Saints Row IV Review. Be the Gangster President

Saints Row IV is a travesty about alien invasions and gangs that run the government. It’s also a ridiculously fun and smart installment of the franchise.

Graphics: 4.0

Compared to games such as Assassin’s Creed 3, inFamous 2 or Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row IV still lags behind regarding graphics. It has washed out textures, dated effects and red-heavy lighting that has been overplayed. With next-gen games on the scene, the issues don’t seem to get amplified. While graphics may not be everything, and you may prefer gameplay to appearance, the visuals still don’t live up to modern standards.

Gameplay: 4.5

Saints Row IV actually gets it right in the very first requirement of a sandbox video game: movement. Open world activities such as those in the Saints series require the sort of navigation that would enable them to thrive. This is because the consistent back and forth across the territory can get old really fast. Regardless, doesn’t it feel good to be a gangster President?

While playing, you can easily lose yourself for extended periods as you jump your way across the city. Gliding and leaping around as you collect the blue balls from rooftops to level up your powers never gets old. It’s usually more exciting compared to taking on defined side-missions spread throughout the city. This may be because the developers get right the raw sensation of fun.

The game borrows lots of ideas from previous games in the series, but it is also quite inventive especially in the content of the story missions which have an entertaining concept.

Controls: 4.0

Regarding the simple controls, the game has a few glitches here and there. For instance, it’s difficult to control precisely how far and high you jump. While this is not that significant, it still matters. Regardless, a few controls make use of powers such as the super-jump platforming and super-speed. These are among the few instances where accurately using your powers matters in a context that’s interesting.

Replay Value: 4.0

Saints Row IV is approximately eight hours of fun. However, it doesn’t score higher on replay value since it does not have much to offer as opposed to GTA V where you can have anything you can ever want. With Saints Row, the gameplay loses steam once you’re done maxing out your character. Furthermore, too many explosions and enemies make it challenging for you to enjoy it.  

Conclusion

Since Saint Row IV triggers more fun than hate, you can turn a blind eye to the different technical faults. No other game works as much to deliver shameless parodies, stupid gags or wince-inducing mayhem. While it may not be the Scary Movie of video games, at least it is comical 99 percent of the playtime. Some components may be less appealing, but this is the first in the series that’s as entertaining.