I wanted to give the game an appropriate amount of time to actually play before writing a review. As a note, buying the PS4 digital code on Amazon is NOT worth it. Any PSN code you buy here will not include extra content advertised here. Why? Because of Sony. So please, stop giving this excellent game 1-star reviews because you did not read the description - it's not even fine print, it says it right there with everything else. Stick of Truth was a phenomenal game and I did purchase the disc edition - so I got my digital copy of SoT. I will however not be including that in my review since it plays zero bearing on the merits of The Fractured But While
To predicate this review, I'll explain the criteria I normally use for game reviews. Is it fun? Is it entertaining? Does it stack up to its predecessor? How are the controls? Are there any issues? I will address these individually.
Is it fun?
Yes, absolutely. If you enjoyed Stick of Truth and like South Park in general, you'll get a kick out of the game. The mechanics are very similar to SoT and the game has some more intricate mechanics that SoT never fully actualized. The humor is crass, the story is engaging and not predictable. I found myself playing nearly 24 hours straight before I realized I hadn't eaten. I don't recommend that, by the way - but hey... it happened, and that just proves the game is really fun and engaging.
Is it entertaining?
Well, it's South Park. As I said, the humor is crass, often self-referential. I feel it's impossible to comment on the story, or even the game mechanics without acknowledging the story. If you can enjoy things that a deliberately offensive, you'd be entertained for sure. At the same time, you are currently looking at a review of a South Park game - you know what you're looking at! There's plenty to do and although the animation is simplistic, it holds true to the animation styles of the show and to me, that's important. My roommate actually commented that he didn't realize I was playing a game, thought I was just watching South Park constantly. So, if you enjoy the show - you'll be entertained by the game.
Does it stack up to its predecessor?
The Fractured But Whole completely eclipses Stick of Truth in almost every way. The story is better, the characters more interesting and true-to-concept with their characters on the show. SoT had a disconnect in this area between how characters behaved on the show and how they behaved in the game - most notably with Eric Cartman. This was meant to facilitate learning the game in SoT, but I'm glad they moved past it and preserved the narrative. All in all, top marks on this category, it's way better. It stays true to a lot of traditional RPG elements as well and isn't overly dumbed down mechanically - at least it's not dumbed down to the point of other Triple-A titles... which has sadly become the new standard.
How are the controls?
Takes some getting used to, you can move your hero in battles now so that alone is a huge mechanical change. Out-of-combat controls are more streamlined - which is a very necessary upgrade. Suffice it to say, I found that going from SoT to TFBW was much easier than going from TFBW to SoT, which as far as sequels go is pretty typical.
Are there any issues?
A few. This is perhaps my 10th game in the past year or two that I pre-ordered on launch day and reviewed here. Day one patches are normaly bandaids meant to keep the game playable. Issue I see here is that, at least on PS4, the day one patch is 2.8Gb. That's waaay too big for a Day One patch and didn't inspire much confidence in the game. Despite that, the game performed quite well - which actually makes me grateful they tested it extensively enough to require a 2.8Gb day one patch! I've had 2 crashes in the game thus far, which is VERY low for a new release - especially on a non-pro console. I was downloading/installing several updates for other games during this time, so even those 2 crashes can easily be attributed to something else. All in all, it performs well and the controls have been completely responsive.
From the manufacturer
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Its for South Park fans. I got the ps4 Disk version to play on my ps5. It say on the front case that Stick of Truth is free. When I open my case, it had a free 2018 expired Voucher for The Stick of Truth... YES... The voucher still worked on 1-24-2022... THANX
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2017
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2018
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Neft Marsan
Código de descarga la vara de la verdad hasta 31/01/2018
Reviewed in Mexico on January 25, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
SquallMX
3.5/5 retroceso en el gameplay, doblaje increible.
Reviewed in Mexico on April 30, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Jay
Muy bueno
Reviewed in Mexico on January 27, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Jay
Reviewed in Mexico on January 27, 2018
Trae dos códigos. Uno para toallin y el otro es el juego completo de Stick of Truth.
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ricardo rodriguez
Game is funny!!
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2020Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Alonti
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
