South Park: The Fractured But Whole is worth considering if you want a tactical RPG built around the show’s crude, irreverent comedy. Reviews especially praise its combat, but that does not make it a guaranteed favorite for fans of The Stick of Truth: the sequel’s superhero premise, battle system, and tone may land differently.
What is The Fractured But Whole?
Ubisoft describes The Fractured But Whole as an RPG adventure starring the New Kid alongside South Park characters Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman. Instead of the fantasy role-play of The Stick of Truth, Cartman gathers a superhero team as his Coon persona, and the New Kid creates a superhero alter ego. TIME’s Lisa Eadicicco notes that the available classes include Speedster, Brutalist, and Blaster, each with different strengths and weaknesses.
Ubisoft lists the game for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Its page gives October 16, 2017 as the release date; Metacritic calls October 17, 2017 the initial release date. Those are the dates as stated by each source, rather than a single reconciled date.
What do reviews say?
Metacritic currently labels the reception Generally Favorable. Its page shows a 79 critic Metascore from 74 critic reviews and a 7.8 user score from 932 user ratings, figures checked in 2026 that may change as the page updates. These scores indicate a positive overall reception, not unanimous acclaim or a guarantee that the game will suit every player.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Experience the highly anticipated South Park sequel anywhere on Nintendo Switch!
- Authentic, interactive South Park at its finest - hilarious, outrageous, and a whole lot of fun.
- Create your origin story and choose your unique superpowers to become South Park's hero.
- An all-new dynamic combat system keeps each new battle fresh and full of opportunity.
- Create the ultimate superhero franchise to save the town of South Park.
In his October 16, 2017 review, GameSpot’s Miguel Concepcion rated the game 8/10 and praised its rewarding combat system wrapped around South Park’s distinctive humor. TIME’s Lisa Eadicicco rated it 4/5, highlighting engaging battles and amusing side missions while also calling attention to the crude comedy and familiar-feeling surroundings.
How does it compare with The Stick of Truth?
The useful comparison is not simply which game is “better.” Consider what you want from an RPG and what you enjoy about South Park:
Rank #2
- Included South Park The Stick of Truth DLC
- Region Free Australia
- 100% Compatible with USA Xbox One Console
- 100% Compatible with USA Xbox Live Console
- Works Exactly The Same as Local Copy
| What matters to you | What the reviews suggest |
|---|---|
| Combat depth | The Fractured But Whole has a tactical battle system that GameSpot singled out as a strength. |
| South Park tone | Both games draw on the show’s humor, but the sequel’s superhero role-play and comedy may feel different from the predecessor’s fantasy premise. |
| Which game is more distinctly South Park? | There is no consensus verdict: Metacritic’s critic excerpts include the view that the sequel may be mechanically stronger while The Stick of Truth feels more distinctly South Park. |
That makes the sequel a more promising choice for someone who wants tactical combat and is happy with the superhero setup. If your main attachment is to the predecessor’s particular tone or simpler feel, the favorable reviews alone do not settle the comparison.
Is the humor a reason to play—or a reason to skip it?
The show’s deliberately crude comedy is central to the game, not an incidental extra. TIME’s review praises its irreverence but also notes material that can be cringe-inducing. If you enjoy South Park’s offensive, boundary-pushing humor, that tone is part of the appeal; if you dislike it, the RPG mechanics are unlikely to make the comedy disappear.
Rank #3
- AUTHENTIC SOUTH PARK – From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, comes the sequel to South Park: The Stick of Truth.
- AN OUTRAGEOUS RPG ADVENTURE – Manipulate time & space on the battlefield and develop and refine your powers as you progress.
- A HERO’S ORIGIN REVEALED – Create your costume, craft your origin story & build out your unique superpowers as you progress.
- COON AND FRIENDS, ASSEMBLE! – Recruit up to 12 heroes, including Mysterion, The Human Kite, and the infamous Coon himself.
- EXPLORE SOUTH PARK AT NIGHT – Save the town when the sun sets and South Park's seedy underbelly comes alive.
Which version or edition should you check?
Choose the listing that matches your platform, and verify its format and availability with the seller. Ubisoft lists PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, but that does not establish current stock, price, or physical-copy availability for every platform.
Ubisoft’s Gold Edition description says it includes the full game and Season Pass content, including new adventures, buddies, and additional items. Ubisoft also says DLC purchased through Ubisoft.com or Ubisoft Connect is compatible only with base games purchased through those channels. Do not assume that compatibility applies to a console-store purchase or resale copy; check the platform-specific listing before buying DLC.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Authentic South Park - from the creators of South Park, Trey parker & Matt Stone, comes the sequel to South Park: the stick of Truth.
- An outrageous RPG adventure - manipulate time & space on the battlefield and develop and refined your powers as you progress.
- A hero's origin revealed - create your costume, craft your origin story & build out your unique superpowers as you progress.
- Coon and friends, assemble! - recruit up to 12 heroes, including Mysterion, the human Kite, and the infamous Coon himself.
- Explore South Park at night - save the town when the Sun sets and South Park's seedy underbelly comes alive.
Rank #4
- AUTHENTIC SOUTH PARK : From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, comes the sequel to South Park: The Stick of Truth
- AN OUTRAGEOUS RPG ADVENTURE : Manipulate time & space on the battlefield and develop and refine your powers as you progress
- A HERO’S ORIGIN REVEALED : Create your costume, craft your origin story & build out your unique superpowers as you progress
- COON AND FRIENDS, ASSEMBLE : Recruit up to 12 heroes, including Mysterion, The Human Kite, and the infamous Coon himself
- EXPLORE SOUTH PARK AT NIGHT : Save the town when the sun sets and South Park's seedy underbelly comes alive
Verdict: who is it for?
- Consider it if you want a tactical RPG, enjoy South Park’s crude comedy, and like the superhero-team premise.
- Think carefully if you are choosing it mainly because you loved The Stick of Truth; reviews praise the combat, but some critics prefer the predecessor’s distinct South Park feel.
- Check before purchase if you need a particular platform, physical format, or DLC bundle, since availability and compatibility depend on the listing and purchase channel.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
