Culture

Rating: 5.5/10

Only a year ago, the Saints Row series had a different publisher: THQ. That particular sinking ship succumbed in early 2012, however, and now rests silently on the ocean floor of failed video game companies. In this case, the metaphorical women and children that got the first spots in the lifeboats were the few successful IPs THQ had left.

Saints Row was the only thing keeping THQ afloat. So now that the series is in the hands of another company, what does its future look like? Well, if Saints Row 4 is any indication, pretty bleak. As THQ began to fail, these games were pushed out the door as soon as they looked even vaguely complete. I hoped that under a more stable publisher’s watchful eye this would stop being the case, but unfortunately Saints Row 4 may be the most unpolished game in the series.

The Saints Row series are open world action adventure games that follow the rise of a small-time street gang from thugs to pop culture icons. Now, with Saints Row 4, you get to take on the role of the President of the United States. The series has always been known for its ridiculous tone, and don’t get me wrong – I love ridiculousness. But Saints Row’s cultural satire is clearly targeted at stupid people. It takes the gameplay and beautifully crafted satire of the GTA series and removes all traces of subtlety. This is not to say that more discerning players cannot enjoy its various nuances; I just hate being treated like I’m stupid.

Saints Row 4 was intended as a DLC to Saints Row: The Third, and it shows. Almost every aspect of the game, including the map, the gameplay, the challenges, and most of the weapons and vehicles, are taken directly from Saints Row: The Third.

In a somewhat predictable turn, Earth is invaded by aliens, and you and all the other Saints are thrown into a virtual reality version of Steelport. It is a poorly conceived, written and executed concept, and its only real purpose is to justify the introduction of new superpowers. Before you get excited by the mention of superpowers, however, these powers – such as super fast sprinting and super high jumping – are evenly matched to the point where nothing is challenging and nothing is fun.

The game is essentially Saints Row: The Third with a new concept plopped sloppily on top of it. This does mean, though, that many of the elements that made Saints Row 3 fun remain intact. The driving is still an exhilarating experience, and the soundtrack still offers a distinct “badassery” to the game, especially as it is now possible to listen to the radio stations at all times instead of just in a car.

Every aspect of the game, from the terrible, glitchy and unbalanced gameplay to the stale and uninspired challenges and mediocre graphics, screams overwhelming negligence. It is entirely unacceptable to release a game of this quality into the market, and to put a $110 price sticker on recycled and shoddy content is near criminal.

I was hoping that a publisher not fighting for its life might give this series the time and care that it once deserved. Now, however, I wish Saints Row had gone down with the ship.