Saints Row IV: Re-Elected

forces Epic Online Services so you can cross play with 0.001% of players on Tim Sweeney's failed child

WARNING: After the most recent update, this game that I bought ON STEAM years ago, PAUSES my game during a single player campaign to ask me to link my Epic account. The embedded Epic update is FORCE PAUSING me in the middle of a SINGLE PLAYER game to make me link my accounts... I didn't even buy this from Epic. This is why Steam will always be better than Epic launcher.

played for five minutes got asked to link Epic games account 12 times i didnt even buy it on epic games so i dont want to link the account ffs thinking about getting a refund and just play the dayum thing on my xbox

Unplayable with epic game account popup every 30 seconds. ♥♥♥♥ epic games

Many people say that the series died with 2/3 but I think this is over hated. Mindless dumb funny games are so hard to come across now

Saints Row IV should have been a DLC for the third game rather than a standalone sequel. While I have a nostalgic soft spot for the soundtrack and the dubstep guns that I absolutely loved as a kid, the rest of the experience falls flat. The introduction of superhero powers completely ruins the game's balance, making vehicles and customization pointless, while the recycled map feels lazy and uninspired. It’s a repetitive, identity-clashing mess that lacks the charm of the earlier entries, proving that a great playlist can't save a game that should have stayed an expansion.

Epic game keeps popping up I'm not allowing access to that ♥♥♥♥ plus doing speed race trying to atleast get silver and it ♥♥♥♥♥ up and forces me to be stuck in the wall for a good solid 5 seconds or more changed it to controller and still happens ♥♥♥♥ you EPIC GAMES

