Bringing older games to new consoles is something of an art. While in the old days just shunting out a port of a classic title was enough, now developers are competing to see who can add the most shine to their re-releases. Tomb Raider, GTA V, The Last of Us: Remastered, Halo 2 Anniversary - they’ve all excelled at bringing their graphics bang up to date. Those are the best examples. Saints Row IV: Re-elected is a little more pedestrian.
Saints Row IV was never the best looking game. Released towards the tail end of the previous generation, it was decent enough but failed to reach the heights hit by some of its competitors. Re-elected pulls a similar trick. Upgraded to 1080p, it’s undoubtedly sharper, and there’s a bit more detail in some of the interiors, but it doesn’t look like a new-gen game. Don’t expect to be blown away.
Visuals were never the real draw of Saints Row IV though, so it’s no great loss. Instead it’s all about the game’s madcap, self-reverential, over-the-top humour and action. And with Re-elected there’s loads more of it, thanks to previously released add-ons Enter the Dominatrix and How the Saints Save Christmas; a plethora of weapons, costumes and super powers; and the brand new Gat Out of Hell standalone expansion.
Enter the Dominatrix is the highlight of the previously released content. It’s tells an alternate story of the Zin invasion, in which the Saints are trapped in a virtual reality Steelport created by a rogue AI called the Dominatrix. Presented as deleted scenes shown on a TV show, it’s a riot of self-reverential gags. Coming in at just over an hour, the add-on doesn’t introduce any particularly fresh gameplay mechanics, but it is genuinely funny in places.
How the Saints Saved Christmas is good for a laugh too. Volition pokes fun at several festive movies, while introducing new gameplay elements like a flying sleigh that fires lumps of coal and rocket-powered reindeer. The main draw, as ever, is the way it’s written and presented. Similar to Enter the Dominatrix, How the Saints Saved Christmas packs in its fair share of chuckles without deviating too far from the established formal of the main game. It’s a nice addition to the package.
Gat Out of Hell falls into the same category. Significantly longer (about 4 hours), it’s the meatiest and newest of the bunch, transporting the action to Satan’s hometown of New Hades, and putting players in the shoes of series stars Kinzie Kensington or Johnny Gat. For a full review, click through here.
In in all, Saints Row IV: Re-elected’s bonus content adds real value to the package, but none of the add-ons outstrip the original game, which remains the same as it always was; fun, ridiculous and frequently hilarious. You can read our original review here, which goes into more detail.
The voice acting is excellent across the board, despite repetitious one-liners, and the soundtrack is another fantastic and eclectic one. Excellent.
Only a very slight refinement over Saints Row IV. The lighting is improved and everything has been bumped up to 1080p, but the results are hardly impressive. Re-elected falls well short of its competitors.
Saints Row IV is all about the insane weapons and super powers, so the fact that these elements all work perfectly and feel cohesive is a big tick in the plus column. The fact that having powers effectively renders vehicles obsolete, unless the mission demands a vehicle is a shame.
A generously proportioned and varied main campaign is accompanied by a couple of enjoyable add-ons in the form of Enter the Dominatrix and How the Saints Save Christmas, as well as the brand new Gat Out of Hell expansion. You couldn’t hope for more.
A fun list, but one that's bereft of invention, with a lot of reheated achievements from Saints Row: The Third. They serve their purpose perfectly fine and encourage you to visit every one of Steelport's virtual nooks and crannies, while forging relationships with your homies aboard your ship. The addition of 1200 extra Gamerscore for Gat Out of Hell and the add-ons is extremely welcome, despite the lack of creativity.
Saints Row IV: Re-elected may score low in terms of its visual overhaul, but the game’s ability to amuse and thrill is undiminished. This is a riotous experience that prioritises fun over everything else and thanks to the generosity of Volition it’s bigger than ever, with five extra hours of gameplay in the form of previously-released DLC and the brand new Gat Out of Hell expansion. Not played Saints Row in a while? Give this one a bash.
