptcy. It adds the Netherborn class, which is easily one of the most fun archetypes to play if you like high-damage, "edgy" gothic abilities.
Then there’s Bring the Crunch, which adds a final girl/slasher movie vibe to the gameplay. It’s a bit shorter, but the Mintberry Crunch inclusion is a nostalgic hit for long-time viewers.
Dealing With the Complexity
The crafting system is probably the weakest part of the experience. It feels a bit tacked on. You collect a bunch of components to make "Artifacts" that boost your stats, but the menu navigation is clunky. You’ll find yourself spending way too much time in the inventory screen trying to figure out if an extra 2% "Spunk" damage is worth losing 5% "Brawn."
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Honestly? Just pick the one that makes your total Might number go up. Don't overthink it.
The Legacy of the Fractured But Whole
Since this game came out, the South Park team has moved toward smaller, 3D experiences like South Park: Snow Day!. While Snow Day has its charms, it lacks the RPG depth and the sheer scale of the 2D games. South Park: The Fractured But Whole represents the peak of the "playable episode" era.
It manages to be a competent RPG first and a comedy game second. That’s the secret. If the gameplay wasn't good, the jokes would wear thin after three hours. Because the combat is actually engaging, you’re happy to stick around for the narrative payoffs.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you’re diving in for the first time or looking to do a second "Diabolical" difficulty run, here is how to maximize your experience:
- Prioritize the "TimeFart" Glitches: Don't ignore the farts. The "TimeFart Summon" allows you to bring a past version of yourself into battle. This effectively gives you an extra turn and is the only way to beat some of the late-game bosses without pulling your hair out.
- Hunt for Yaoi: The "Yaoi" collectibles (fan art of Tweek and Craig) are hidden everywhere. Finding them all gives you a significant experience boost and unlocks some of the funniest dialogue in the game.
- Synergize Your Team: Don't just pick your favorite characters. You need a balance. Captain Diabetes is an incredible tank because he gains protection every time he moves. Pair him with a healer like Kyle (Human Kite) to become nearly invincible.
- Check Every Toilet: It sounds stupid, but the toilet mini-game is how you get some of the best crafting materials early on. Plus, it’s a weirdly addictive "mastery" system.
- Multi-Class Early: As soon as Cartman lets you add a second or third class, do it. Mixing the "Elementalist" freeze abilities with the "Assassin" bleed damage creates a loop that most enemies can't break.
The game is frequently on sale for under $15 on Steam, PSN, and the Xbox Store. At that price, it’s a steal. It’s a dense, filthy, surprisingly smart tactical RPG that hasn't aged a day since it launched. Whether you're in it for the satire or the grid-based strategy, it's a must-play for anyone who doesn't mind a bit of "butt" humor with their social commentary.
Go find your missing cat. Become a hero. Just don't forget to take a selfie with the priest.