Rob Harris, Screen Editor, becomes President of the United States, rocks a flourescent pink afro and wields a dubstep gun…
Take a moment and try to name a game in which you can disarm a nuke, cure cancer and punch a guy in the dick all within a ten minute window. No luck?
Well, if any of the above activities sound at least a little appealing, then Saints Row IV may just be what you’re searching for.
As the new President of the United States, apparently elected through uncompromising badassery alone, right from the get-go it becomes apparent that developers, Volition, Inc., have upped the stakes. After all, why be the head of a street-gang when you can be the head of the most powerful nation on Earth while sporting a fluorescent pink afro?
Before you even get a chance to comprehend the possibilities that being the guy with access to the big red button could bring, Earth is enslaved by an alien empire led by the evil and charmingly camp Zinjak, a warlord with a fondness for brutal murder and Shakespeare. With all the captives now living trapped inside a computer simulation of the city of Steelport, it is up to the Boss and his crew to find a way to break free and rescue the human race.
At first glance, things don’t seem too different from the shenanigans of Saints Row: The Third. There are cars to jack, bad guys to shoot and squishy pedestrians to make your bitches.
However, all of that changes when you find your first glitch in the system. By hacking the electronic universe around you, the player eventually builds up a diverse array of powers that range from super speed to explosive fireballs, all of which can be ranked up by collecting data clusters scattered around the city. As soon as you are let loose to smash, freeze, stomp and burn everything in sight, it becomes immediately clear that this is no longer just a goofier, coarser imitation of Rockstar North’s Grand Theft Auto series, or even a traditional sandbox game.
The freedom, the intensity, and the mania, all band together in one resounding realisation – Saints Row IV is one of the best superhero games ever created.
By brushing off the label of ‘GTA-clone’ and taking further steps to embrace true mayhem, it has formed its own special niche in which it alone is king. Unfortunately, in amongst all the laughs, blasts, and tentacle-bats there are more than a few niggling annoyances that can at times yank you firmly out of the fun.
Whilst many of the story and character missions contain some remarkably hilarious scenarios, to unlock some of the more insane weapons like the vortex gun, a rifle which shoots black holes, you must also complete side-missions such as hacking shops, stealing vehicles and racing around the city.
Despite being fun at first, repetition and lack of challenge soon becomes tiresome. To be given so much control over making your own fun, only to slow you down to a gruelling pace, undermines the very freedom the game works so hard to create.
Of course, once you are handed back the reins, thrown over a dubstep gun and get sent on your way you can’t help but forgive it for its weaknesses. As a delightfully riotous love letter to gaming tropes laced with a wicked dose of pandemonium, Saints Row has grown up in the most immature way possible – and it is all the better for it.
4/5 Stars
Rob Harris, Screen Editor
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