Saints Row IV - From DLC to Full Game
You ("The Boss") are the President. Benjamin King, Keith David, Shaundi, Pierce, and Kenzie along with a few other familiar and new faces round out your crew this time around.
The game starts out as you are about to hold a press conference when the United States is attacked by an alien force known as the Zin Empire, you and several of your companions escape the destruction and fight back through real-life and computer-simulated situations (a la "The Matrix" trilogy).
Your battleground in "the simulation" is the city of Steelport, as seen in Saints Row: The Third. You will occasionally switch between the "simulation" and the "real world" to advance the story, but the majority of game play is based in the virtual world of Steelport. Not a whole lot has changed though, with Zin "Flashpoints" replacing "Gang Activity" and a few towering Zin structures dotting the landscape of Steelport, it all seems too familiar.
The biggest, and most touted addition to the Saints Row franchise is the addition of super powers. From Super Speed to Telekinesis, Fire Blasts to Super Stomps, these powers quickly become a major part of combat and travel while at times wholly replace certain aspect of game play (i.e. driving). Once you start upgrading your Super Speed and Super Jump powers, you will rarely enter any vehicle short of an aircraft, making the car customization feature of the game almost null-and-void.
There are, though, many brand new additions to the franchise and new twists on old side missions and quests that do their best to differentiate Saints Row IV from Saints Row: The Third. Weapon customization, "Tower" missions, and "hacking" sub-quests to name a few.
Saints Row IV does borrow heavily from its predecessor along with plot, storyline, locations, and characters from many other franchises so if it all seems too familiar: it's because it is.
This game seems like it would have served better as expanded or multi-part DLC to Saints Row: The Third as opposed to it's own stand-alone game, but this doesn't detract from the fun that is to be had.
If you're a fan of silly "South Park"-esque humor, sci-fi, and wanton destruction then Saints Row IV will not disappoint.
If you're looking for something original or a new direction from the Saints Row franchise, you might consider looking elsewhere.
Pros:
- Truly funny character dialogue
- Top-notch voice acting
- Super Powers add a whole new dimension of game play
- Soundtrack is top-notch
- Enjoyable and smooth game mechanics
- New twists on old tricks
Cons:
- Feels more like DLC than a stand alone game
- Combat becomes tedious
- Vehicular game play obsolete