South Park The Fractured But Whole PS4 PlayStation 4 1

It’s taken an eternity to release, but Ubisoft’s finally shifted that pocket of wind and butt burped South Park: The Fractured but Whole into the hands of critics. The lingering question, then: is it a peach or a ponger? We’ve pointed our Stick of Truth at several sites who managed to get early access to the title; we’re not part of that elite crew, apparently.

Game Informer - 8.75/10

The Fractured but Whole is a welcome sequel, maintaining the standard of quality set by the previous game and, in a broader sense, all of Parker and Stone’s work. Every aspect is overloaded with both smart and immature jokes, the combat is an improvement, the game is bigger and longer, and the sneaky moments of sincerity make you recall the charm of childhood in surprising ways – just like the show.

IGN - 8.5/10

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is another epic-length episode of the humor that’s kept fans of the show laughing for 20 years. The Marvel vs DC parody delivers regular laugh-out-loud moments with only a few faltering gags, and the combat soon evolves into something much more complex and interesting than The Stick of Truth’s simple system. Navigation and repetition of some of its simple puzzle mechanics drag a little, but it’s otherwise an excellent South Park game that’s also a strong RPG.

Shack News - 8/10

In a way, I wish I could give this game two separate scores. One for South Park fans and one for those who don't like or aren't familiar with the series. Besides very minor issues, The Fractured But Whole's main problem is its reliance on familiarity with material outside the game. All the excellent cameos, self-references and a lot of plot points are dependent on players having at least a passing familiarity with the TV show. However, if you like South Park and video games (or just South Park), The Fractured But Whole is a must-have title, and improves on The Stick of Truth in every way.

Polygon - 7/10

The Fractured But Whole’s breezy combat and puzzles provided a few days of entertainment, and the best moments of the game had me either laughing or, against all expectations, emotionally touched. I don’t particularly regret my time with the game, but it mostly made me think about how much better the creators of both South Park and The Fractured But Whole could do if they were given the opportunity and space to grow up a little.

Do you think South Park: The Fractured But Whole sounds peachy – or are you expecting a bit of a stinker? Twerk in the faces of ageing businessmen in the comments section below.