I know what every one is thinking. "Thank baby Jesus we finally get tonicmole's opinion on something!" Well, this is my gift to you. Just a little piece of the inner workings of my genius mind. (note: be more humble)
When the title of this DLC was releases/leaked/revealed I'll admit....it sounded stupid. Though I tend to enjoy the escalating absurdity of Saints Row, I always fear the point in which the orgy of unadulterated jackass-ery we love stumbles and collapses into one long 'pull my finger' joke. "How the Saints Save X-mas" had all the makings of the shark being squarely jumped.....if such a thing is possible with Saints Row.
I will say that with the cost of the Season Pass it's hard to really be too critical of these two DLC packs....or should be at least. However that's not how the internet works, and fans are not nearly as concerned with price as they are about the DLC expanding the game they love. When DLC fails to improve their gaming experience fans will react negatively, whether it cost .99 cents, or $20. Enter the Dominatrix wasn't too expensive, it just wasn't good. It didn't improve or expand the game, and no one cared whether it was $5 or $20. Gamers pay for experiences, not for megabytes. However I digress....on to the North Poll.
Enter the Saints Save X-mas. Fact is, the concept has no potential....no obvious hook, yet somehow, like a Christmas miracle, the latest DLC succeeds in ways that no other Saints Row DLC has ever been able to do. Instead of merely building missions with in the current world space HTSSX-MAS introduces one new world space, and reinvents a second. When it comes to missions it is very similar to Saints Row the Third DLC. Insane, yet memorable bite size insanity, yet being slightly longer then past DLC releases. So, in short, the story missions are good....though the story is.....odd. It really pushes Saints Row further down the road in terms of being completely and utterly absurd. What makes this stand out, is the effort. Hidden collectibles justify replaying the Story, (though just being able to teleport to the new worlds without having to be contained in the story would have been better) the new locations really make the DLC more then just a slapped together remix, and best of all.....hidden Easter eggs! I would have to say that the #1 thing missing from SRTT, and SR IV where the Easter eggs. Hell, Saints Row 2 was more Easter eggs then game. I bet I could start it up and still find something new. The new DLC doesn't change the way you play, or bring the game up to SR 2, but it shows the effort. I'm not sure how much is actually hidden in this DLC, but what I saw was good. Frankly, Dr. Who justified the entire thing hands down.
To wrap this up, HTSSX-MAS is good. Loaded full of content, and adds a decent amount of reasons to keep playing SR 4 for a little longer. My only hope is that in the future of Saints Row DLC, that it can continue to expand and take more of a focus on extending the story of the Saints rather then only insane side stories. HTSSX-MAS is ironically worth the amount paid for the Season Pass. Volition is getting better at engaging their fan base and I think if they are able to better ignore the business of games, and focus more on the joy of making something amazing (logical or not) then we will be in for a treat as the inevitable SR 5 materializes.
When the title of this DLC was releases/leaked/revealed I'll admit....it sounded stupid. Though I tend to enjoy the escalating absurdity of Saints Row, I always fear the point in which the orgy of unadulterated jackass-ery we love stumbles and collapses into one long 'pull my finger' joke. "How the Saints Save X-mas" had all the makings of the shark being squarely jumped.....if such a thing is possible with Saints Row.
I will say that with the cost of the Season Pass it's hard to really be too critical of these two DLC packs....or should be at least. However that's not how the internet works, and fans are not nearly as concerned with price as they are about the DLC expanding the game they love. When DLC fails to improve their gaming experience fans will react negatively, whether it cost .99 cents, or $20. Enter the Dominatrix wasn't too expensive, it just wasn't good. It didn't improve or expand the game, and no one cared whether it was $5 or $20. Gamers pay for experiences, not for megabytes. However I digress....on to the North Poll.
Enter the Saints Save X-mas. Fact is, the concept has no potential....no obvious hook, yet somehow, like a Christmas miracle, the latest DLC succeeds in ways that no other Saints Row DLC has ever been able to do. Instead of merely building missions with in the current world space HTSSX-MAS introduces one new world space, and reinvents a second. When it comes to missions it is very similar to Saints Row the Third DLC. Insane, yet memorable bite size insanity, yet being slightly longer then past DLC releases. So, in short, the story missions are good....though the story is.....odd. It really pushes Saints Row further down the road in terms of being completely and utterly absurd. What makes this stand out, is the effort. Hidden collectibles justify replaying the Story, (though just being able to teleport to the new worlds without having to be contained in the story would have been better) the new locations really make the DLC more then just a slapped together remix, and best of all.....hidden Easter eggs! I would have to say that the #1 thing missing from SRTT, and SR IV where the Easter eggs. Hell, Saints Row 2 was more Easter eggs then game. I bet I could start it up and still find something new. The new DLC doesn't change the way you play, or bring the game up to SR 2, but it shows the effort. I'm not sure how much is actually hidden in this DLC, but what I saw was good. Frankly, Dr. Who justified the entire thing hands down.
To wrap this up, HTSSX-MAS is good. Loaded full of content, and adds a decent amount of reasons to keep playing SR 4 for a little longer. My only hope is that in the future of Saints Row DLC, that it can continue to expand and take more of a focus on extending the story of the Saints rather then only insane side stories. HTSSX-MAS is ironically worth the amount paid for the Season Pass. Volition is getting better at engaging their fan base and I think if they are able to better ignore the business of games, and focus more on the joy of making something amazing (logical or not) then we will be in for a treat as the inevitable SR 5 materializes.
![[V] IdolNinja](/forum/data/avatars/m/0/62.jpg?1394026296){kind=avatar}
