South Park: The Fractured But Whole

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of South Park: The Fractured But Whole are generally positive. Multiple critics, such as Nintendo Life, Game Informer, FANDOM, and GameSpace, praise the game for its irreverent and satirical story that stays true to the humor of the South Park franchise. They appreciate the game's ability to tackle controversial topics and offer thought-provoking commentary. The story is described as a full-on South Park experience, filled with clever tear-downs of various topics and moments of heartfelt reflection. Critics like GameSpace and The Sydney Morning Herald highlight the game's ability to parody superhero movies and incorporate social commentary through meta-jokes and referential humor. The narrative is said to twist and turn in enjoyable ways, providing a joyful and hilarious spoof on the superhero genre. However, there are also some negative opinions regarding the story of South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Critics like Xbox Achievements and PC Gamer express disappointment with the story, stating that it feels safe and self-censored compared to its predecessor, resulting in fewer belly-laughs and a lack of biting satire. IGN mentions that the story starts somewhat slowly and can occasionally grind to a halt, lacking in pace and predictability. Some critics, such as Easy Allies and GameSpew, feel that the writing in the game is not as funny as the previous game, although it is still enjoyable for fans of the show. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the story of South Park: The Fractured But Whole successfully captures the humor and writing of the South Park cartoon. It offers an entertaining and authentic South Park experience, filled with social commentary, crude jokes, and a strong superhero theme. The game's ability to parody superhero movies and incorporate current issues is appreciated by critics. While there are some criticisms regarding the pacing, predictability, and lack of biting satire, the majority of critics find the story to be consistent with the South Park franchise and enjoyable for fans of the show.

The majority of the critics praised the gameplay of South Park: The Fractured But Whole, with many highlighting the improvements over its predecessor, The Stick of Truth. One of the standout features mentioned by multiple reviewers is the new grid-based combat system. Critics like Game Informer, FANDOM, and The Daily Dot all appreciated the strategic depth and engagement that the grid system brought to battles. They noted that it added a new dynamic to combat and required players to carefully plan their moves. Additionally, the turn-based nature of the combat was commended by critics like Nintendo Life, Easy Allies, and PC Gamer, who found it accessible yet satisfying, with a good balance between simplicity and depth. Another aspect of the gameplay that received positive feedback was the character customization. Reviewers like ZTGD and The Sydney Morning Herald praised the ability to choose different character classes and powers, which added variety and replayability to the game. The inclusion of special abilities, tactical elements, and the option to switch between different powers during battles were all highlighted as positive aspects of the gameplay experience. However, there were some criticisms related to the gameplay as well. One common complaint among critics was the significant load times between areas and rooms within a house, as mentioned by Gaming Age. This issue was seen as a drawback that could disrupt the flow of the game and hinder the overall experience. Additionally, GamePro Germany mentioned unreliable touchscreen support in the Switch version, which could be seen as a negative for players who prefer that control method. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the gameplay of South Park: The Fractured But Whole is highly enjoyable and an improvement over its predecessor. The combination of the new grid-based combat system, character customization options, and strategic elements received widespread praise. The positive feedback from critics like Nintendo Life, Easy Allies, and PC Gamer, who found the combat system to be satisfying and engaging, further supports the overall sentiment that the gameplay of the game is very good. However, the criticisms regarding load times and touchscreen support should be taken into consideration as potential drawbacks.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of South Park: The Fractured But Whole are generally positive. Many critics praise the game for its accurate recreation of the South Park television show's visual style. Nintendo Life, GameSpew, Easy Allies, The Daily Dot, Push Square, Washington Post, PlayStation Country, ZTGD, MMORPG.com, NZGamer, PC Gamer, Stevivor, GamesBeat, Windows Central, GameGrin, and IGN all commend the game for successfully capturing the look and feel of the show. They mention that the graphics accurately resemble the crude animation style of the TV series, with attention to detail and a love for the source material evident. The game's visuals and audio are also highlighted as excellent, making players feel like they are watching an episode of South Park. The humorous and unique visual elements, such as Memberberries and Yaoi paintings, are also appreciated by Nintendo Life. However, there are some negative aspects mentioned by a few critics. Vooks notes that the docked mode has less vibrant visuals compared to the handheld mode. Xbox Achievements reports visual bugs, such as duplicating characters and floating ones. CGMagazine mentions jagged textures when played on a TV, but this issue is not noticeable on the smaller screen. Impulsegamer points out that the text and icons used on the map are a bit small. GameGrin also criticizes the identical layouts of the houses, although they appreciate the overall art style and the references to the show within the rooms. Overall, the critics agree that South Park: The Fractured But Whole successfully recreates the visual style of the television show. The game's graphics accurately capture the look and feel of South Park, with attention to detail and a love for the source material evident. The visuals and audio make players feel like they are watching an episode of the show, and the game is praised for its faithfully recreated and detailed map of the town. Despite some minor issues mentioned by a few critics, the overall consensus is that the game's graphics and visual design are a strong aspect of the experience.

