Saints Row IV

PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Developed by: Volition Inc./High Voltage Software

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There aren’t many games where players are tasked with inflicting as much damage as possible on a city with a weapon known only as a ‘Dubstep Gun.’ Then again, there aren’t many franchises where an integral part of setting up your character involves selecting flipping the bird or gratuitous pelvic thrusts as a way to taunt your enemies. Welcome to the world of Saints Row.

Initially criticized for its similarity to the Grand Theft Auto series, Volition’s sprawling open-world franchise is now better-known for its fondness for farce, parody and self-referential humor – a reputation that has only been compounded by increasingly successful installments over the years. At the beginning of Saints Row IV, players find themselves not only as the leader of the titular former street gang, but also installed as the president of the United States as well (in typical Saints style, the White House now boasts a stripper pole). Unfortunately, aliens invade the planet just as you’re about to address the nation, capturing the Saints and trapping them in a virtual recreation of the city of Steelport, from Saints Row: The Third.

This means that the setting for Saints IV is, for series regulars at least, innately familiar. But, because this is Saints Row, there’s a twist. In a hefty tip of the hat to The Matrix and half a dozen other cultural icons, players find themselves able to manipulate the simulation to their own ends. In other words, you have superpowers now. Super-speed, super-strength, super-agility, telekinesis, the ability to shoot fireballs… you get the idea. It’s the kind of addition that’s so far out of left field, it could only really work in a Saints Row game. All the mayhem and bling-riddled carnage you’d expect gets a shot in the arm in what is essentially Saints Row: Supersized. Go ahead, fling your way from building to building. Shoot down UFOs with your freeze ray. Hurl cars at alien soldiers with your mind. And, as the in-game characters repeatedly point out, everything is virtual, so nobody really gets hurt. A subtle jibe at those who demonize videogames as the root of all social ills, perhaps? Probably not, but it does remove the need for any sense of plausibility to be tacked on to the increasingly ridiculous narrative.

In fact, it’s the same joy that springs from such wanton destruction that actually hamstrings Saints Row IV a little. When you’re so powerful, there’s no real need to rely on such humdrum activities as gunfights or street races (apart from during specific segments of the story, when the game demands you cope without your abilities). And those really were the bread and butter of previous Saints titles. The outlandish storyline is actually a little on the dull side – unashamed homage it may be, but there’s a fine line between poking fun and being derivative – and the title feels more like an overall experience you’d like to keep revisiting, rather than a standalone bout of impressive storytelling.

But it’s much easier to forgive a game when it’s as entertaining as this. Saints Row IV is gloriously self-aware, not only of its place within the videogame industry, but in the wider context of popular culture. For example, there’s an option to simply select Nolan North as your customizable character, allowing you to essentially play the game as the industry’s leading voice actor. And when you’re clambering to the top of a nuclear missile in a desperate bid to save the planet from annihilation, you’ll hear strains of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” playing in the background. Why? Because, like Saints Row IV’s entire ethos, if it’s funny, it’s probably worth doing.

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