Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (PlayStation 4) Review

The story of Saints Row is almost as crazy as what the games have now become. Originally a Grand Theft Auto clone, it decided to stop taking itself seriously and just embrace the insanity around the time of Saints Row: The Third. Instead of serious organised crime, the enemies became Luchadors and Tron-esque super hackers, and instead of serious weapons, there is now the infamous "Penetrator" bat and mind-controlling octopus guns. Saints Row: The Third was nuts but Saints Row IV took it to a whole new level with aliens, super powers, Virtual Reality, and some of the best adult comedy dialogue in games.

This version, Saint's Row Re-Elected, takes the 2013 game and brings it to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, along with all the DLC released for it. For those that didn't play Saints Row IV first time round, the leader of the Third Street Saints is suddenly thrust into office as President of the United States, only to have to deal with a sudden alien invasion, destruction of his planet, and fighting out of a Matrix-esque simulation. In most games those could be considered serious story spoilers, yet in this it's just the initial setup of the plot.

The story is ridiculously superb, with so many references that can't help but evoke a smile. One of the primary objectives at the start is rescuing the rest of the Saints from their Virtual Reality prisons. These are fantastic riffs on other games and genres - rescuing team mates ranges from a Streets of Rage parody "Saints of Rage," a stealth section where there is a need to hide in a familiar cardboard box, through to even a classic text adventure.

The references aren't limited to games either, since classic films are referenced often and the parody is done very well. Right from the start, the President is climbing rockets to the soundtrack of Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, and the customisations shops have things to wear from all manner of games and films. Anyone would be hard pressed to play through and not smile at many of the tips of the hat. What other game can offer the ability to fight against invading aliens alongside Keith David and Roddy Piper, and utter the immortal line of "One shall stand, one shall fall" while "You've Got the Touch!" hits a crescendo?

As a re-master, Re-Elected doesn't stand up well when compared to others, especially when alongside the fantastic The Last of Us. The graphical overhaul seems quite minimal, with little improvement over the original, for instance. The real benefits of this over the original come from the low cost, new features and amount of DLC added to the bundle.

The new features are not very groundbreaking either, but they are decent - some are just the features available from their new platform, such as the ability to capture footage via the built-in PlayStation 4 functionality. There is also the ability to use voice commands, although this has never been a much wanted addition - it's okay here for switching super powers but it's not really required as using the D-pad to switch works well enough. The PlayStation 4 version also comes with the ability for Remote Play on the Vita, giving a glimpse of how good a handheld Saints game could be.

The added DLC is a massive 30 packs, and although the majority of these are customisation options and weapon skins, they also have extra super power and unique weapon abilities that are really fun and just add to the insanity. On top of the item-based DLC packs there are also the two story-based packs "Enter the Dominatrix" and "How the Saints Saved Christmas." The titles alone show they continue the brand's own special style. "How the Saints Saved Christmas" find the Saints fighting against killer elves and toys under the evil overlord "Clawz," trying to rescue the real Santa from within the simulation. "Enter the Dominatrix" was originally planned as a sequel for Saints Row: The Third, which has now been dug up to become DLC for Saints Row IV. This DLC breaks the fourth wall completely, with the characters commenting and explaining what's going on like it's deleted scenes from a movie - it even has unfinished elements, like storyboards for FMVs.

Both of these are relatively short: three missions for Christmas and five for Dominatrix, and both can be cleared in just over an hour. However, regardless of this short length, they really stand out as a great addition to the overall package.

The open world is jam-packed with side activities to keep entertainment levels high throughout the play-through, with tons of different objectives, diversions, collectables and challenges to achieve. The "activities" mini-games have a bronze, silver and gold medals to try and obtain, including trying to deal a set amount of property damage in a set time, racing through checkpoints using super speed, using telekinesis to throw NPCs through coloured hoops, survival style fight clubs, and a platform jumping puzzle. On top of this, there are also diversions and multiplayer activities like Cat and Mouse, and a Spy vs. Spy-style competitive game where players alternate between controlling a chopper trying to destroy the other racing away in a sports car.

The game really shines even more with co-operative play, since there's nothing quite like sharing the madness with a friend! There really is no other game out there that can offer the same sort of moments. The full story mode is available in co-op along with all of the open world activities.