[i]⚠️ Note: This review covers the original 2013 version of Saints Row IV, not the Re Elected edition.[/i] [h1]📋 Overview[/h1] Your first impression of Saints Row 4 will depend on whether you hated the shift away from gritty gang roots or if you were already down for the wacky stuff. If you thought Saints Row 3 was already too much because it moved away from serious elements into high octane action, then Saints Row 4 is going to be the definitive breaking point. This game takes that over the top direction to the limit and then some. It is literally everything dialed to the extreme, so it will only click if you are fully on board with that chaotic energy. [h1]👽 Story[/h1] The premise is a massive love letter to The Matrix, but with more superpowers and dildos. You start as the leader of The Third Street Saints, become the President, and then an alien overlord named Zinyak invades, blows up Earth, and traps everyone in a hellish simulation. The goal is classic Neo style rebellion: destabilize the simulation, rescue your crew, and take down Zinyak. It is a wild setup that plays with reality in a surreal way, much like those twisted digital replicas from Black Mirror. Because it takes place in virtual constructs, the story is a revolving door for characters from the entire series. Your core crew returns, and the simulation allows for the return of familiar faces who died, brought back as digital copies. This includes characters like Josh Burke; he dies when Earth is destroyed but pops up as a virtual recreation. It is a fun trip for long time fans, but it highlights who got left behind. It is a shame standout characters like Oleg and Viola are absent, which feels like a missed opportunity given the simulation setting. Your core team is a colorful mix. Kinzie Kensington is the conspiracy obsessed hacker. Shaundi provides hardened grit, evolving from a slacker into a no nonsense operative. Pierce Washington is the charismatic right hand man, and Gat is the legendary enforcer. New allies include Keith David, MI6 agent Asha Odekar, reformed hacker Matt Miller, and former Vice Kings leader Benjamin King. While it is a shame villains like Dex are missing, you still encounter several minor characters. I feel conflicted regarding the narrative. While the over the top events are entertaining, the character development for the core Saints feels weak. There are flashes of genuine substance, such as Shaundi’s reaction to realizing Gat might be alive, or Matt Miller’s obsession with NyteBlayde, but the most compelling growth was relegated to characters outside the inner circle. Seeing Benjamin King grapple with his past trauma by confronting the woman who betrayed him felt like the kind of deep, character driven storytelling I wish applied to the rest of the crew. [h1]🎮 Gameplay[/h1] Since the simulation is massive lines of code, your crew can manipulate data to your advantage. By hacking it, they gift you with reality bending superpowers, letting you treat the world like a playground you have admin access to. You are constantly rewriting engine rules to sprint, leap over buildings, blast enemies with ice or fire, and launch people with telekinesis. The movement system is the highlight, offering fluidity that turns the city into a playground. Combining super sprints with gliding, air dashes, and wall jumping creates a kinetic rhythm that makes vehicles obsolete. Layering these traversal mechanics with elemental powers achieves a true power fantasy. Beyond the narrative missions, the gameplay loop involves navigating Steelport to dismantle Zinyak’s control. You will spend time engaging in side activities like sprint races, destruction challenges, and wave based survival trials called virus injections. While these provide currency to bolster your arsenal, they feel repetitive. Most secondary content serves as hollow filler, forcing you to grind through the same tasks to pad out the game length, making the open world feel like a chore list rather than a sandbox. Regarding progression, experience points act as a gateway; you must reach level milestones to unlock character upgrades using cache. Superpower upgrades require hunting Data Clusters. These are gated by player level, ensuring you cannot rush into god like status. This tiered approach creates a dependency on grinding, forcing engagement with filler content for upgrades. For your first playthrough, I recommend experiencing the game legitimately. However, for subsequent playthroughs, or if you find the grind tedious, I suggest treating it like a New Game Plus experience. Use tools like Cheat Engine to provide enough Data Clusters to instantly upgrade powers, allowing you to bypass busywork and focus on the power fantasy. [h1]🎨 Graphics[/h1] Visually, the game opts for a stylized aesthetic that can appear clay like compared to the gritty realism of Grand Theft Auto. Despite this, the designs are appealing because they possess enough quality to remain immersive while adhering to a consistent, overarching theme that encapsulates the Saints Row vibe. It is a look that prioritizes character over pure fidelity, ensuring the world feels cohesive even when it pushes into the absurd. Heightening settings allows for a superior experience compared to the native Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions. By running at higher resolutions and pushing texture filtering to the max, you achieve sharper surfaces and defined details. Adjusting these parameters clears up visual noise from the older console versions, letting the art style shine with clarity. [h1]⚙️ Performance[/h1] The game runs well, but I encountered persistent crashing throughout my time playing, usually once every two hours. While I could reduce crash frequency by lowering graphics settings and tweaking parameters on an OS level, I decided it was not worth the effort. Since you can save at any point and the game auto saves after missions, these stability hiccups are manageable. The high level carnage you would naturally want to engage in did not affect performance at all. Massive battles against aliens and huge explosions proved to be no issue, keeping the frame rate stable even during the most chaotic moments. [h1]🛠️ Steam Workshop Integration[/h1] While the Steam Workshop provides easy access to community content, do not expect the depth found in titles like Skyrim. Most mods are limited to cosmetic changes, such as new clothing or weapon re textures, and minor gameplay tweaks, like adjusting spawn rates. Because the game was never built with modding in mind, the developers never released a formal creation kit. This absence of professional grade tools walls off deeper modding; you will not find total conversion projects or custom campaigns, as the community lacks the framework to manipulate the core architecture in such complex ways. Nonetheless, there is still plenty of creative content, and it is cool to see what the community can come up with. There is plenty available to customize your character and gameplay to your liking, allowing you to tailor the experience to your preference. [h1]🎁 DLC Content[/h1] Most DLC is just cosmetic fluff, offering costumes and skins that fit the game tone but add nothing to gameplay. Enter the Dominatrix is particularly skippable; it is a meta narrative about a canceled concept that reuses assets and feels hollow. Conversely, How the Saints Saved Christmas is a standout. It follows the Saints as they enter the simulation to save the real Santa from his own evil persona. It shines with custom levels, fresh assets, and top tier voice acting. The character work here is great, specifically the dynamic between Santa and cyber Shaundi. It is a genuinely thoughtful and fun experience that feels like a real treat.

