Also available on Switch, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Linux, and Windows Ahh, Saints Row IV. It was okay. I mean, it's a fun game, and a super wacky sandbox kill-em-up. The whole game is a giant parody of Mass Effect, and there are levels parodying Metal Gear Solid, Streets of Rage, and even Combat from the 2600. It felt to me, however, that it lacked the balance that Saints Row 3 had. Saints Row 2 was a funny game, but it left me feeling like it could have been funnier had they played up the wacky elements a little more. Saints Row IV left me feeling like they were trying just a little too hard to make it funny. Saints Row 3 hit that perfect balance IMO. The basic premise of the game is that after doing all your awesome shit in the third game, you decide to quit being just a gang leader and start killing terrorists and shit. That makes you so popular that you get elected president of the United States. Then aliens attack and destroy the planet. Almost all of the game takes place in a simulation the aliens created that mimics Steelport. That's my biggest gripe with the game - I hated the simulation angle. I think it would have been way better if I were playing as the POTUS running around Washington DC killing aliens and shit (and anyone else who got in my way). The gameplay itself is the same rock solid Saints Row combat that you've come to expect from the series, but my gripe with it from a gameplay standpoint is that they add super powers - they explain it as just altering your avatar's code in the simulation - and it just breaks the game. You can run faster than cars, completely defeating the purpose of customizing and driving a car. You can jump over almost every building and glide through the air, defeating the purpose of trying to steal aircraft. It's not that they weren't fun, but it felt like just way too much - again, like they were trying too hard to be wacky. One fantastic thing, however, is that they gave you a lot of options for character creations, as you've seen with my beautiful president (who, btw, was a fat man with a country girl's voice). That's cool, and it's always fun to beat people to death with a giant purple dildo, but it's basically three-quarters of what made the third game good but trying too hard to outdo that. Definitely play it if you're new to the series but like GTA-style games, and if you really like the characters (I love me some Pierce and Shaundi), play it, but if you're just a casual Saints Row player, skip it and stick with the third game. My Rating - B |
I'm a teacher.And I like to play video games. I like to collect video games. I like to talk about video games, and I like to write about video games. During the day, I teach high school history; during the night, I spend my spare time gaming. Then I write about it. Archives
March 2024
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