Well, I certainly had misgivings about this game before it came out; it looked rushed, the superpowers looked uncreative, there wasn't an appreciable difference between the graphics in SR3 and this one- it looked like a DLC that had been repackaged into a sixty dollar game. Plus, previews said that it was going to involve aliens and a simulation of Steelport; setting it all in a simulation was just asking for lazy cop-out writing and plot related bullshit. I was prepared for the worst.
Well, it's been two weeks and two characters later, and I'm glad to say I was totally, totally, wrong.
Saints Row 4 is actually BETTER than Saints Row: The Third. It's better structured, more fun to play, less obnoxious... just better. It's the closest we can get to a Prototype or Crackdown 3, a great big bundle of every superhero game made in the past ten years, bolted onto the assets and structures of The Third.
Plus, since this is a simulation, the craziness in The Third actually makes more sense here. Weapons now have custom skins, like turning the heavy pistol into Deckard's gun from Bladerunner, or your assault rifles into the pulse rifle from Aliens or the railgun from Eraser. You don't need to steal cars anymore, but if you want, it's there. You don't need to have homies, but if you want, you can call them (and they get superpowers of their own). The prevailing philosophy seems to be, "Just throw it in there, someone will play with it," and I really appreciate that.
If there's one issue I have it's that it's impossible to fire guns while in the air. While I suppose it cuts down on the jump-n-fire tactics that make Crackdown a cakewalk, it's still annoying. Also this game is really unstable, and crashes frequently, usually behind loading screens. Fortunately, it autosaves often.
Writing is way, way funnier this time around, with judicious use of sci-fi references, parodies of famous movies and games, and just general wittiness. I found myself laughing harder at this game than at any other game before (including Borderlands 2).
I whole heartily recommend this game to anyone who likes Saint's Row, sandbox superhero games, or just good games in general.
Well, it's been two weeks and two characters later, and I'm glad to say I was totally, totally, wrong.
Saints Row 4 is actually BETTER than Saints Row: The Third. It's better structured, more fun to play, less obnoxious... just better. It's the closest we can get to a Prototype or Crackdown 3, a great big bundle of every superhero game made in the past ten years, bolted onto the assets and structures of The Third.
Plus, since this is a simulation, the craziness in The Third actually makes more sense here. Weapons now have custom skins, like turning the heavy pistol into Deckard's gun from Bladerunner, or your assault rifles into the pulse rifle from Aliens or the railgun from Eraser. You don't need to steal cars anymore, but if you want, it's there. You don't need to have homies, but if you want, you can call them (and they get superpowers of their own). The prevailing philosophy seems to be, "Just throw it in there, someone will play with it," and I really appreciate that.
If there's one issue I have it's that it's impossible to fire guns while in the air. While I suppose it cuts down on the jump-n-fire tactics that make Crackdown a cakewalk, it's still annoying. Also this game is really unstable, and crashes frequently, usually behind loading screens. Fortunately, it autosaves often.
Writing is way, way funnier this time around, with judicious use of sci-fi references, parodies of famous movies and games, and just general wittiness. I found myself laughing harder at this game than at any other game before (including Borderlands 2).
I whole heartily recommend this game to anyone who likes Saint's Row, sandbox superhero games, or just good games in general.
