Console Corner: South Park The Fractured But Whole Nintendo Switch review

No great technical leaps but a worthy addition to Switch.
South Park hits the SwitchSouth Park hits the Switch
South Park hits the Switch

South Park: The Fractured But Whole received widespread acclaim when it was released back in October last year and now it has landed on Switch.

There have been plenty of games in the past which have merely piggybacked on the name of a TV show or movie.

Some of them have been epic - think Die Hard - others epic fails - think E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (one for the 80s gamers out there).

I can happily report that South Park: The Fractured But Whole sits comfortably in the former. Having not read much on the new South Park game in the build up to its release and not being a die hard fan of South Park - although I loved it as a teenager - I wasn’t sure what to expect from the game.

But from the off the toilet humour jokes and sketches hit the spot and the graphics were as good as the cartoon series. You take the role of the new kid thrust into a neighbourhood battle of monumental proportions. With an entire town of people to meet for selfies to increase your status and a costume wardrobe bigger than a Lady Gaga concert, South Park has lots to offer.

The role play element allows lots of depth with you levelling up powers and gaining team mates along the way to help you take on enemies like the Sixth Graders.

There are plenty of places to search for collectibles to help you craft items which aid in your battles and boost your power. There are also secret locations to find for items and of course the obligatory quest items to collect. If all of this isn’t enough then you can always visit various locations to use their toilets to do a number two using a combination of stick movements and button taps (yes seriously). Overall South Park The Fractured But Whole is a South Park fans’ dream.

There are plenty of jokes along the way and the actual gameplay mechanics and combat system holds up against some of the top games in the class with some amazing super powers to behold.

But just how does the Nintendo Switch version differ? Well not a lot is there answer and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. From a negative point of view some of the loading screens between certain areas of the town take far too long to load BUT the pay-off is that there is no noticeable slowdown on screen or while navigating the app-style menus. With full support for all the DLC as well, you’re getting the full experience on Switch that you will get on any other platform but with the distinct advantage of being able to play remotely anywhere you like with the freedom of the handheld.

The Nintendo Switch version of SPTFBW boasts no major technical leaps in mechanics to the likes of PS4 and PC. And if like me you are not a hardcore RPG-er then South Park makes for an ideal introduction to turn-based RPGs, particularly with the added bonus of the freedom only the Switch can offer gamers.

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