New South Park Game Sticks to Old Truths

More of the same doesn’t sound too bad when it comes to South Park, which is set to make its second foray into video games this holiday season with South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Buttressed by the second-longest running animated series, the first game, South Park: The Stick of Truth, stayed true to the show’s droll, twisted sense of humor and the unique aesthetics that made the game look like an additional season of the show. It worked very well: The Stick of Truth was praised across the board despite having a rather dull JRPG-like combat system and utilitarian game mechanics.

This time around, the theme is superheroes. The Fractured But Whole (I’ll just pretend you pronounce it very slowly) sees the gang assuming their alter-egos circa season 14 (The Coon, The Human Kite, Mysterion, et al.) and sparking a Marvel vs DC-style civil war. While the development has moved from Obsidian Entertainment to Ubisoft San Francisco, the series’ original creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still running the show, as evidenced from the E3 presentation (skip to 12:15 if you just want to see the trailer).

Judging from the small amount of gameplay we’ve been shown, The Fractured But Whole literally looks just like the previous title, which is what we’ve been expecting. After all, you don’t want your South Park game to look anything but South Park. Even though the official Ubisoft announcement boasts “An all-new dynamic combat system,” so far there’s little evidence to support that notion. Yes, we’ll be able to move characters around during battles, but the basic turned-based ability-spammy combat system seems to have remained intact. So if you didn’t fancy it in The Stick of Truth, prepare to face the same drudgery in The Fractured But Whole.

If you did, though, or just don’t care because it’s South Park, there’s more good news for you: Those who pre-order The Fractured But Whole will receive a complimentary copy of The Stick of Truth for PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC. South Park: The Fractured But Whole is coming out on December 6, just in time to bring you more South Park after the 20th season of the show will have concluded.