WeView Verdict: Saints Row IV

Saints Row IV wasn’t as popular as GTA V. With only nine responses, there wasn’t quite the same buzz surrounding this past week’s WeView. That doesn’t mean it was bad – it’s certainly a different beast – and all of the responses were very positive.

You all praised the super powers, the ridiculous gameplay and the heavy dose of smart humour which permeated the nonsense. It’s a great parody then, and here’s what you said…

“What’s not to love about it?” started yd, praising all of the aforementioned features and the fact that you didn’t have to drive around in cars “with terrible handling”. On top of that, one of the trophies in the Christmas-themed DLC “is the most fun you can have pressing a single button for 10 minutes”. That’s a solid recommendation!

The game was “derided for being a glorified expansion pack” according to parryman but that might just be missing the point – it was a riot, and took things to a new level. He might have said to bargain bin it, but he’s glad it was a full game rather than DLC. It was also “one of the most ridiculous games” JR. had ever played.

Starman makes a good point: “I do wonder what direction they’ll take with the next one after going all out with the super powers & story” but he found this instalment in the franchise quite enjoyable, with “a good amount of humour” despite the problems he encountered with game crashes.

Moshbag understands the criticisms to do with the game being considered an expansion pack and not a brand new title, but according to him Saints Row The Third was a “masterpiece” already, so everything added on top of that made it even more fun, including some very entertaining set pieces. It was also an “unbeatable” co-operative experience.

“Outrageous fun” stated MadBoJangles, while psychobudgie said that it’s an “Absolutely fantastic game. It is everything that Prototype should have been, namely fun.” Meanwhile, element666 thoroughly enjoyed it despite some poor side missions and occasional glitches.

TheLoneSteven left a very long comment in his glorious return to WeView, after being missing for a fair few weeks. I think he got lost down the back of the sofa.

Everything has been cranked to 11. The over-the-top-ness, is on steroids which already was on steroids. The humour is much better then Saints Row The Third and it’s much longer then the prior game. You have superpowers so cars are pretty much useless but once you unlocked unlimited sprint, it is very fun running from one end of the map to the other and watching the trail of destruction behind you.

His main point is that it’s not a huge change, and if you’re looking for a rich story then you won’t like it, but you’ll love it if you’re after a light-hearted parody.

So, a few great response to Saints Row IV, and now we get to the ratings. There were seven Buy It verdicts and two votes for Bargain Bin It, which makes for a very successful WeView. So, what are you waiting for?

As ever, there’s a poll below to allow voting for the next WeView game after Diablo III, which you voted as your choice for this week. Along with Diablo, we’ve removed Grid 2 from the poll due to low votes and instead added Total War: Rome II and Metro: Last Light, as well as the returning Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Rayman Legends.

8 Comments

  1. I wouldn’t mind chipping in with a thought or two as I’ve played it (for the first time) this weekend just gone. Teflon and I have been enjoying the Free Weekend with it on Steam.

    It took a while to get going and felt way, way too similar. Then, the powers kicked in and a lot of fun was had. Also, it’s interesting to see how vehicles are close-to redundant once you can leap tall buildings and run up walls. The world is a playground more than ever. The humour is sharp. The only thing that bothers me is that it’s still all too familiar and I’m going over common ground that is painfully recognisable from Saints Row III. However, it’s a 7 out of 10 from me. Definitely one to pick up when the price is right and also with a friend as co-op adds hugely to it.

    Interestingly, it’s jarring how far GTA V’s world has come on with regards to immersion, believability, looks, etc. I know Saints Row IV isn’t out for this particular technology crown but it looks very dated in comparison.

    • My thoughts are similar to yours. I was a big fan of 3, and I too played IV on the free weekend. All the fun is still there! It does feel like a facelift, and not a new game. I too will be getting it when the price is right.

      One thing I don’t completely agree on is the comparison with GTA5. Yes the environment on GTA5 is superb, but the character models are down right 2008. The char models in SRIII and IV are FAR better!

      • The arse on my Saints Row IV character is a thing to behold. She’s stunning! You’re right. GTA needs to improve. ;-)

      • Screen shots please!

      • Ooo… noted. Ah… the free weekend has finished. I’ll see what I “grabbed”, ahem. If not, definitely in the forum when I buy the game in a sale.

        You’d be proud of me. ;-)

    • Abduction beam straight into ground pounding. Glorious.

  2. Metro:LL would probably be better after they have (perhaps) given it away with PS+ shortly.

  3. I was slightly disappointed with sr4; excluding the incredibly hilarious and inventive guns, for several reasons. Noatably, was the concept of the game itself. I was incredibly exited to be president, however my white house dreams were shattered when, you know, the world… I won’t spoil the game for those who haven’t played, but my presidential run didn’t last long, let’s keep it at that. I also think the superpowers were a bit of an overkill, as it meant there was less use for cars in the game, and whene ever you did try to highjack a car, your powers would sort of smash the car…

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