Saints Row 4 is a cynical rort that should never have been released as a full price game.
Saints Row 4 is none of these things. Kicking in at around 15 hours in length, the game itself is a simple rehash of the third game in both graphics and gameplay. There are some additional mechanics thrown in, the new "super powers" you receive provide a number of new and interesting ways to dispatch enemies and travel around the city. However, this comes at a cost – with the ability to travel faster via foot and air than in a vehicle, and the power to shove other vehicles out of your way, there is little need to use vehicles at all. For a game that focuses so much time and energy on creating fun and unique driving experiences, it essentially renders that part of the game obsolete.
Graphically, the city of Steelport remains structurally the same. There are some changes, the day/night cycle has been stripped and the city is now constantly drenched in shadows. The lighting has been modified to give everything an eerie red wash, to simulate one of the main story components, and there have been additions to the gun and car models for a little extra variety. Character models have been added to and modified as well, with a new set of enemies becoming the core antagonist. Generally, the new enemies look good, especially the lead villain, but there is little real value added.
Weapon additions include the usual ray guns you'd expect from the changed story and add some unique weapons such as the Dub-step gun, a weapon that plays wub wub music as it forces enemies to dance. It sounds interesting on paper, but is something you'll likely only use a few times just for the novelty. The updated laser weapons are simple rehashes of existing weapon models, and the sound produced is somewhat lackluster. I found myself simply sticking to the original weapons, especially the shotgun.
Sound design has remained the same, while there is a good chunk of new music spread across the 7 radio stations. Dialogue is voiced well, and large set piece battles still build up a serious cacophony of yells, gunshots, explosions, growls and squealing tires. The ability to listen to the music outside of the cars makes its reappearance, which is great
So to this point, we are in the situation where we have a game that offers around 15 hours of gameplay, a few new models, a few new songs, and some interesting mechanics that are both positive (they provide a great new way to engage with the game world) and negative (makes all vehicles completely pointless). So, what must be on offer for our $60 is a really intense and satisfying story mode and some kick ass multiplayer, right?
Sigh. The story is bullshit. Sorry to be so blunt, but even in the realm of the Third Street Saints this story is a load of crap. You are now the President, Aliens have invaded, your friends are abducted, you're thrown into a virtual world to rescue them. Something something something, the world is safe! Its simply a tacky, thrown together piece of shit that borrows heavily from movies and television with not an ounce of creativity or innovation.
So, let's compare value. Saints Row: The Third and GTAIV are very different games, however they both offer a serious amount of value for money through long storylines, tons of sidequests, collectible hunting, exciting multiplayer and the ability to create utter chaos. When GTAIV ran its course, Rockstar released 2 DLC additions, Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost & The Damned. Both of these DLC were roughly 10-15 hours in length (20-30 hours total), and offered new mission mechanics, new music, updated models, and well written storylines. When Saints Row 3 ran its course, Volition took the planned DLC, rejigged a little bit here and there, and then released it as a full priced game with less overall content than either one of the above mentioned $15 DLC while costing twice as much as both together.
The multiplayer remains the same as the previous title, with a little extra variety from the superpowers. However, if you have tired of Saints Row 3, you'll find little here to entice you back into its online competitive modes.
Now, Saints Row 4 is fun, absolutely a blast to play. The story is crap, but the action involved in wrapping it all up is excellent. The new superpowers are great fun to play around with, and some of the missions are very much classic Saints Row. The problem is, this is NOT a full priced game – it has neither the length, nor the added value to justify the price. I feel deeply disappointed that it was released as such, and profoundly ripped off.
While I don't doubt that I will buy the next Saints Row game, I am unlikely to look for it at full retail and will probably pick it up second hand instead. I don't want to take the chance of getting stung again.