South Park: The Fractured But Whole will launch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC across North America and Europe on December 6, Ubisoft announced during it E3 2016 press conference.
Anyone who purchases South Park: The Fractured But Whole before March 31, 2017 will receive South Park: The Stick of Truth for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC free of charge.
Pre-orders will include “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud” as an in-game assistant. He’ll provide unique assistance to players at key locations throughout the game.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be available in multiple editions, including:
Standard Edition
- The complete South Park: The Fractured But Whole game
- Gold Edition (available digitally only)
- The complete game
- The Season Pass
- A set of in-game costumes and a bonus perk to get fans started
- “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud”
Steelbook Gold Edition (available only at US retail)
- All of the contents of the Gold Edition
- A Steelbook case
- A set of physical lithographic prints with art from South Park Studios
Collector’s Edition
- The complete game
- “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud”
- A set of in-game costumes and a bonus perk to get fans started
- A set of physical lithographic prints with art from South Park Studios
- A 6” replica figurine of “The Coon” by UbiCollectibles and ArtToyz
Here’s an overview of the game, via Ubisoft:
With crime on the rise in South Park, the streets have never been more dangerous. As the sun sets on the quiet Colorado town, havoc and chaos unleash a reign of terror and the seedy underbelly of the city comes alive. The town needs new heroes to rise! Eric Cartman seizes the opportunity to save the town and create the best superhero franchise ever, his own Coon & Friends with himself as the leader, The Coon. Continuing in their role as the New Kid, players will become a member of Coon & Friends and fight for fame and their place beside the other kids.
Players must harness their fart-based powers to fight crime and become part of the most marketable superhero franchise of all time. Every superhero has an origin, and Coon & Friends are no different. Players will discover their backstory, assemble their unique costumes, and mix and match powers from numerous hero classes to create their own original hero.
Developed from the ground up using Snowdrop, Ubisoft Massive’s proprietary engine, The Fractured But Whole has expanded with more places to explore and greater freedom to customize each players’ character. An all-new combat system offers unique opportunities to master space and time while on the battlefield, and a revamped looting and crafting system gives players the freedom to craft their own equipment to aid them in battle.
Get the #3 2016 trailer, gameplay walkthrough, and Q&A below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.
Trailer
Gameplay Walkthrough
What is South Park: The Fractured But Whole?
From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comes South Park: The Fractured But Whole, a sequel to South Park: The Stick of Truth, winner of 25 video game awards. A dark shadow has spread across the quiet town of South Park. A new power is rising, and this time, an entire squad of super heroes must stand, led by a nocturnal scavenger sworn to clean the trashcan of society. Coon & Friends Assemble! The kids are playing super heroes, and Cartman is determined to turn Coon & Friends into the biggest super hero franchise of all time.
Players will once again assume the role of the New Kid. As the newest member of Coon & Friends, you must create your own superhero, build up your notoriety, and use your incredible abilities to save South Park. Only then will Coon & Friends take their rightful place as the greatest team of super heroes ever assembled, and get the movie deal they so richly deserve. In a city gripped by chaos, justice will be silent… but deadly.
Q: What is the connection between The Fractured but Whole and The Stick of Truth?
A: The Fractured But Whole will be a bigger, better, and deeper game than The Stick of Truth. The Fractured But Whole follows the events of the first game with players taking on the role of the New Kid just days after the events of The Stick of Truth. This time around there is an all-new story and an all-new superhero theme. Once again, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and South Park Digital Studios are intimately involved in the development of the title from start to finish and will continue to bring authentic South Park humor and wit to the next chapter of South Park RPGs.
Q: Who is The Coon? Who are Coon & Friends?
A: Cartman feels that South Park is gripped with fear and that the city needs protection as more and more people turn to violence. To clean up the trash can of society, Cartman has chosen to be more than man. He is The Coon, a superhero alter-ego of half man, half raccoon. First introduced in Season 13, Episode 2 of South Park, The Coon fights to keep order intact as the world plunges into despair. In Season 14, Episode 11 The Coon leads the other kids of South Park in a crime-fighting team known as “Coon & Friends.”
