A game that is funny as hell, leaving your ribs hurting, but can get a little boring at times.
The Fractured But Whole is a continuation of the previous game, the stick of truth. Utilizing many of the same features and mechanics. I have not played any south park game since the 1998 game of the same name as the series. However I am a huge fan of the TV show and that inner 16 year old still appreciates fart jokes and the adult humour that comes with it. That same humour is carried on into the game and at times, has me laughing my arse off.
Just like any other review, I have spent time playing this game while streaming it live for you all to see for yourselves. Just be warned, there are adult themes and innuendos you may find offensive. These are not my personal beliefs, but simply elements which are found in the game.
Narrative.
As said, this title is a continuation of sorts from the last game, The Stick of Truth. But only after a few moments, the narrative is changed entirely from a game best known for a fantasy theme, to a superhero / sci-fi one.
Cartman as his alter ego, the 'Coon' (dressed like a racoon) travels back in time to gather his team of super heroes in order to find a missing cat. There is a $100 reward in it for them if they do find the missing cat, which Cartman believes will help towards his super hero teams franchise. To add some tension to this, a rival super hero franchise is also looking for the cat.The character you create infiltrates the Coon's secret hideout which is located in his mom's basement. You are then recruited into his team. Here you have the option to choose what type of superhero you wish to be. I opted for one with fire being my main power. I found this especially funny during the battle that takes place while the Coon narrates the back story. My special power was very explosive. I breathed in a fire ball and the camera follows it through the body until it reached the arse, then with the camera back to normal, I let out a overly powerful fire fart that beat my opponents. This is just one superhero type available. The back story Cartman gives you makes no sense but is funny all the same. I don't want to tell you, but trust me when I say this.... ''you will laugh your fucking arse off''.
As you progress through the game, the narrative intensifies, gets more complex and funny, while there are also small / mini stores for you to explore, like being trapped in a back room with two priests, or listening in on other peoples conversations out in the street or in doors, each one just as funny as the last. Some of them make no sense, but is all part of what makes South Park as funny as it is.
So far I am about 6 hours into the game, and I have learned that a detective with the police is evolved with a conspiracy involving the missing cat. I don't want to say much more than that because it may spoil the game. All you need to know that the deeper into the story you get, the more sore your ribs will be from laughing.
Visuals.
When compared to other titles, the visuals of this game are rather simplistic, and that is for one very good reason, it is supposed to imitate the TV show, which this game does seamlessly. You almost get a sense that you are playing an interactive episode of the TV show, which is exactly how you are meant to feel. The very first pilot episode of South Park was made using stop capture and simple cardboard cut outs. (You can take a look at that very episode HERE). This unaired pilot, and the aired one are the only two episodes that were filmed using this technique, because the creators had limited funds. Once the show was picked up by a broadcast channel, they liked the style so much, they recreated it all digitally thereafter. This is how the show got its very unique look, and why it has never really evolved. This game sticks to that same method which undoubtedly gives the show/game its unique character. It may deal with some serious issues and is an equal opportunity discrimination media, visually, because it is basic, lets you know that it is all in good fun.
Beyond the simple animations and characters, the developers have faithfully recreated the entire town of South Park. From the city hall and church, to big gay Al's house and all the other characters houses.
While playing the game, there are only a few aspects that I didn't really like, such as how the camera doesn't follow you when you move further up the screen, making it slightly more difficult to see where you are going, and how because of the flat 2D layout, it can be hard to judge where you are going when trying to access a certain area or path. I suppose that is just the nature of the platform and can not be overly helped. It doesn't hinder the game, but it doesn't help it either.
All in all, the game looks and feels very much like the TV show on which it is based, from the characters, the town and the animations used. You couldn't ask for a better representation. The devs have out done themselves.
Gameplay.
Once you get used to how to control your character and the peculiar button layout the game works very well. The turn based fights that are very reminiscent of that found from the Final Fantasy franchise, are fast paced and amusing to play. From the ridiculous special powers, to the mini stories within the fights. For example, I had to defeat Stan's dad twice. First battle was because he was too drunk to drive and Captain Diabetes took his car keys. Second time round, he had moved onto red wine and had his pants around his ankles, still looking for his car keys, until he is defeated and sleeps where he fell. And it is as ridiculous as it sounds. But the pace in which the battles play out are very well balanced.
The User interface is basically a Smart Phone with apps. Each app has its own unique mechanic. One acts as social media that lets you know about the people who are following you. Another lets you control your power ups, then you have costumes, powers and more. Because we are so use to dealing with phones on a daily basis, this UI is very easy to navigate and get used to. Something that I have only briefly seen in other games, GTA among them.
The games pace does slow significantly when you are travelling to other locations or are searching the town for specific bits such as posters and billboards. There is the odd thing that makes you laugh such as peoples conversations, or the odd landmark you remember from the show, but when you look at the high pace the games cut scenes and battles have, to go from that to something that is merely walking from one place to another, it is a little boring. The game does try to compensate for this by having fast travel posts dotted about the town, but even so, it is a little annoying all the same.
Over all the gameplay is almost exactly how I would expect life to be like in South Park. Sure there are only a limited amount of aspects and mechanics I don't appreciate, but the rest of the game more than makes up where it falls short of expectations.
Conclusion
- If you ever wondered what a game based on the TV show would be like, this is it. While the 1998 game was awesome, it was a 3D game and didn't capture the town as it should have been. This is 20 years later and has heavily used the unique art style the TV show is best known for. Faithfully recreating almost everything that can be found in the TV Show.
The gameplay does lack in areas but the hilarity of the rest of the game is just fucking awesome.
8.5/10
- It is a game I would recommend to anyone who loves adult based humour, or likes taking serious subjects, or even controversial ones, turn them on there heads and make fun out of them. Because that is all you will find in this game. However, if you are easily offended, I don't think this game is for you.
Thanks for reading
Stu @TechMojo
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