Saints Row IV: National Treasure Edition (no Nic Cage, unfortunately)

By Will Fulton June 25, 2014

saints row iv re elected coming next gen consoles january national treasure — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Deep Silver and Volition have announced that the Saints Row IV: National Treasure Edition will be coming to PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in mid-July.

Despite the tease of a name, a wild-eyed Nicolas Cage is not present to lead you down conspiratorial rabbit holes. As a small consolation, this definitive edition includes all 29 downloadable content packs that were released for the game.

It also comes with the totally insane Grass Roots ‘Merica! gun, which is functionally similar to the weapon that was previously only included in the Commander in Chief Edition, only this one combines a light machine gun, sub machine gun, auto shotgun, heavy pistol, minigun, rocket launcher, flamethrower, and combat knife. A complete list of the weapons, costumes, vehicles, homies, and activities included can be found at the game’s website.

Saints Row IV continues the saga of the Third Street Saints gang, the leader of which (you) has somehow risen to presidency of the United States. Your reign is interrupted by an alien invasion that traps you in a Matrix-esque simulation of the Saints Row III city. An escape plan is hatched to hack the system and turn the deposed POTUS into a vengeful superhero–don’t think about it too hard.

The series started as a GTA clone, but with each iteration it grew into a hyperbolic parody of the genre’s self-seriousness and an irreverent celebration of what makes video games fun. We loved the game’s huge playground and crude humor, so this is a great chance to check it out if you haven’t yet.

Saints Row IV: National Treasure Edition will be shipping to retailers on July 8, and available soon thereafter for digital download on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC for $30.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

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Saints Row reboot still looks wacky, even if it’s formulaic

The main character of Saints Row glides in a wingsuit.

The Saints Row series is making its grand return after seven years. The Saints Row universe fully reset at the end of the Saints Row IV DLC Gat Out of Hell, so Volition's next game is a full-on reboot of the series. After the underwhelming Agents of Mayhem, this reboot allowed the developer to redefine what a Saints Row game could be without the constraints of classic characters or settings. Unfortunately, that new vision is much more plain than I'd hoped despite the series' expected madcap tone.
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SAINTS ROW – Game Awards Gameplay Trailer
Grounded absurdism
During my hands-off preview, I got to see the new team of Saints in a variety of missions. These include a loan agency robbery gone wrong that results in a big car chase, a raid of a car-loving Panteros gang's headquarters in a helicopter, and a rescue mission for one of the player-character's friends after he's kidnapped by a bunch of Deadmau5-looking crooks from a gang called the Idols.
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Also, because it's an entirely new cast of characters that have yet to prove themselves to fans, there isn't any nostalgia factor that can help make up for subpar jokes. Currently, Volition's strategy is to give the narrative a sense of "groundedness" despite its kooky aspects to make players care about this character and that narrative.
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Absurdly generic
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Vehicles in Saints Row.

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The crew of the Saints Row reboot stands against a wall.

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