[h1] SAINTS ROW IV [/h1] [h2] ЧТО ПРОИСХОДИТ?? [/h2] Вроде и хорошая часть, но когда посмотришь на эти текстуры, думаешь, что в 2013 году можно было и получше, но всё же имеем, что имеем. Серия, начинавшаяся как клон [b] GTA [/b], прошла путь от уличных банд до спасения галактики, и четвертая часть ощущается иначе. Словно разработчики так показали, что IV часть, эксперимент и шутка, а не серьёзный шаг в развитие. Разбираем, удалось ли [b] Deep Silver [/b] удивить нас или же это провал. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1090550609 [h2] ВПЕЧАТЛЕНИЯ [/h2] [b] Saints Row IV [/b] начинается не с уличной разборки, а с того, что вы в роли президента США. Действия происходят как по мгновению света. Уже через 15 минут вы восседаете в Овальном кабинете, решая, какой закон подписать, пока на Землю не нападает инопланетная империя Зин. Полный абсурд и происходящее дальше, похоже на шутку. После поражения, мы попадаем в симуляцию [b] Стилпорта [/b] — виртуальную тюрьму, созданную по образу и подобию города из третьей части. Это не просто карта, а полигон для суперсил, когда персонаж понимает, что код симуляции можно сломать, игра окончательно слетает с катушек. Первый супер-прыжок, толчок ногой, супербег, а город начинает сжимается до размеров игрушечного макета из-за способностей, но нужно было это серии? Самый спорный аспект игры, Saints Row IV перестает быть "песочницей" в классическом смысле и становится экшеном от третьего лица. Город, транспорт и оружие обесценивается в буквальном смысле. Нет нужны покупать тонну оружия, оно теперь ради эффектных взрывов и кастомизации. Понравился взлом симуляции через мини-игры — это глоток свежего воздуха, который умело пародирует баги и условности видеоигр. [hr][/hr] [h2] СЮЖЕТ [/h2] Сюжетная линия строится вокруг спасения ваших друзей ([b] Пирс, Гат, Кинзи [/b] и других), застрявших в кошмарных персональных симуляциях. Чтобы их вытащить, вам нужно проникнуть в подсознание друзей. Это приводит к гениальным сюжетным миссиям, к примеру: Вы оказываетесь в текстовой RPG 50-х годов, в мире, стилизованном под оригинальную Saints Row, или в метал-гир-солид-подобном стелс-эпизоде и даже в сюрреалистичном кулинарном шоу с ужасной анимацией. Вице-президент [b] Кит Дэвид [/b], а затем и его версия из симуляции, становятся не просто Святым, их диалог с протагонистом о власти, искуплении и сути дружбы — эмоциональный центр игры. [hr][/hr] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1093215250 [h2] КООПЕРАТИВ И ДОПОЛНЕНИЯ [/h2] Это шедевр. Попробуйте с другом пройти или посмотреть начало игры. Я точно могу сказать, что вы останетесь в полном восторге от происходящего. Если соло-прохождение к середине начинает утомлять, то с другом игра расцветает новыми красками. Совместный полет по городу, синхронное использование дабстеп-пушки и телекинеза, соревнование на гонках по воздуху, чистый фан сервис. Есть небольшое дополнение - [b] How the Saints Save Christmas [/b]. Это трогательная рождественская история с машиной времени, рассказанная через фигурки. Геймплейно всего лишь три миссии. Ради сюжета и новогоднего настроения — отлично, как играбельный контент — бедно. [hr][/hr] [h2] ОПТИМИЗАЦИЯ[/h2] [b] (Ryzen 5 5600, RX 5700 XT, 16 GB) - Мои настройки [/b] Игра сделана под 60 FPS. Поэтому в меню (легко снимается в настройках), лучше ставить на это значение. Если выше 120 FPS, то возможны микроподвисания физики и слишком быстрые QTE-секции, которые станет невозможно пройти. Проблем с процессором нет и быть не может, а карта справляется с игрой в "спящем режиме", кулеры могут даже не крутиться активно. Легко получаешь стабильные 100+ FPS в 4K-разрешении с максимальными настройками. [hr][/hr] [h2] СТОИТ В НЕЁ ИГРАТЬ СЕГОДНЯ? [/h2] Однозначно да, но с оговоркой. Вы должны точно знать, за чем идете - это не симулятор бандита (как SR2) и не криминальная песочница с элементами безумия (как SR3). Это экшен-комедия про супергероя в симуляции с глупым и смешным юмором. Если вы примете эти правила игры, то получите одну из самых веселых и запоминающихся игр в своей жизни. Если вы ждали реализма, то точно не в эту игру, а так в целом как эксперимент, рекомендую. [hr][/hr] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1093216096 [h2] ИТОГ [/h2] [b] Saints Row IV [/b] — похож на супергеройский экшен, про искреннею дружбу и абсолютный хаос. Игра жертвует "уличной" душой серии и автомобилями ради чистой, нефильтрованной власти над городом. Сюжет неожиданно трогателен, юмор безупречен, а кооператив с другом удваивает веселье. Не играли, пробуйте, она часта по скидке. [hr][/hr]

