South Park: The Fractured but Whole - Xbox One

South Park: The Stick of Truth was a bit of a surprise when it came out in 2014. Not only was it a very faithful recreation of Matt Stone and Trey Parker s twisted cartoon, it was also, surprisingly, a good turn-based RPG in it's own right. Now we're back in town for a new adventure that sticks to the core tenets of its predecessor, but swerves into new territory.

The action picks up a day after the end of The Stick of Truth. The kids have got bored of being mystical wizards and adventurers and have taken up superhero identities and set about fighting crime (i.e.: rescuing cats) across South Park. Two factions have formed - Cartman s Coon & Friends and Kenny s Freedom Pals. Following on from the first game, however, you take on the role of the New Kid and choose your powers and learn your origin. You can also change your gender and skin colour but, in a wicked and clever nod to the inequalities of the real world, your decision will impact how difficult the game is.

Aside from the theme and narrative, the major change from the last game is to the combat system. Where in the last game it played second fiddle to the narrative, here we get a deep turn-based combat system, played out on a grid and hugely impacted by the power sets you have in play on the field of battle.

Is it a bird...? Is it a plane...? No, more than likely it's the product of a super fart... more