Developer: Volition, Inc.
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC
Genre: Action/Adventure, Third-Person
Rating: 18+
It was always going to be difficult for the Saints Row series to go up against the juggernaut of Grand Theft Auto, as the sprawling sand-box criminal gameplay was initially too similar. Over the course of the franchise it stretched further and further away from "reality", culminating in Saints Row IV, one of the most out-there games ever made.
Having saved the world from nuclear disaster, you are promptly made president, but it's not long before aliens invade, kidnap the best and brightest of the planet, destroy the rest, and drop you in a Matrix-like virtual reality until they decide how best to use you. However, with help of an escaped hacker, you manage to turn this "game-within-a-game" on itself, breaking the codes to give yourself some super powers to defeat the evil aliens from within.
So... it's less like Grand Theft Auto, and a little more like InFamous and Prototype, as you run at crazy high speeds, jumps over entire buildings and freeze, burn or blast enemies with your hands. By now longer concerning itself with reality, Saints Row goes balls-to-the-wall with it's over the top action sequences and mostly incredibly funny script. It's one of the most purely fun games in a while, existing for no other reason than to blindly entertain, and for the most part it succeeds magnificently.
Every now and then you might get a bit distracted by the somewhat basic visuals which really feel like they belong in a game much older than this, and the controls can be a little sticky when you've got a room full of aliens shooting at your head and you're trying to switch between weapons in a hurry. It's also bordering on a little bit TOO easy.
But then you'll find yourself flying a stolen warship with Haddaway's "What Is Love" song blaring over the speakers, and the drawbacks fade into the background.
Rent Or Buy: Buy
Presentation: 3 out of 5
Gameplay: 4 out of 5
Replay: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
