SPOILERS My thoughts on SR4 (almost 7 hours playtime thus far)

Before I get into the meat of this post I want to make sure that everyone is aware of the following:

-I think the game runs well, plays well, controls well, is fun to play, and I don't regret buying it.

Since game developers post here (and I assume read here as well) I just wanted to post this and share my thoughts.

At the time of posting this I have almost 7 hours of playtime in the game. Currently, I only have one complaint with SR4, and I can safely say that it's a complaint I never expected to have considering I loved playing SR2 and SR3. The huge complaint I have with SR4 is that...well...it isn't a Saints Row game. If characters had been changed, story points rewritten, and the name of this game wasn't SR4, I would absolutely love this game and would easily consider it the best game released this year.

The first three games in the franchise all had one core element to them that helped give them a sense of identity: the franchise was a gang warfare series. It was about the Saints taking on rival gangs and fighting for territory while hijinks, drama, and the musings of Pierce ensued.

At almost 7 hours played, SR4 has none of this core "gang" element (and I imagine that won't change further in). The franchise went from "gangs fighting for territory" to "the president of the United States fighting aliens in the Matrix".

W...T...F...?!

The only thing I really expected from SR4 before I played it or read anything about it was to lead the Saints in the final fight against Killbane and his goons (while possibly taking on a new group of gangs that Killbane has put together to fight against the Saints). I wanted closure to the storyline that SR3 started, I wanted to get more familiar with the characters SR3 introduced, and I wanted this game to elaborate on the choice I made at the end of SR3 (won't spoil it, but you know what I mean if you've finished SR3).

SR4 is a fun game, and I do like playing it, I just wish that it wasn't called Saints Row IV, and I find myself still wanting a "real" SR4 to be released.

That said though, I really hope that the game developers seriously consider making a Mature rated superhero game after seeing how well they handled superpowers in SR4. I think that this development team could potentially create the best superhero game ever made. I'm not talking making a DC or Marvel comics licensed game either...I'm talking making a fresh and unique game with a story and characters they created, a big sandbox world, and letting us create characters to explore it with. SR4's biggest strength is that it is one hell of a superhero simulator while its biggest weakness (in my opinion) is that's it's called "Saints Row 4".

I know this was a wall of text to read, and I apologize for that...but I just had to get my thoughts off my chest and see what everyone else was thinking to see if I'm the only one who feels this way.

My hat is off to the SR4 development team for making a fantastic game, but I sincerely hope that the next Saints Row game is an honest to god Saints Row title that looks, feels, and plays out like a Saints Row title.

If the developers decide to take me up on making a superhero game, let me know so I can pre-order the hell out of it.

/peace
 
Then you have comments like Flippy's that "It honestly may be the best saints row game I have ever played."

That one made me chuckle a bit.
 
See, I'm kinda glad they moved away from the street gang roots in three and four. Not because I didn't like it, but because they already did it. Twice. How many times can we retake Stilwater before it's just old news?
Don't get me wrong here. If V released updated versions of one and two, I'd snatch 'em up in a heartbeat. I just don't see the need for them to remake the games over and over, even if the setting changes.

Take GTA. The games are popular because they're fun to play, but they don't offer the longevity I look for. What I mean is, why would I play GTA 3 when Vice City offers the same gameplay in an upgraded box? Why would I play Vice City when I could play San Andreas, and so on? I haven't played GTA 3 in years, just don't see the point. Which is a shame as I genuinely enjoyed it.

Still play plenty of SR2, though. And SR3. If they ever released SR1 on PC, I'd love to play that again, too. Maybe I'm wrong, here, but that's just the way I see it.
 
AM I the only person that felt that a Saints Row is really about the Boss and her hommies getting power and climbing the ladder? Because Sr4 is just like that, just more enjoyable then Sr3 and on par with SR2 for me. Sure we don't fight new gangs, but I rather fight aliens and old gang projections then go after Killbane. If I want to take a nap, I'll just put my head on a pillow. Not waste $40 on a game.

Now if it was Dex... JUST TAKE MY MONEY
 
AM I the only person that felt that a Saints Row is really about the Boss and her hommies getting power and climbing the ladder? Because Sr4 is just like that, just more enjoyable then Sr3 and on par with SR2 for me. Sure we don't fight new gangs, but I rather fight aliens and old gang projections then go after Killbane. If I want to take a nap, I'll just put my head on a pillow. Not waste $40 on a game.

Doesn't matter if it's aliens or gangsters, killing is killing. But killing doesn't feel as satisfying when you do it in a simulation...
 
I'd agree there, kraidy. That common thread is what makes it feel like a series. SR4 might be miles away from it's origin, but the transition never seemed as jarring to me as some others found it. I guess it's just YMMV in effect.

But killing doesn't feel as satisfying when you do it in a simulation...

Definitely agree, there. Though I found SR4's ending to be extremely satisfying.
Always keep your promises, good life lesson learned.
 
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