SAINTS ROW IV Is The Craziest Game I Ever Played
Saints Row IV is an action-adventure video game set in an open world environment. It is developed by Volition, Inc and published by Deep Silver. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Saints Row Series, after the release of Saint’s Row: The Third in 2011. As in the previous titles of the series, the player controls the leader of the Third Street Saints, who has now become the President of the United States. The game returns to the fictional city of Steelport from The Third, which will be redesigned as a retro-futuristic dystopia with elements of Washington, D.C., and your character becomes the President of The United States Of America. The game takes place at least five years after The Third, focusing on the Saints fighting aliens.
One thing I will start out by saying is that this game, much like Saints Row: The Third, is a crazy experience. One thing that made Saints Row: The Third stand out was it’s over the top, comedic style. And Saints Row 4 does not shy away from that same style, only this time, throw in alien weapons, ….and superpowers. You heard me correctly. Just from the first mission, you can tell that this game was going to be a wild ride. You stop a terrorist attack, become President, and fight off an alien invasion. Gameplay wise, it is very akin to SR3, however the addition of superpowers change the gameplay up, adding variety and multiple ways to take on scenarios. As previously mentioned, this game’s comedic, over the top style is it’s selling point, as you find yourself noticing the hints, and nudges to other games such as Mass Effect, and Splinter Cell games. Weapons in this game are just as, if not crazier than previous titles. For example, the dubstep gun which is my favorite weapon in Video Game History, which when fired makes everything targeted bust out into rave style dancing and cars bouncing everywhere. However because of your superpowers which include flight, telekinesis, and ice blast, you do get a sense of feeling overpowered, making weapons in most situations feel unnecessary, and virtual useless in some instances.
What bugged me most about Saints Row 4 was the setting. It takes place in Steelport city, but Steelport looks vaguely unchanged since SR3, besides the aliens Towers, and presence of alien vehicles, it closely resembles the same setting. I would have preferred to see some new settings, and better changes however. One thing I absolutely loved about Saints Row 4 is that the character creator, is still one of the best in any game. I spent a lot of time creating my character due to the large options available to me, and seeing what other players create is very entertaining.
To keep the insanity going you can team up with a friend to wreak some havoc in co-op, there are challenges you can do as well that add to the gameplay, which adds longevity to the game. Saints Row 4 is a very enjoyable game. I found myself just going around the city abusing my powers, and taking on enemies. Despite feeling overpowered for most of the game, the game is quite enjoyable, and is true to it’s nature. Saints Row 4 gets a 4 out of 5.
