Game Name: Saints Row IV
Developer: Volition
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platform: Windows, SteamOS, Linux, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, XBOX One, XBOX 360
Price: 19.99$ (XBOX One)
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Introduction
Hey Peeps!!! Welcome to another review and this time it is for Saints Row IV on XBOX One. I have to admit that I have not played this series since the first version on my XBOX 360. I saw this game for free with the Games for Gold on XBOX and I figured why not. I had heard good things about it and wanted to give it a try. So let's get into what this game is and if it is worth the 20$ price tag.
Storyline
So the last time that I played this game it was a GTA kind of game. In fact, people would say it was a cheap ripoff. It is an open world game with over the top side missions. Well, the series has kept that original big world feeling. This time however, instead of focusing on gangs, it is focused on aliens as well. The best way that I can describe it is The Matrix meets GTA. I will explain a little later on what I mean by that.
So the storyline is that you are the President of the United States and aliens have invaded and destroyed Earth. You, with the help of your allies, will fight to bring the people who destroyed Earth to justice. That is the basic premise. This alien race has a simulation that has you play a big part in. Within this world, you are granted some special powers and heightened abilities. These powers and abilities will enable you to destabilize the alien's simulation, and have revenge on them blowing up the Earth.
Gameplay
So this game is very similar to any recent open world games. You have main missions and side quests. The more that you get these completed the more XP (Game Currency) you can collect. This will enable you to purchase upgrades to weapons and abilities.
When you first start the game you have the ability to customize your player to your liking. You can make him fat or super muscular. You can customize the hair, face, and the clothes that he will wear. Once that you have done this you are ready to play the game.
You start off with a cutscene with you and your military friends chasing bad guys and arguing in a plane. Obviously, the day is saved and you are the hero. From here, we jump to you being the president of the United States of America. You are walking in the White House and a few short moments later aliens invade. You start with running around with a few basic missions to get you used to the controls. See below for introduction videos.
Sample Gameplay and Customization
All of the buttons on the controller are utilized and are pretty smooth. Takes a little getting used to, but nothing out of the ordinary. At the beginning, you steal cars in order to go faster between mission points. The next upgrade you obtain is the ability to run faster than cars. So at some point you will not even need cars to get around faster.
Then there is the jumping. You get a super jump ability, similar to the Hulk in the movies. It is pretty cool.
The weapons range from semi-automatic guns to alien pistols . You can purchase ammo for these guns at selected stores or pick them up when killing enemies on your missions. You can also pick up health bonuses as well. You can replenish your health normally, but when in a gunfight it may not be fast enough, so you will need these health power ups.
In order to upgrade special abilities you need to pick up data points, similar to Assassin's Creed. The more that you pick up, the more you can upgrade to these special abilities.
I played on easy so that I can see what the game was about. So I am not sure about the difficulty on other levels. I can say that Easy is not too difficult. You can get by quite easily, and I did not die that often. So I think it is the perfect setting for someone who has not played since the first Saints Row or is just getting into the series.
I think what does it for me with this game is the comedy. The humour is so over the top and does not take itself too serious. The dialogue and the characters is what makes this game fun. I want to play it only to see what else that they will say. So in that, they have kept the spirit of the series alive and I like this. Not too many games do this nowadays as they are billed as serious shooters of the sort.
Sample Gameplay
Bottomline
I would recommend this game to anyone who likes open world games. It has enough material to keep you entertained for a while. The side quests are interesting and not too hard. The main quests are just fun.
The humour and writing are fun and keeps the player engaged throughout. Not too many times did the characters repeat a line unless I forced it upon them.
Unfortunately, this game will always be compared to GTA and it has tried with this one to do something a little different. I am not sure that it is enough but for fans of the genre, they will get their money's worth. So if you like The Matrix inspired storyline and the humour and gameplay of GTA, then this game is for you. You will have lots of fun and I have played about 40% of the game so far and I have not gotten bored of it yet.
Rating: 8 alien invasions out of 10
What do you think? let me know at my coordinates below.
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