[h1][b] TLDR: Superpowers make traversal an absolute blast, but clunky combat, a sea of bugs, and wild inconsistency ensure every high point comes bundled with an equally frustrating low. [/b] [/h1] [h1]PROS: [/h1] ➕Humor and pop culture references ➕superpowers are fun ➕Main missions offer some creative alternative gameplay elements, i.e side-scrolling beat’em ups [h1]CONS: [/h1] ➖Less character creation options than SR3 ➖Animations are clunky, especially with all the agility that super powers give you ➖So many bugs ➖Story is just mid, and oftentimes nonsensical My reviews for past Saints games: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/9480?snr=1_5_9__402]Saint’s Row 2 (SR2)[/url] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/978300?snr=1_5_9__402]Saint’s Row 3 Remastered (SR3)[/url] [h1] [b] Content (Game world/Narrative) – [5/10] [/b] [/h1] The game world takes place between a simulated world of Steelport and the real world of alien ships, but really, most of the better open world gameplay occurs in the simulated world. The map is fairly large and full of things to do. The narrative, like previous SR games, is wacky, crude, crazy, and often full of plot holes. It’s definitely something you shouldn’t take seriously. I mean literally the first 10 minutes of the game has you saving the country from a nuclear missile while Aerosmith is playing, then planet Earth is invaded by aliens and blown up. Literally the opening part of the game! From a complete story viewpoint, I found the narrative mediocre. Like many parts of the game, it has excellent parts, and terrible parts. [h1][b] Gameplay (Mechanics/Difficulty) – [5/10] [/b] [/h1] The gameplay loop doesn’t change a whole lot from SR3 - you pretty much do missions, get money, spend money on abilities or gun. Here though, superpowers adds a very nice touch. The super sprint and jump means that you’ll never want to ride a car. Add in the glide and traversal is a blast. Speaking of, there’s a blast element that can level entire intersections, telekinesis to hurl objects, and other somewhat pointless powers. While the powers are all great and fun, the game implements them in a very frustrating way. I found maneuvering in combat to be a clunky chore. So while the powers got the focus, the combat is still stuck in SR3 land. The difficulty is inconsistent. On stronger enemies that aren’t vaporized by my blast power, the combat shows its age. You often have to run around killing civilians to replenish health, or cases like the final boss, cower behind objects and wait for ~20 seconds for your health to recharge. I only died a couple of times, so the difficulty generally forgiving, but the clunkiness makes the game a harder experience that it should be. [h1] [b] Graphics (Quality/Technical) – [3/10] [/b] [/h1] Generally, kind of terrible. The graphics at times looks like how the combat is - a clunky blocky mess. This is PS3-era graphics at their worst. Technical side, it ran at a consistent 60FPS, but there is something wrong with the engine as I was getting stutters despite my FPS not changing. The thing with these types of games that emulate a type of computer simulation, is that it's hard to tell what are actually bugs or just cute little things meant to look like bugs. I can say that many achievements not popping up for completing missions are definitely bugs. In the game though, there are many things I’d classify as bugs, things like cutscenes being “Stuck” for longer than they should be, clunky animations, enemies dropping through floors or into walls, ect. Nothing game breaking, but this isn’t a smooth experience, and as the game goes on, the bugs become more and more apparent. 1440p @ 240hz | installed on SSD [h1] [b] Audio – [7/10] [/b] [/h1] Music is good - the radio stations have a decent variety of songs, with Arrowsmith replacing Kanye as the headliner. Voice acting is great. I never get tired of hearing Laura Bailey say “Freckle b***hes”. [h1] [b] Replay Factor (Longevity) – [5/10] [/b] [/h1] There’s a good amount of content in the base game. I think when I finished the game, my completion % was around 55, so I still had things to do like taking over districts, missions, and two entire DLCs to play. Also, there are a lot of achievements, but most of them require grinding through the optional content. There’s also co-op, but I didn’t test that. But the missions themselves are linear, so aside from a lot of optional content, there’s not a lot of reason to replay. [h1] [b] Final Verdict – [5/10] [/b] [/h1] Saints Row IV (SR4) continues the tradition of previous SR games by offering an over-the-top, wacky, crude, and occasionally hilarious alternative to open world third person crime games like Grand Theft Auto. I noticed while playing through SR4 that the game was incredibly inconsistent. This is a game of high highs and low lows, meaning it has some of the best and worst moments I’ve had in the SR series. The problem with the best and worst parts for me is like comparing two sides of a coin - often the best parts came coupled with terrible issues. Take for example the super powers. Great fun, great traversal, and really shakes up the SR formula. However, combat is so clunky that super speed and movement are major issues that become a constant battle against the movement as much as the enemies. Another is the story missions, some are incredibly cool and fun, then immediately the next part of the mission makes me want to drop the game. The game is full of these types of inconsistencies that damper the experience. Add in a plethora of bugs and this is a very hard to recommend game. Despite all of those issues, I did manage to finish it and I did have fun. I think perhaps when this game released it may have been a better experience, but time was not kind to SR4. Overall, I do recommend this, but barely. For every positive, there’s a negative aspect that lands me right in the middle of a mediocre experience. [h1] [b] Recommend? (Price) [Y/N] [/b] [/h1] [h1]Yes[/h1] $20 base price for this? No. Get it on sale. You can find my curator page here: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Synik_GR