Saints Row IV
Unlike the first three games in the franchise, Saints Row 4 does not center around the main character defeating three rival gangs in order to take over a city. The Saints have now become a household name, and their leader has become the president of the Unites States. The antagonists in Saints Row 4 are an invading alien race known as the Zin. Most of the game takes place within a computer simulation of the city of Steelport controlled by the Zin, where the protagonist is attempting to free himself and his companions.
What it feels like
Relentless high-energy fun, wacky superpowers, absurd weapon variety, and gleeful destruction define the emotional register. The game punctures seriousness with parody, dark humor, and gleeful disrespect for genre and taboo. A mischievous invitation to mess around, experiment with superpowers, and cause chaos without consequence.
What it's about
An alien invasion and simulation-within-simulation premise grounds the entire narrative and setting. Fighting an alien race (the Zin) with interstellar scale, though the focus is more intimate and comedic than epic.
How it plays
Shooting with a variety of firearms and ranged weapons is core to moment-to-moment combat. Telekinetic and teleport superpowers are core traversal and combat tools granted to the player. Melee combat with flashy execution and superpowers creates stylish action gameplay.
How it looks and sounds
The camera follows the player character over the shoulder in third-person perspective throughout gameplay.
How it's structured
A large continuous explorable city (Steelport) is the core environment where the player completes missions and activities in non-linear order. The player sets their own goals within the open world—complete story missions, activities, side quests, and engage in freeform destruction at their own pace. Single-player campaign is a primary mode, though co-op is also available.
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