Saints Row IV came out last week, and as you may imagine, it’s about as weird as weird gets. Our review is forthcoming but for now, let’s form a First Opinion.
As a gangster-turned-President-turned-Neo-in-the-Matrix, you attempt to wreck a computer simulation created by an alien overlord, mostly by just creating mayhem and doing the kinds of things that players would probably do without instruction in a world like this: destroy things, kill people, and basically take over the town. I really got a kick out of the movement powers – super speed and super jump, with a super glide thrown in for fun – but they make cars and other vehicles really useless.
Personally I really didn’t like the introductory sequence as President because it came off as almost a dead ringer for the start of Duke Nukem Forever, which is never a good thing. Fortunately once you’re loose in the city it’s back to Saints Row mayhem as we know it.
I do have a problem with the game’s engine, though. You get distortions and other artifacts as reminders that you are in a computer simulation, but they’re really disorienting and they make me feel like my video card is dying. Also, sometimes NPC models get bent and broken and I’m really not sure if they’re intended to be that way or not.
In any case, our review is still forthcoming, so look forward to that.
