As a game about gangs, it isn't one. But as a superpower game, it's definitely worth a try.

User Rating: 8 | Saints Row IV X360
Saints row 4 is the latest addition in the saints row franchise. And as the new addition it has pretty much shed it's old gameplay of being a gang that is slowly rising to power, to a gang that has achieved ultimate power is no longer a gang because of it. For any players looking for the gameplay that saints row 2 offered this game isn't like it, and is very much continuing from saints row three's style.

Gameplay: Basics
The gameplay in this game is pretty easy and only grows easier as the game goes on and you get more powers and weapons. This does trivialize the combat in a way, but it also adds a sense of power much like the games prototype and crackdown. While the arsenal of weapons is quite enjoyable the gun play itself for some of the more average weapons is pretty weak. Cars have now become obsolete, which is sad because of how deep the customization for the cars are. The character customization is just as good and varied as any of the previous games before it.

There are challenges in this game which are mostly based around kills with powers and weapons. With some being about the type of enemies you kill. And the rest being about getting gold on the activities listed above. Leveling up is pretty much the same as it was in saints row three. As you gain more levels you get better ways of healing yourself, more health, more damage protection, more ammo for weapons and things for your homies. Homies are also made pointless with the addition of superpowers, though they were never very useful in the first place.

Gameplay: Side missions
There are various activities you can do throughout the game, some of which are more fun than others, but none of which overstay their welcome. An example would be a basic platforming game which is one of the weaker activities, and for any players new to the series an activity called "insurance fraud" which is very enjoyable and made all the better with the superpowers your character has.

There are also some minors modes you can play with a friend called "death tag" and "cat and mouse." These are good for a quick laugh but were definitely not balanced in the slightest, since it is very easy to stun-lock someone and win with no problem. But there are also some assassination missions, car theft missions, and survival missions which are quick and more for the reward than the fun.

Gameplay: Extras
Lastly there are things called "flashpoints" which are small areas comprised of 10 or more enemies that you need to clear out. These are a good for some quick fun and getting kills for various challenges. With these there are also very tall points on the map that the player has to scale and get to the top of. These were meant to be warp points for getting around the city easier, but they end up being the same as the assassination and car theft missions, in that it's really more there for the reward, and not to mention that with super speed and glide the warping is made pointless.

There also data clusters(mass collectibles, 1200+)that you collect to obtain upgrades for your powers. This and completing an entire type of activity with silver and/or gold, with the activities giving a really powerful unlock that the player doesn't have to pay for. Along with these clusters there are some nice audio logs that gives the character some nice info on the supporting characters, but there are also text adventure collectibles which gives you more information on the main villain of this game as well.


Story: Characters
While the story itself is nothing particularly new, the writing for this game is quite good, at least if you're someone who is into the nerd style of humor. The characters are funny, and the voice acting is good for not only your character but also most if not all of the characters you'll be interacting with throughout the game.

The main villain himself is quite interesting and very much a love to hate, hate to love type. While the main villain himself is fun, his henchmen are quite generic and repetitious, with little variety other than the amount of time it takes to kill them.

Story: Story missions
The story missions are in themselves nothing too above average, since most of the missions will have you doing activities, but there definitely are some missions that stand out because of their funny writing and character interaction. Even though most of these are usually one out of the four you'll be doing.

There are loyalty missions in this game which are a series of missions in which you do some errands for a character, which more often than not is just doing an activity. There is a constant back and forth with turning in the missions. Such as leaving an area, doing the mission, then returning to the area to get the reward, which can be pretty tedious at times. One great thing about these loyalty missions though are the funny interactions you get with some of the characters and also the rewards you get for them.

Soundtrack
The music in this game is really good, whether it be the variety of songs on the radio or the just the in-game music itself. A nice feature that was added is the ability to have the radio playing while not being in a car. As for the song selection it really varies from person to person, and what type of music you're into, but overall there is a solid collection of songs here.

TL;DR
Pros-Fun sense of power, with good voice-acting and music. Good, humorous writing. Fun side missions to do and a lot of content to explore

Cons-Various aspects of the game seem like a waste due to the superpowers inclusion. Repetitive enemies. Somewhat tedious mechanics at times. And if you're a hardcore fan of the second game, this really is nothing like it.