Q: How much of a role will Coon & Friends play?
A: Coon & Friends will play a central role in The Fractured But Whole. The Stick of Truth addressed a lot of the South Park universe and The Fractured but Whole will open up even more new places to visit and people to meet this time around. The Fractured but Whole is a great opportunity to experience South Park at night with a new story about the kids and their superhero identities.
Q: What genre of video game is The Fractured But Whole?
A: The Fractured But Whole is a role playing game, with gameplay and exploration styles that are reminiscent of the adventure and combat found in your favorite turn-based fantasy RPGs. But this time around the kids are playing as superheroes and the stakes are serious.
Will players be able to customize their characters?
Yes, players will be able to fully customize their characters. From the start of the game, each character will select their one-of-a-kind costume, craft their original superhero backstory, and build out their unique super powers. We also plan to further develop the RPG aspects of the game with an improved looting and crafting system that gives players the freedom to develop and refine their special abilities. Loot will be hidden all throughout the town of South Park for players to find and use to craft hilarious equipment which will aid them in battle.
Q: What is the combat like in The Fractured But Whole?
A: The Fractured But Whole introduces an all-new combat system which adds the tactical element of space and time to the battlefield. This new dynamic system will offer more variety, strategy, and challenge for veteran players while still being accessible for newcomers to turn-based RPG combat. Also new to battles are environmental hazards and timed events which can alter the course of a fight. Avoid them or use them to your advantage to gain an upper hand!
Of course, what good area all these improvements if you couldn’t fight alongside your South Park buddies? This time around you’ll be able to enter fights with larger parties that you can customize for each encounter. Jump into the fray with up to X buddies and participate in truly epic battles. In all ways the scope of combat has increased this time around.
Can you explain the role that night will play in the overall gameplay?
A: When night falls in South Park, the town becomes a different place. More enemies emerge from the alleyways and seedy villains step into the moonlight. While you’re able to do some investigative work during the daytime as an unassuming civilian kid, as a superhero, the cover of night allows you to take on your most covert challenges and really delve deep into the hive of villainy which would be otherwise hidden.
The changes in the town at night are so drastic that places and people you thought you knew in the daytime may become entirely different. The amount of things to do and see in South Park is effectively doubled after dark giving even the most ardent fans an all-new experience of exploring the living world of South Park.
Q: Will there be any DLC for South Park: The Fractured But Whole?
A: Yes, there are plans to release DLC for South Park: The Fractured But Whole following the launch of the game. There will be a Season Pass and Gold Edition of the game which are available for pre-order now. We’ll have more details on the specifics of the DLC at a later time since right now Ubisoft San Francisco and South Park Studios are fully invested and focused on making The Fractured But Whole the best it can be.
Who is developing the game?
Ubisoft San Francisco is currently developing the game, with all writing and voiceover done directly by the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Q: Why choose an Ubisoft internal development team for the sequel?
A: Ubisoft San Francisco established a strong working relationship with South Park Studios and Matt and Trey at the culmination of The Stick of Truth. For the sequel we wanted to continue that partnership directly and leverage the development tools and publishing experience of Ubisoft.
Q: What engine is The Fractured But Whole being developed on? Is this the same game engine as The Stick of Truth?
A: The Fractured But Whole is being created from the ground up using Ubisoft Massive’s proprietary engine, Snowdrop. This engine is notably known for the amazing graphics of Ubisoft’s mid-crisis action-RPG game, Tom Clancy’s The Division but it is in fact a very versatile engine that was specifically developed for the new generation of consoles. The flexibility and simplicity of the engine allows us to quickly and efficiently use the art and animations from the show directly into the game, and enable fast iterations to ensure a truly authentic South Park experience. Overall, it allows Ubisoft San Francisco to work more closely with South Park Studios and create a rich and collaborative experience, especially in helping the team integrate storyline changes and easily see how it affects the gameplay.
Q: What platforms will South Park: The Fractured But Whole be released on?
A: It will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
When will The Fractured But Whole be released?
A: South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be released on December 6, 2016.
