Saints Row while at first may have been looked at as nothing more than a Grand Theft Auto rip off. It’s more than fair to say that with each installment the series has really shook off that Grand Theft Auto clone status. Now Saints Row is seen as the craziest sandbox game series that has ever been released.
Story & Presentation
The story of Saints Row IV is just flat out nuts. The good thing for new players to the series is that you really do not have to have played any of the other games to appreciate this. And for long time fans of the series there are little inside jokes that only you will get.
Ok now let me give you the idea of this story. The leader of the Saints is somehow the President Of The USA and he has surrounded himself with his buddies in his cabinet. He is warned about a potential alien invasion, but before he can act the aliens show up and abduct him and his buddies. He is put into this simulation world kind of like The Matrix where there is no violence, bad language or any other vulgar activity. We can’t have this now can we? The story is stupid, but in a good way. This is a game that does not take its self seriously at all and the writing and voice acting is intentionally terrible. The story is certainly messed up, but it’s a wild ride while it lasts.
The game looks great and has many different fun locations. There is one part of the game that looks like a 60’s style TV sitcom and another that is set on an alien space craft. In short you never know what Saints Row IV is going to throw your way. The game also has many parodies of other popular video games such as Mass Effect and Splinter Cell.
Gameplay
Saint Row IV has that same open world game play that the series is known for, but the big difference here is that you now have super powers. You have powers that let you leap like Superman or run like the Flash. You also can cause some real destruction with telekinesis powers and the ability to shoot ice from your hands.
These powers really do make you feel like a god and as a result the game is really easy. If you are on the end of a beating and feel overwhelmed then you can just leap in the air to safety. The enemies also seem to drop a crazy amount of health. The only way that you really die in this game is if you royally screw up.
As a result of these powers you really do not need to use any of the huge amount of weapons that the game has when you are in the simulation world. But it’s worth checking out some of the really cool and fun to use alien weapons that you can get your hands on. The story of the game will take you a while to play through and if you add in all the side missions then you have a huge game on your hands.
Saints Row IV has a really cool two player co op option. Playing this game in single player is a great deal of fun and will keep you busy for a long time. Playing the game with a friend though is even more fun. There is just something so cool when you are fighting of a whole bunch of aliens as a totally ridiculous looking character while your friend who looks even more ridiculous is right next to you.
One thing I have to mention is the vast amount of customization you have when it comes to making your character. The amount of stuff you have to mess around with here is just staggering. You can spend hours messing around with your character. And you can spend just as long looking at other players creations as well.
Final Thoughts
Saints Row IV is a total riot. Some people have said that it’s not a huge leap over what Saints Row The Third and I can appreciate that, but I think the new super powers, totally insane story and amazing character creator more than make up for any similarities. If you want a game that is loud, obnoxious and a great deal of fun, then Saints Row IV is the game for you.
