Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (2015)

I wrote a bit about SRIV:R-E in my review of Saints Row (2022), so to summarize what I've already said: fun game, loads of jank, good music, flat characters, Keith David's great.

Now that I've actually finished it, I'm even more aware of how the reboot might be disappointing to some fans of the franchise. IV has the momentum of the 3 previous games behind it, and it goes all out in a way that only a 4th game in an already absurd series can. You can feel the confidence and passion put into this game. And it's true that the reboot, in trying to welcome in new players, has a little less of that specific flavor. But also, it's a reboot, and I think if Volition had been given the chance to continue the franchise they would've built up that momentum again, and who knows where they would've taken it.

I also said that I assumed there was some reason why IV couldn't get a sequel that was The Saints taking over a whole planet. Well...turns out no. That actually would've worked perfectly. So while I do see the argument for a reboot given how much time had passed, I can also see why people were disappointed they didn't keep going with what they had. And honestly I'm a little disappointed too, I think Saints Row V would've been fascinating if they tried to go that big, though I'm not confident they would have actually been able to pull something off on that scale.

So anyway, that's just wrapping up my thoughts on IV vs. the reboot. I don't know that I have much more to say about IV specifically. I don't like that it's always night time. I don't like that the game constantly takes weapons away and then forgets to put them back. I do like that you can do all the tasks for the busywork missions even before those missions become available. I don't like that the passive income limit is so low. I don't like having to use telekinesis for anything, worst power. I like speed dashing but wish that once you got the wallrunning upgrade you could just run at the wall and not have to jump at it. I like that The Boss says they're going to rip Zinyak's head off and then they do. And I like that a bunch of people got to make a big action game that's also pretty weird.

And that's about all I have to say about that. Unless I think of something else like 5 minutes from now. Oh, wait, the They Live bit was fun. Ok now that's it. For now.