The majority of the critics praised the sound design and music of South Park: The Fractured But Whole, considering it to be very good. Several critics mentioned that the audio in the game captures the essence of the TV show, with authentic voice acting and dialogue that is both entertaining and humorous. Critics like Vooks and Pocket Gamer UK specifically mentioned that the audio adds to the humor and makes the game feel like watching the TV series. The Daily Dot also highlighted the strong level of personalization and South Park's distinct atmosphere, which adds to the immersive experience. PlayStation Country noted that the sound is even better with an excellent soundtrack and voice acting talent from the show. ZTGD praised the voice and sound work, stating that the production values are pitch perfect for the series. The Sydney Morning Herald mentioned that the voices sound authentic and capture the trademark blend of cynicism and child-like wonder from the show. While the majority of the critics had positive opinions about the sound design and music, there were a few minor criticisms. PlayStation Universe mentioned that the game lacks background music and sounds at times, which they considered a minor issue. Easy Allies stated that while the soundtrack has the right themes for each situation, it is nothing special. However, they also acknowledged that the voice talent helps with immersion. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the sound design and music of South Park: The Fractured But Whole are very good. The authentic voice acting, humorous dialogue, and the ability to capture the essence of the TV show were highly praised. Critics like Impulsegamer and GamesBeat highlighted the flawless voice acting, entertaining dialogue, and sound effects that add to the overall experience. The inclusion of recognizable songs from the show, as mentioned by GameGrin, further enhances the audio experience. While there were a few minor criticisms, the positive opinions of the majority of the critics indicate that the sound design and music successfully contribute to the immersive and enjoyable nature of the game.

The voice acting in South Park: The Fractured But Whole has received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Many of them praised the authenticity and faithfulness to the show's voice talent, with critics like The Daily Dot, The Sydney Morning Herald, and NZGamer highlighting how the voices sound authentic and match the characters from the show. Impulsegamer even went as far as to describe the voice acting as flawless, with customized banter that adds to the immersion and enjoyment of the game. The voices provided by Matt and Trey, the creators of South Park, are also present, as mentioned by Vooks and Easy Allies, which helps to preserve the immersion into the South Park world. While the majority of critics had positive opinions about the voice acting, there were a few who felt that it fell short in some aspects. Vooks mentioned that while the voices provided by Matt and Trey are present, the humor feels flat. This suggests that the comedic delivery may not have been as strong as expected. However, this is a minor criticism compared to the overall positive reception of the voice acting. In conclusion, the voice acting in South Park: The Fractured But Whole has been well-received by the critics. The majority of reviewers praised the authenticity, capturing the essence of the South Park characters and adding to the humor of the game. Critics like Impulsegamer, The Sydney Morning Herald, and NZGamer particularly highlighted the success of the voice acting. While there were a few minor criticisms, such as the humor feeling flat according to Vooks, the overall consensus is that the voice acting in the game is very good. The voices provided by Matt and Trey, along with the presence of the show's voice talent, help to create an authentic and immersive experience for players.

