Saints Row IV is finally here, providing us the opportunity to return to Steelport. The city isn’t quite the same this time around, as Emperor Zinyak and his friends have set up camp, taking over checkpoints and ruling the streets with an iron fist. Fortunately for you, you’re a Saint, meaning you can clean up the town and show those aliens who’s boss.
When it comes to getting around the city, you have a wide assortment of options available, and each one serves a useful purpose. Let’s take a look at the various modes of transportation you have available in the game…
Hot Footin’
When it comes to getting around the city quick, you can always rely on your Man of Steel-like super speed. You’ll get this about an hour into the game, once you start to understand the virtual happenings in Steelport. With this activated, you can make your way through parts of the city with ease, even turning on a dime without having to worry about running head first into a building.
With super speed, you’ll have to understand that it takes a little time to recharge. When you first activate it, you’ll see an energy meter that begins slowly running out. Once it gets down to zero, you won’t be able to activate your super speed again until it fills back up to at least a moderate level.
Super speed may not be as fancy as riding around in a vehicle, but it’s highly effective when you want to get to checkpoints quickly – especially close ones. What’s even better, once it’s activated, literally nothing will stand in your way in the streets. You can ram into cars, enemies and other people and they go flying as you run by. You don’t even get to see them crash-land, you’re going so fast.
In a Single Bound
Along with running wild throughout the city, your super powers also grant you the ability to jump high. It works very easily – you can tap the button for a quick jump, or hold it down for a couple of seconds to execute a super high jump. This will clear you over about a story-and-a-half to two-story-tall buildings with ease, while others will require you to put in a little more effort to get to the top.
Jumping can be combined with super speed, so you can sprint at a top pace and then fly through the air, just like the Incredible Hulk, only to land after jumping over the house or building that was in your way, about a hundred feet or so further out.
When it comes to getting up the side of buildings, jumping is a very useful ability. Simply tap the jump button as you’re going along the wall, and you’ll skip upward until you reach the top. During a race, this may not always be the greatest tactic, so try to master your high jump first.
Sports Cars and Other Small Rides
If you still prefer driving around to sprinting everywhere, not to worry. Stealing cars remains a highlight in the Saints Row universe, whether you simply walk alongside one and hop in or run straight at one and jump through the windshield. Smaller vehicles aren’t really that powerful, especially motorcycles – one wreck and you’re pretty much flying. However, they are faster than the bigger vehicles in the game, and some sports cars are ideal when it comes to flipping cars that are in your way. Simply drive toward certain ones at a high speed, and you’ll shove them aside as you fly by.
Even if you don’t always go for the sporty models, smaller cars and trucks are still useful for travel – and you get to fiddle with the many radio stations, grooving down the road to everything from rap to classical music. Nothing beats freedom of choice!
Keep On Truckin’
Though bigger vehicles like the ambulance, airport shuttle and garbage truck move way slower than the other cars in Saints Row IV, you’ll have a lot more fun with them. That’s because they can take a lot more damage, and they’re helpful when it comes to destroying fellow vehicles and bashing through police checkpoints. The key here is to keep a smaller car in front of you for several seconds. Eventually, it’ll start smoldering, or it’ll flip over. Either way, it comes to an explosive conclusion – which is fun to watch.
Also, be sure to take the time to hunt down a monster truck. This thing is awesome, rolling over traffic with ease and performing the kind of jumps that you normally see reserved for truck rallies. Get a friend to join you with one in co-op and you can start a rally of your very own. “Buy your seats now, though you’ll only need the EDGE!”
From the Future!
Finally, you’ll have access to various aerial vehicles throughout the game, ranging from a space cruiser that you’ll use to escape Zinyak’s ship – to the tune of Haddaway’s “What Is Love,” no less – to a UFO that can deal out massive alien destruction. The aerial action happens later in the game, but it’s well worth waiting for.
Let’s not forget the mech either. It’s a well-equipped machine, a bit slow, but definitely powerful when it comes to cleaning up the streets. Stock up and do some damage!
Enjoy Your Stay
When it comes to vehicles and getting around, your best bet is to experiment with everything that’s available to you. Sometimes you won’t have a choice, being stuck with an airport shuttle in the middle of nowhere, but there’s always a way to create havoc and have a good time in Steelport. Don’t miss the ride.
Saints Row IV is available now for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3.
Published: Aug 21, 2013 06:58 pm