3 Up, 3 Down – Fractured But Whole Edition
I was a happy man when South Park: The Fractured But Whole was announced for the Nintendo Switch. The prospect of playing this filthy turn-based RPG featuring everyone’s favorite brats from South Park on the go is something I needed in my life. I never finished it on the PS4, it remains on my pile of shame, but being able to play it on Nintendo’s portable console anywhere I damn well please virtually guarantees I would finally polish off that sucker. Our man, Alex Thomas raved about the Fractured But Whole when he reviewed it last year. Will I sing the same tune with the Switch version? Well, the answer is a little bit more complicated. There are some things I loved about South Park on the Switch, but there are some things that grated me. So without further delay, let’s get to the love/hate list.
The Love List
Gorgeous On The Switch
The Fractured But Whole not only plays like an interactive South Park movie but it looks like one as well. It looks exactly like the TV show and, impressively, not much is lost in the transitions from cut-scene to actual gameplay. The detail is remarkable and the animations are spot-on. I find it looks best on the portable console itself compared to playing on the TV. No shocker there as everything just looks a little tighter and cleaner on the smaller screen with no noticeable slowdowns either. It runs silky smooth. I never felt like I was playing a downgraded port. It is also worth mentioning I never experienced any bugs or glitches, which is something I cannot say about Stick of Truth.
Crude, Obscene and Hilarious
The potty-mouthed kids from South Park are definitely in fine form. It earns its mature rating within the first couple of minutes and doesn’t let up at any point. Once again nothing is off limits and they are equal offenders when it comes to insensitive humor. If you are the sensitive type, best to you stay away from this game. South Park isn’t for everyone but if you are even a casual fan you need to pick up this game – you’ll enjoy every second of this ridiculous story, including the nonsensical dialogue. Cartman, that little narcissistic psychopath, remains the star of the show and you just cannot help yourself but chuckle every time he opens his dirty mouth.
Turn Based Combat Delivers
Compared to South Park: The Stick of Truth, Fractured But Whole offers up a deeper and more complete turn-based experience. While the humor remains the star of the show, it is the combat that keeps me coming back. It features a slick grid system for powers that makes the turn-based combat much more evolved this time around. It makes for battles that force you to think and are rewarding when you win those battles.