Exceptions exist, but one of the certainties that stand alongside death and taxes is most games licensed after movies and TV shows are unmitigated garbage.  When the Stick of Truth was announced for 2011, fans of South Park and RPGs alike had reactions that ranged from cautious excitement to dread, as most of us had tried to repress the abomination from 1999 known as South Park Rally.  Thankfully any doubts that may have existed about the RPG taking place in the iconic small mountain town were laid to rest, as creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker were very involved with The Stick of Truth and made a game that is not only satisfying to South Park fans but also a good RPG in its own right.  Clearly this title was an exception to the rule, and the upcoming follow up, South Park:  The Fractured But Whole, has the potential to match the quality of its predecessor and maybe even surpass it.

Taking place immediately after the events in The Stick of Truth, Cartman is no longer acting as Grand Wizard from Kingdom Kupa Keep.  The boys are no longer playing Lord of the Thrones (or Game of Rings, if you prefer) and have switched to playing super heroes.  Cartman has donned the Coon costume and is using his basement as the Coon and Friends hideout to launch their Netflix series in order to become the largest super hero franchise.  Once again, the player takes the role of the New Kid, and to be accepted into the Coon and Friends group they need to develop his own superhero persona.  Thankfully, playing The Stick of Truth is not a prerequisite for enjoying or understanding this game.

There will be more options in the final version, but the build we had access to showed designs for the Brutalist, Blaster, and Speedster class with only the Speedster being playable.  The Speedster is loosely based off The Flash and his superpower is unsurprisingly superhuman speed.  During the introduction to combat in his tragic and traumatic origin story, the Speedster is able to defeat his enemies by discovering his powers.  Like its predecessor (and most games for that matter), South Park: The Fractured But Whole includes a combat tutorial, but unlike most, the South Park RPG tutorials are actually entertaining.

South Park:  The Fractured But Whole attempts to recreate what was great about The Stick of Truth but also establish a new adventure in the quiet mountain town.  How successful a title is at achieving their goals cannot be determined from an early incomplete build, but the information available makes me optimistic about their success.  The town of South Park has undergone some changes since our last visit, giving reason to once again comb every crevice of the map.  The ability to explore the town at your own pace, interact with the townspeople and just being able to find random ways to get into trouble or interact with the environment seem to be just as enjoyable as they were in The Stick of Truth.  The dialog and writing give the sense that Parker and Stone were just as involved with this title as its predecessor which is great news as their involvement was a key part of what made the first game so memorable.

For those who enjoyed taking poop breaks in the various bathrooms that could be visited, that option is available but the pooping mechanics have been greatly overhauled making a bowel movement much more complicated than simply mashing a button.  The pooping system is not the only overhaul as combat has been significantly changed.  Battle is still a turn based affair, but instead of following a turned-based format, it has branched into a more complicated tactical system, much like if Grand Kingdom was about potty mouthed nine year olds.  We were only able to scratch the surface of the new system, but it seems as if it will be much more involved with greater need for strategy.

The Stick of Truth made farts play a significant role in the game, as this seemed to be the only "magic" Grand Wizard Cartman was skilled in and all he was able to teach the New Kid.  Magic may not have the same place in the super hero game as it did in the fantasy adventure, but for better or worse the inclusion of flatulence based power has remained.  In order to reach some out of the way places, the New Kid must utilize his skills in Fartkour.  This is exactly what the spelling indicates: parkour mixed with farts.  With an extra aerial boost powered by rectal propulsion, the New Kid is able to reach otherwise inaccessible places.  The concept of this will likely sound either off putting or hilarious depending on individual sense of humor, but regardless of that this is actually a fun minigame that is the closest thing to platforming we will likely see in this game.

South Park:  The Fractured But Whole trades swords and sorcery for superpowers in an attempt to create a brand new experience while retaining what made The Stick of Truth great.  The small portion of the game we've experienced does contain the same humor and overall quality of its predecessor, and the increased number of character classes with the overhauled combat system indicate there is a lot of potential for a great tactical RPG here.  While it's too early and there is not enough data to draw any final conclusions, anyone who enjoyed or even just had interest in The Stick of Truth should have this title on their radar.