Saints Row IV First Look (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

THQ has crafted a bizarre but undeniably entertaining legacy with its Saints Row games, most notably with the release of The Third back in late 2011, a game that went over the top in a number of ways, whether it was beating someone to death with a sex toy or launching foolish citizens out of cannons.  Following the publisher’s demise, we were sort of wondering what was next, but Deep Silver assured us that the madness would continue with a fourth chapter of the series, which it announced just days before the game’s first public reveal at the Penny Arcade Expo East event in Boston.

Saints Row IV is a continuation of the madness of the first game, though, this time around, you’re not just taking on rival gangs and the cops, but also an alien race known as the Zin, who have invaded your planet under the leadership of the nasty Dominatrix.  You might have heard of him before when the developer of the franchise, Volition, announced Enter the Dominatrix as an add-on game back in 2012, which eventually evolved into this sequel.

The action shifts to a virtual version of Steelport, the city from Saints Row the Third, where you’ve managed to obtain leadership of the country.  And as this nation’s president, you’re not about to go down swinging to a bunch of sissy aliens.  But this time around, you aren’t limited to just guns.  There’s a whole lot more you can do in the world of Saints Row IV.

Now, if you do prefer bringing a gun to a gunfight, there’s an arsenal of great weapons available.  The first – and probably coolest – of weapons available is the Inflate-O-Ray.  Simply shoot this puppy at your target and watch them blow up to balloon-size proportions, buggy eyes and all, before exploding right in front of you.  Gruesome?  Yes, but also quite effective.  If you want something a little hipper, you can also arm the Dubstep Gun, which turns your adversaries, and anyone around them, into fools that dance themselves to death.  It’s really quite something.

This sequel also goes a little deeper, paying homage to the past release Red Faction Armageddon with the inclusion of a full-on mech suit.  You can hop in and do some major damage with this thing, firing rockets and machine guns and stomping around like you own the place – well, duh, you’re the president, you kind of do.

Like the previous effort, Saints Row IV comes packed with missions to complete, including side quests that can earn you cool collectibles and allies.  Unfortunately, the popular Whored Mode won’t be making a return, but Volition will be making up for it with more single player content, as well as full co-op support, so you can run alongside your fellow gang members in cleaning up the streets from the Zin.

But we haven’t gotten to the best part of the game.  No longer will you be regulated to using simple firearms in Saints Row IV.  Nope, with the help of your government development, you’ll be able to obtain superpowers.  Throughout the game, you’ll gain everything from flying abilities (letting you smash targets in mid-air) to ground stomps (perfect for taking out groups of enemies in one shot) to other capabilities that will leave enemies reeling.  It’s similar to getting into a mech suit in Crackdown 2, but obviously you’ll look more stylish.  And have more fun doing it.

In addition, Saints Row IV will also bring back a variety of vehicles within the game.  During the demo we saw, we were able to hop into a monster truck and do some severe damage to the passerby, as well as any aliens foolish enough to get underfoot.  Later sections of the game will reintroduce the flying vehicles from The Third, enabling you to engage in aerial combat and launch a few missiles for good measure.

Customization also plays a tremendous part in Saints Row IV, as you’ll be able to not only change your character’s style, but also the various weapons that you pick up throughout the game.  During one part of the demo, we managed to pick up a Desperado-esque rocket launcher, one that lets you fling it over your shoulder and fire at will.  It’ll be interesting to see what modifications will be introduced for other weapons – including that awesome Dubstep gun.  (Oh, and don’t worry, many of the melee weapons will make the return, including that possible sex toy.  Volition’s still working on confirming all in-game items.)

Though it doesn’t look like the general “do what you like” mantra has changed for the series, Saints Row IV should be a romp for all those who loved The Third.  We’ll have more in-depth strategies leading up to its release on August 20th for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

In Saints we trust!