By Ben Mapp
‘You can’t just murder your way onto the Nice List you know...’ Right you are, Santa. But we can sure as hell try. How the Saints Save Christmas begins as any good DLC should with Jane Austen recounting the apparently final, festive adventure of the Third Street Saints.
‘You can’t just murder your way onto the Nice List you know...’ Right you are, Santa. But we can sure as hell try. How the Saints Save Christmas begins as any good DLC should with Jane Austen recounting the apparently final, festive adventure of the Third Street Saints.
Warning mateys - Here be spoilers!
The mission starts when a futuristic version of Shaundi (complete with a robot arm and SR2-style dreadlocks) arrives on the ship and warns the crew that ‘Claws’ – a vicious alternate incarnation of Santa Claus – has wreaked havoc in the future world and laid waste to the universe, and that she intends to help the Present Day Saints create a new timeline where Claws never existed.
However, Claws has followed her back in time and has begun causing mayhem within the Steelport simulation. The Boss and Future Shaundi enter the virtual world and battle across the various simulations including Steelport, its past 50’s incarnation and the North Pole itself – using their arsenal of over-the-top weaponry and assortment of superpowers to usurp Claws and restore order to the world, with the help of the ‘real’ Santa (who was imprisoned within the simulation long ago by Zinyak) and his resistance of elves. Gameplay-wise, this Christmassy adventure changes not an awful lot from the main game.
These locations – specifically the 1950’s Steelport (albeit redressed for winter) and the North Pole – are large enough to enjoy and play around in without feeling that the game is limiting you.
However, Claws has followed her back in time and has begun causing mayhem within the Steelport simulation. The Boss and Future Shaundi enter the virtual world and battle across the various simulations including Steelport, its past 50’s incarnation and the North Pole itself – using their arsenal of over-the-top weaponry and assortment of superpowers to usurp Claws and restore order to the world, with the help of the ‘real’ Santa (who was imprisoned within the simulation long ago by Zinyak) and his resistance of elves. Gameplay-wise, this Christmassy adventure changes not an awful lot from the main game.
These locations – specifically the 1950’s Steelport (albeit redressed for winter) and the North Pole – are large enough to enjoy and play around in without feeling that the game is limiting you.
The North Pole is surprisingly well designed and resembles something out of one of the Fable games, and there are many secrets – such as presents and new text adventures – to be found there if you find the time between fighting all of the demonic Gingerbread Men and toy soldiers. The storyline remains loyal to the nature of Saints Row IV, extending its outlandish comedy onto the familiar icons of the holiday (such as candy canes and reindeers), and the mission rewards you with a dozen new customisable items to be used within the main game, all themed around Christmas of course. Graphically, as with the main game, there is much to be desired. Although the graphical animation and general style fits Saints Row, the constant glitch-effects of the Steelport simulation coupled with the various in-game glitches (such as enemies falling through floors for example) make for a distracting experience. That said they never once stopped me playing and, although this DLC is short, it certainly delivers a punch!
How the Saints Save Christmas runs for a similar length as Enter the Dominatrix, but is so much more fulfilling and rewards the player with a satisfying ending to this game.
How the Saints Save Christmas runs for a similar length as Enter the Dominatrix, but is so much more fulfilling and rewards the player with a satisfying ending to this game.
Only five months to go!
That pretty much rounds off our celebration of Saints Row IV. The next expansion, which will be standalone and feature a whole new city, is entitled Gat Out of Hell and will be available at the end of January next year. Volition are also working on a remastered version of Saints Row IV, which will be released on Xbox One and PS4 next year.
Comment below if you agree/disagree with our review, or come find us on Twitter/Facebook.
Comment below if you agree/disagree with our review, or come find us on Twitter/Facebook.
RSS Feed