January 23, 2015
Bringing older games to new consoles is something of an art. While in the old days just shunting out a port of a classic title was enough, now developers are competing to see who can add the most shine to their re-releases. Tomb Raider, GTA V, The Last of Us: Remastered, Halo 2 Anniversary - they’ve all excelled at bringing their graphics bang up to date. Those are the best examples. Saints Row IV: Re-elected is a little more pedestrian.
Saints Row IV was never the best looking game. Released towards the tail end of the previous generation, it was decent enough but failed to reach the heights hit by some of its competitors. Re-elected pulls a similar trick. Upgraded to 1080p, it’s undoubtedly sharper, and there’s a bit more detail in some of the interiors, but it doesn’t look like a new-gen game. Don’t expect to be blown away.
Visuals were never the real draw of Saints Row IV though, so it’s no great loss. Instead it’s all about the game’s madcap, self-reverential, over-the-top humour and action. And with Re-elected there’s loads more of it, thanks to previously released add-ons Enter the Dominatrix and How the Saints Save Christmas; a plethora of weapons, costumes and super powers; and the brand new Gat Out of Hell standalone expansion.
Enter the Dominatrix is the highlight of the previously released content. It’s tells an alternate story of the Zin invasion, in which the Saints are trapped in a virtual reality Steelport created by a rogue AI called the Dominatrix. Presented as deleted scenes shown on a TV show, it’s a riot of self-reverential gags. Coming in at just over an hour, the add-on doesn’t introduce any particularly fresh gameplay mechanics, but it is genuinely funny in places.
How the Saints Saved Christmas is good for a laugh too. Volition pokes fun at several festive movies, while introducing new gameplay elements like a flying sleigh that fires lumps of coal and rocket-powered reindeer. The main draw, as ever, is the way it’s written and presented. Similar to Enter the Dominatrix, How the Saints Saved Christmas packs in its fair share of chuckles without deviating too far from the established formal of the main game. It’s a nice addition to the package.
Gat Out of Hell falls into the same category. Significantly longer (about 4 hours), it’s the meatiest and newest of the bunch, transporting the action to Satan’s hometown of New Hades, and putting players in the shoes of series stars Kinzie Kensington or Johnny Gat. For a full review, click through here.
In in all, Saints Row IV: Re-elected’s bonus content adds real value to the package, but none of the add-ons outstrip the original game, which remains the same as it always was; fun, ridiculous and frequently hilarious. You can read our original review here, which goes into more detail.
The voice acting is excellent across the board, despite repetitious one-liners, and the soundtrack is another fantastic and eclectic one. Excellent.
Only a very slight refinement over Saints Row IV. The lighting is improved and everything has been bumped up to 1080p, but the results are hardly impressive. Re-elected falls well short of its competitors.
Saints Row IV is all about the insane weapons and super powers, so the fact that these elements all work perfectly and feel cohesive is a big tick in the plus column. The fact that having powers effectively renders vehicles obsolete, unless the mission demands a vehicle is a shame.
A generously proportioned and varied main campaign is accompanied by a couple of enjoyable add-ons in the form of Enter the Dominatrix and How the Saints Save Christmas, as well as the brand new Gat Out of Hell expansion. You couldn’t hope for more.
A fun list, but one that's bereft of invention, with a lot of reheated achievements from Saints Row: The Third. They serve their purpose perfectly fine and encourage you to visit every one of Steelport's virtual nooks and crannies, while forging relationships with your homies aboard your ship. The addition of 1200 extra Gamerscore for Gat Out of Hell and the add-ons is extremely welcome, despite the lack of creativity.
Saints Row IV: Re-elected may score low in terms of its visual overhaul, but the game’s ability to amuse and thrill is undiminished. This is a riotous experience that prioritises fun over everything else and thanks to the generosity of Volition it’s bigger than ever, with five extra hours of gameplay in the form of previously-released DLC and the brand new Gat Out of Hell expansion. Not played Saints Row in a while? Give this one a bash.