S&S; Review: Saints Row IV

Title:  Saints Row IV
Format: PS3(reviewed), Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: August 20th, 2013
Publisher:  Deep Silver
Developer: Volition 
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

Saints Row IV is back, with you, the Saints, and Steelport going out with a bang.  Volition has made it clear that this will be the last Saints Row set in this universe, and if so, this was a great send off.
Story and Presentation:
The game's narrative over the span of the four games has gotten more ridiculous with each new release, but the latest really takes the cake.  After playing through the game, it's obvious that Volition doesn't want this game to be compared to GTA V in any way, shape, or form, and they have accomplished just that.  You take control as the president of the United States, then all of a sudden aliens invade.  You're thrown into a simulated Steelport, where you must save your homies and fight your way out.  One of the strong points of the game is the narrative, not because of overdramatic acting, because it's absolutely hysterical.  There were so many laugh out loud moments, I forgot that the world had been taken over by british aliens.  The writing is the best out of the series, and they're so many witty pop culture references.  You'll see and hear callbacks to Harry Potter, Mass Effect, The Matrix, and even Breaking Bad. The visuals on the other hand are a bit of a mixed bag.  Most of the game looks pretty dated, but the explosions are still eye popping.  Since you're playing 80% of the game in the simulation, Steelport is always dark, which makes the environments very bland and dull.  There's also a ton of pop in as well.  The voice acting is well done as always, with actors including, Troy Baker, Nolan North, Laura Bailey, Terry Crews, and more.  It's a pretty all star cast, with some outrageous surprises as well that I won't spoil for you.  The soundtrack is spectacular as well, not because of an emotionally driven score, but because of the choice of songs.  During some of the most hectic missions, you'll hear an old 80's song, which fits in somehow.
Core Gameplay:
The core gameplay hasn't changed much from the last game.  It's still a third person shooter, but the big inclusion of super powers creates a whole new dynamic.  The simulation serves as your virtual playground, as you gain the abilities to glide, sprint at high speeds, jump to ridiculous heights, and a lot more, the game has never been more over the top.  The controls take a bit of time to get used to, but it also does a great job of easing you into the various superpowers, and it quickly became second nature while playing it.  The shooting is still solid, and with it addition of a slew of new weapons, the potential for destruction is always at the tips of your fingers.  Besides the standard slew of pistols and machine guns, weapons like the Dubstep Gun, the Disintegrator, and the Black Hole Gun are a total blast to use.    You can customize most of your weapons with cosmetic changes and damage upgrades.  Once you gain most of your powers, using guns really becomes the last option in your vast array of abilities.  Just like previous games in the series, there are tons of activities and side missions to complete right alongside the main story missions.  You can zip right through the main story if you wish in 8 hours, but you could easily extend your playtime to up to around 30 hours of gameplay.  One big detractor from the game is that it can get pretty buggy at times.  Me and my coop partner experienced numerous lockups, with missions freezing up, and even a random lock up while driving.  These hindrances don't hurt the overall experience for the game,  but it does break up the fun occasionally.
Final Thoughts:
Saints Row IV is a pure joy ride from beginning to end, with tons of homages to past games in the series that bring this four game story arc to a close.  The game isn't meant to be serious in anyway, and often I found it being a pure comedy shooter, and there's nothing wrong with that.
S&S Rating: 8.5/10 @whatsPlay