The Case

Saints Row is a series, I'm sure, that needs no introduction. As such, I will forgo the usual pleasantries and jump straight in. Does Gat out of Hell stand strong, or does it fall flat like a little bitch? Same way Satan will after you shoot him in the face.

The Trial

Well...it's Saints Row. Not rocket science really. Having said that, those who prefer the earlier games in the series, prior to Saints Row: The Third that is, may be better advised to stay away from this one. Following in the tradition of growing increasingly ludicrous with each instalment, this time you're going to hell to shoot Satan in the face. Because...Johnny Gat, that's why.

Gameplay remains almost identical to the previous game. Which makes sense, because this isn't actually a new game in the series. It is what we old timers used to call a standalone expansion. That being a package of new content that recycles assets from an existing title - Saints Row IV in this case - and expands on them to add a few new bells and whistles, tweaking things here and there. Essentially, it’s just more of the same; what you young uns would call DLC.

With minor tweaks alongside a few new additions, the game feels familiar yet fresh enough to give it a unique feel. Specifically, the new flying mechanic is amazing. Genuinely it is. Your impromptu trip into the underworld has led to you growing wings and, literally, becoming an angel. An avenging angel, but an angel nonetheless. As such, you can actually fly now. Utilising the laws of physics to soar, dive, swoop and, as your increase in skill, flap your wings for extra speed and height.

It cannot be overstated just how spectacular this is. Offering the most authentic, biologically powered flight mechanic gaming has ever seen. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, you'll find yourself swooping down and arcing straight through the hole in a billboard, with pinpoint accuracy, for no other reason that it looks really freaking cool. With the added advantage of, being that this is actual flight with wings and all, you can keep it up indefinitely. Though you are limited by stamina initially, this too can be overcome by gaining enough experience and purchasing the appropriate upgrade.

And there are a lot of them. A hell of a lot. Upgrades I mean. From the usual extra weapon damage and clip size, to super sprint, telekinetic blast abilities and a new summon skill. Which, as the name suggests, allows you to summon various hellspawn to come and munch your opponents in the face. The downside of this is that, being an expansion rather than a full game, much of the levelling is down to sidequests. Of which there are, shall we say, more than a few. Something which is no surprise to long time Saints fans. But even the most rugged of us will be given pause at just how many there are.

You see, the main plot takes up no more than four or five hours of your time. Seriously, it's really that simple. Go to hell, find the boss, shoot Satan in the face. I mean, the fact that the boss might actually want to marry Jezebel (Satan's daughter) 'cause she is actually pretty hot, is beside the point. Lucifer didn't ask. And that's just plain rude. So Johnny and Kinzie (it's her birthday by the way, though I don't know why that's relevant) went down after him to sho...you get the point.

I'm sure many people will use that as a mark against it. Pissing and moaning about how it's all filler, it should have been a DLC (everything on Steam is a DLC for fuck's sake!) rather than a standalone game, and it's just a cash in and blah blah blah blah. Yes, that's what we mean when say a standalone expansion, silly boy. The fact that there's any story at all is pretty damn swish actually. The focus was clearly more on offering an interesting 'new' sandbox to go and dick around in. Although different enough to feel fresh, it's pretty much just Steelport with lava in random places.

It is also significantly better optimised than Saints Row IV, running a lot smoother and being overall more shiny. Though it doesn't really change all that much on a visual level, it does still show clear signs of being more polished. Whilst the new assets such as weapon vending machines (seriously, that's just hilarious) and new character models are interesting and fit the motif. And the new weapons, well. You have an armchair car with fucking miniguns in the arm rests. Dude, what more could you ask for?

Did I mention Kinzie is an angel?

Like every other part of the series, you can play the whole game single-player, swapping back and forth between Gat and Kinzie whenever you choose. A mechanic that effectively and efficiently replaces the image by design gender swapping, though without the fine tuning of features and such. You play as Kinzie and Gat, period. Or, you can bring in a friend at any time and play co-op, something I wholeheartedly recommend because...because Saints Row. Murder time is fun time. And murder time with friends is priceless.

The Verdict

Basically, what I'm trying to say here, is that it looks like a Saints game, walks like one, talks like one and is more of the same. It isn't trying to be anything more than a neat little filler to tide you over until a new, actual, game is released. And in this respect, it serves its purpose. What little story content there is is quirky, amusing and entertaining. Whilst the sidequests are varied and entertaining enough that you can sink a lot of time in. Plus, the flight mechanic really is amazing. Best of all, it's not even half the price of a full title... And you can shoot Satan in the face.

Case Review