In terms of the technical performance on the Nintendo Switch, the opinions of the critics are mixed. Gaming Age mentions some technical issues such as character disappearing and significant load times, which could be a concern for new players. However, Nintendo Life states that the game runs well on the Switch with minimal slowdown and loading times, offering the full experience with all DLC included. Vooks, on the other hand, points out long loading times between environments and game-breaking bugs that can reset save progress. CGMagazine mentions frequent and long load times, as well as occasional frame rate dips during exploration and pivotal scenes. GamePro Germany also notes occasional crashes on the Switch version, but they were quickly resolved with a restart. Overall, while the Switch version of South Park: The Fractured But Whole offers a full experience with minimal slowdown for some critics, others highlight long loading times and occasional technical issues. Moving on to the Xbox One platform, the opinions of the critics are relatively limited. Xbox Achievements does not explicitly discuss stability but mentions some visual bugs. Windows Central, however, states that the game runs excellently on the Xbox One with no performance issues. Since there are fewer reviews for the Xbox One platform, it is difficult to draw a comprehensive analysis of the technical performance. However, based on the available opinions, it seems that the Xbox One version of the game generally performs well without major technical issues. For the PlayStation 4 platform, the critics express more concerns regarding the technical performance. Easy Allies mentions technical inconsistencies such as long loading screens, delayed combat animations, and occasional glitches. Push Square highlights technical issues including freezes, getting stuck in scenery, and requiring multiple hard resets. IGN, who played the game on both PS4 and Xbox One, mentions instances where the game became unresponsive after returning from suspend, requiring a force-quit and restart, but negligible progress was lost. PlayStation Country, on the other hand, finds the game enjoyable after getting comfortable with the mechanics, suggesting that the technical issues may not have significantly impacted their overall experience. Overall, the PlayStation 4 version of South Park: The Fractured But Whole seems to have more noticeable technical issues compared to other platforms. In terms of the overall consensus of the critics, it is evident that the technical performance of South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a mixed bag across different gaming platforms. While some platforms, such as the Xbox One, seem to offer a relatively stable experience with minimal technical issues, others, like the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, have more noticeable problems. Long loading times, occasional frame rate dips, game-breaking bugs, and instances of becoming unresponsive are among the common issues mentioned by the critics. However, it is worth noting that some critics, like Nintendo Life and Windows Central, had positive experiences with the technical performance on their respective platforms. Ultimately, players should consider the platform they intend to play on and weigh the potential technical issues against the overall enjoyment of the game.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of South Park: The Fractured But Whole are varied. Nintendo Life praises the game for its exploration, item collection, and new crafting system, which provide replay value. Game Informer also highlights the game's larger size, longer duration, and the presence of side quests and collectibles, which contribute to its replayability. The Daily Dot appreciates the game's personalization and variety of abilities, making each combat encounter feel different and providing surprises and references for fans to uncover. Game Rant acknowledges that despite disliked general mechanics, the game's humor and knowledge of video games make it enjoyable to replay. On the other hand, FANDOM mentions that some sections of the game feel repetitive and forced, potentially diminishing the replay value. CGMagazine states that the game doesn't provide much incentive for replayability, implying a lack of engaging content to revisit. IGN criticizes the crafting system, deeming it superfluous and not adding much value to the overall experience. Overall, the critics' opinions suggest a mixed reception regarding the replay value of South Park: The Fractured But Whole. While some critics appreciate the game's exploration, item collection, personalization, and variety of abilities, others highlight repetitive sections, a lack of incentive for replayability, and a superfluous crafting system. It is worth noting that the positive aspects mentioned by critics such as Nintendo Life, Game Informer, The Daily Dot, and Game Rant indicate that the game offers enough content and enjoyable mechanics to encourage replay, especially for fans of South Park and RPGs. However, the negative aspects mentioned by FANDOM, CGMagazine, and IGN suggest that certain elements may hinder the overall replay value of the game.