Saints Row IV - How The Saints Save Christmas DLC
The Defence
The Prosecution
AMD Phenom II x4
AMD Radeon HD 6800
The Case
All the Saints down in Steelport liked Christmas a lot, but the Boss, the leader of the Saints, did not. The Boss hated Christmas. The whole Christmas season. Now please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be that the dev’s didn't handle cosmetic DLC quite right. It could be, perhaps, that the reskinned map from SR3 was always night. But I think that the most likely reason of all, was that the number of clothing layers were several sizes too small. Yes, despite being nothing but a virtual hellhole created by an alien leader of a galactic empire, it’s Christmas time in Steelport! Santa has been trapped in the simulation and must be rescued before he’s turned into an evil warlord who takes over the universe. Let’s look at the second DLC featured in Saints Row 4’s season pass.
The Trial
Before I dig into this particular roast beast, I would like to say that I am a sucker for Christmas music, especially electric guitar covers of classics. With the amount of exactly that in this DLC, that particular itch was well scratched. Pretty much everything from Carol of the Bells to Jingle Bells is present in this downloadable content. There’s even a “new” dubstep gun skin that plays festive music.
The story goes that while the Saints are somehow celebrating Christmas, when Shaundi from the future appears before them and warns that not only is Santa real, he’s been trapped in Zinyak’s simulation. If they don't rescue him in time, he will become the most fearsome warlord every to terrorize the universe. Pretty insane, but let’s face it, it’s on par for the course after all that’s happened with Saints Row 4. I mean the last DLC had alien velociraptors for Gat’s sake. As for the content, it's hardly the best DLC ever, but still a pleasant surprise. As opposed to the Enter the Dominatrix, which took place in the regular Steelport map, How the Saints Save Christmas takes place in both a Christmas version of that one map you go to during the Boss’ and Kinzie’s simulation, as well as an entirely new North Pole map. Over the course of the DLC, you must fight off “giant” elves, destroy robotic reindeer, and even deliver presents. Yes, you can deliver presents. This comes in the form of a new activity called Naughty or Nice, where you must deliver presents to all the nice people of Steelport, while shooting red hot coal at the naughty ones. The illustrious Professor Genki has also gussied up some new Mind Over Murder activities to be festive and have MOVING targets. There aren’t many new weapons, however. Pretty much just a BB-gun, (Careful, it WILL put your eye out) a new bat skin called “The North Pole” (because wordplay is fun) and the aforementioned Dubstep Gun skin. All in all, there isn’t much to say about this DLC. If you enjoyed Saints Row 4, you will likely enjoy the added content with a Christmas twist. If you didn't like Saints Row 4, you may still enjoy the fact that it’s slightly less over the top than the base game, but I still wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. You sourpuss. Just like Saints Row 4, it’s fun, but not the kind of fun that makes you want to play it again or strive to get every collectible out there. It’s the kind of fun where you have a blast while you play it but then forget about it shortly after.
The Verdict
Case Review
- Plenty of Halls to Deck: Lots to do and collect.
- No Place Like Somewhere Else for the Holidays: The new North Pole map is refreshing.
- Humor: Typical SR3 and 4 humor. It’s pretty funny, but not really witty.
- More Saints Row 4: Pretty much just more of the same wrapped in a Christmas theme.
- Barely Any Presents under the Tree: With only one actually new weapon and two reskins of existing weapons, it hardly leaves you with anything you can enjoy in the game itself.
Appeal
Well, it was inevitable, let's face it. They conquered the streets, US politics, intergalactic space alien invaders and a leather clad gentleman sitting in a chair made of dicks. It was only a matter of time before the 3rd Street Saints turned their attention to the mythology. Starting with Saint Nick it wouldn't surprise me if they started working their way up towards a full on fistfight with the Lord Almighty himself.
But, for today at least, they don't have to. Today, or in this DLC at least, they're out to save Santa, who has also been locked away in Zinyak's simulation for many a moon. To the point where his psyche has been fractured and given rise to the malicious Clawz. Cue the arrival of a third (seriously?!) Shaundi from the future, complete with a robotic eye and Anakin Skywalker’s prosthetic arm and all. Here to recruit the present day Saints to save dear old Father Crimbo for the good of all life as we know it. It seems the deep, dark recesses of his brain contained a most...eccentric individual indeed. One that created robotic, nuclear powered reindeer and set the elves to make weapons of mass destruction to kill everyone. Weirdly enough, this actually seems kinda' tame for a Saints Row story. It's as mental as ever, containing an option to lick all the way through a two foot thick candy cane in a futile attempt to unbar the door to Santa's workshop, giant elves (who are the size of regular people) and disabling the above mentioned reindeer by shoving your hand up their hoo-haa.
But overall, it seems a little silly, rather than madcap and zany. Not bad, don't get me wrong, it's still an enjoyable DLC, it just feels a little tame. Like they're trying to tone back a little. The fact it clocks in at only an hour or so of story gameplay does little to alleviate the feeling of it just being...a bit plain. Though being short does allow the effectively self-contained plot to be a lot tighter and more cohesive than the Dominatrix. What I really took away from it is, somehow, the staff at Volition were being a little more cagey with the humour and displaying an unusual, though touching, level of extra sensitivity for a holiday loved by so many. Taking some mild jabs rather than out and out demolishing the good cheer. An odd route, that will make the DLC both more and less appealing to both sides of the Saints Row fanbase at the same time whilst, overall, still being a good hour of fun.
Gallery
Posted 04-01-2014, 01:44
Nothing has changed from THQ to Deep Silver I am afraid MrJenssen. Even with THQ the title had on-disc paid DLC (basically finished content blocked that is on disc and that was finished long before release! That you then have to pay on Steam or on consoles for the unlock file download).
Posted 03-01-2014, 21:47
Saints the Third had a ludicrous amount of DLC too. Long before Deep Silver came on to the scene
Posted 03-01-2014, 18:06
Weren't THQ the first to release cheat DLC for SR3?
Posted 03-01-2014, 17:49
THQ used to be the publisher, now Deep Silver are. No wonder the game is getting watered down with DLC.
Posted 03-01-2014, 13:32
The main problem with Saints Row at this point is that they keep just rehashing the same content and then even doing the biggest evil of all, releasing the same stuff again but as DLC :(
or even worse, content that is already on disc and then released as an unlocking code months after release as a paid DLC... yeah...
Surely, just surely they could perhaps do a tiny ity bitty thing new. Heck all of SR4 could be released as a DLC expansion for SR3... so yeah, that is pretty bad.