Saints Row IV | a Review
originally published on 01/10/2021;
Hello everyone, I am the gang-STAR, G.E.M.Simov, a magnificent example of– OH wait, this just in - I’m the President of the United States of America, and this is a public decree. What is it about? It is about a game - Saints Row IV!
Simple review details - I rank games on an out of 10 basis, granting up to 3 points in 3 categories, as well as a last, single point from my own self, depending on my experience with it. Also, I am a gameplay designer and a writer so I got the credentials to talk shit.
Gameplay
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Saints Row IV. As a result of that, there’s another pair of Saints Rows before it. The important part here is that Saints Row: The Third (henceforth dubbed SR3) is, Gameplay wise, very close to what Saints Row IV (henceforth dubbed SR4) provides. Thus, I’d urge you folks to read my SR3 review before reading this one.
So, what’s the down-low? Well, the engine that is used for the game is the same. The controls are the same. The game has absolutely everything that SR3 had, with a very minor set of exceptions, and a large number of extras. The exceptions? No more grenades and no more cruise control. That’s not such a great loss, considering what the players got in exchange.
In short - super powers.
At length: The Player has the ability to jump super high, high enough to jump from the ground to the roof of a 3 story building, can sprint faster than any vehicle in the game moves, can use telekinesis, can stomp the ground and create a massive shockwave, can throw away a blast of power (that works kind-of like a grenade), and can even surround themselves in an aura of fire or some other thing (buff themselves).
That’s a lot, is it not? Well, the implementation of these super powers is really neat - really makes the player feel even stronger, and the upgrade system from the previous game has been further improved upon by presenting an extra bit of upgrading potential for the super powers, which require a number of collectibles, rather than money (which has been rebranded as ‘Cache’, to fit the theme).
The upgrades are really neat. The super powers are really fun…
But therein comes the issue. Having super powers, such as super speed and super jump, makes vehicles obsolete. As a result of that, every time the player hops in a car or another kind of vehicle, they’re just wasting time. Not only does the player need to be careful about what they run into, while driving a vehicle, but they’re also slower, and they have access to fewer weapons and powers.
All the mechanics around vehicles just become… Needless. “Why would I want to upgrade my car when, even at its highest upgrade, it’s slower than just running!” Why, indeed? That’s a slight oversight which really messes with one of the best things in SR3 - the driving. The driving IS good, still, but there’s no need to do it, and, if one is driving around, they’re not being efficient.
As a result, that’s a bit of a problem.
Other interesting things, however, involve the Activities (mini-games). The silly, unpleasant ones from SR3 are gone, and, instead, there are a lot more interesting Activities in SR4. One that I really enjoyed involves ‘hacking’ stores - it’s a little puzzle game that really flexes the Player’s mental muscles and provides a neat little logical challenge. It’s great.
Let’s get back to the super powers. The implementation of new enemies has provided extra opportunities for the super powers to be used. Some enemies can only be damaged if they are stricken by a super power. Other enemies can use one super power, and that can be countered by using other super powers.
Overall… It’s good. It’s a very decent expansion to the Gameplay, but the fact that driving around (which was almost the best part of SR3) is not, at all, encouraged, is really grinding my gears. On top of that, the aesthetic of the game doesn’t make me want to drive around and enjoy it.
As a result of that… 2/3
Presentation
This game has an insane amount of soul to it, frankly. Let me dial back a bit, though.
It looks exactly like SR3, when it comes to graphical fidelity, which is not much of an issue. Lighting wise, it’s a bit different, but that’s not an issue. The theme is changed - we still have old Steelport, but it has been upgraded. We now have sci-fi technology all over, bits of the landscape are totally destroyed, and there’s a big-ass spaceship floating above Loren Square.
A bit buggy - the whole ending set of cinematics was spent with the final boss’ head stuck to my character’s hand, and it was… Funny. The song choices are a little meh, the sound design and Voice Acting is really good, and, all in all, the presentation is pretty good. Unfortunately, there are areas in which it could be improved drastically, and, thus, I cannot give it the highest rating. 2/3
Story
The boss from Saints Row 3 becomes President of the United States… Then Aliens attack and things go very, very awry. The Matrix, but with aliens, rather than machines, super hero super powers, the fact that everything is presented as a game making a lot of sense in hindsight, the weird, strange manner in which things unwrap and become what they become…
Then some characters reappearing from Saints Row 2 (damn, that’s an old game), Johnny Gat is back, the main Villain is really amusing, a great ending which leaves an insanely intriguing question to consider, and then… The end.
The story is really interesting, and it was all good fun. I think the approach taken was light word building, where things are not explained and everything is meant to be magical and impressive. It worked quite splendidly. 3/3
Legendary Point
Does this game get the legendary point, so craved and wanted by all and none at the same time? Does this fantastic experience, which has a few flaws, get the Legendary Point? Did I enjoy my time in Matrix-ed Steelport? I did. It was wonderful. I’d like to do it again, and the fact that I get to control the weather, as a result of playing through the game once, is superb.
Great work to Vollition, superb performance, and I say YES, you get the Legendary Point. 1/1
Conclusion
8/10. Again, I was hoping that I’d be able to give this game a higher rating than that, but it had issues I simply could not ignore. Much like its predecessor, Saints Row: The Third, Saints Row IV is a fantastic game that I would recommend to everybody. It’s a splendid experience, filled with enjoyable moments and memorable characters.
I tuck it under my belt, another shining achievement that I proudly display.