Info about Saints Row IV: Re-Elected:

Official game description:
**_Fully Re-Elected – Saints Row IV Re-Elected contains an impressive 25 DLC Packs, including the Dubstep Gun (Remix) Pack, the Presidential Pack, the Commander-In-Chief Pack, and two celebrated episodic story expansions: Enter The Dominatrix and How The Saints Save Christmas._**  
The Boss of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States but the Saints are just getting started.  
After a catastrophic alien invasion of Earth, the Saints have been transported to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. With homies new and old, and an arsenal of superpowers and strange weapons, they must fight to free humanity from alien overlord Zinyak and his alien empire, saving the world in the wildest open world game ever.  
*   The American Dream – Play as the President of the United States in a wild story that spans countries, time, and space. It’s up to you to free the world.  
*   Super Hero-in-Chief – Leap over buildings. Kill people with your mind. Run through tanks. Those are just some of the powers on offer that you can wield in your quest.  
*   Alien Toys of Destruction - Wield an impressive array of alien vehicles and weapons - the Inflato-Ray, the Polarizer, the Disintegrator, and many more.  
*   Custom Weapons, Custom Mayhem – You’ve customized your character. You’ve customized your clothes. Now you also have a powerful weapon customization system.

Release date: 22 Aug, 2013

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Single-player Story, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Customization, Weapon Customization, Real-time Combat, Mission-based Gameplay, Humor-driven Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unrestrained, Chaotic Fun (weight 1): The game consistently delivers an over-the-top, absurd, and self-aware experience that prioritizes pure player enjoyment. Its wild and reckless gameplay, coupled with its satirical take on reality, creates an open-world sandbox of delightful madness that encourages players to embrace chaos.
- Strong Franchise Evolution (weight 0.37): Players view the game as a worthy, and often superior, continuation of Saints Row 3, significantly evolving the series' identity with superhero elements. It's often celebrated as a favorite or even a "masterpiece" within the franchise, praised for taking urban anarchy to new, absurd levels while respecting its predecessors.
- Overpowered Weapons & Superpowers (weight 0.27): The game's combat is defined by an arsenal of wildly inventive and absurd weapons, like the iconic Dubstep Gun, combined with an array of powerful superpowers such as super speed, flight, telekinesis, and elemental attacks. These abilities provide extreme mobility and make every battle a spectacular, chaotic show of special effects and destruction.
- Witty & Captivating Story (weight 0.23): The game features an engaging, over-the-top, and often hilarious story, filled with witty dialogues, memorable characters, and constant surprises. Its narrative adeptly uses satire and pop-culture parodies, effectively framing outrageous scenarios that keep players entertained and invested.
- Deep Character Customization (weight 0.14): The game offers extensive and often hilarious customization options for characters, vehicles, and weapons. Players appreciate the freedom to create absurd avatars and personalize their experience, consistently calling it one of the best character creators.
- Varied & Absurd Missions (weight 0.14): The game provides a wide array of incredibly varied and often absurd missions, ranging from traditional gunfights to hacking simulations and retro arcade mini-games. This diversity, coupled with unique gameplay mechanics within missions, prevents repetition and keeps the experience fresh, especially when played in co-op.
- Sharp Satirical Humor (weight 0.14): The game's humor is heavily driven by sharp satire, extensive pop culture references, and self-irony, featuring guest actors and memorable one-liners. It excels at parodying other games, movies, and societal tropes, creating a consistently funny and intelligent comedic experience.
- Aged Well Visually & Technically (weight 0.11): Despite its age, the game's graphics are generally considered to hold up decently, often looking great after updates, and are complemented by vibrant special effects. Players also note good technical performance across various platforms, indicating a well-optimized experience.
- Memorable Licensed Soundtrack (weight 0.09): The game features a widely praised and memorable soundtrack, packed with classic and 80s hits that perfectly complement the game's absurd and epic tone. The music selection defines key moments and significantly enhances both combat and cinematic sequences.
- Underrated & Enduring Appeal (weight 0.08): Many players feel the game is an underrated gem that deserved more recognition and less criticism, especially when compared to its reboot. It holds significant nostalgic and emotional value for long-time fans, who often return to it years later.
- Enjoyable Co-op Experience (weight 0.07): The game offers a highly enjoyable and often praised cooperative multiplayer experience, significantly enhancing the fun of missions and open-world mayhem when playing with friends. The co-op mode is robust, allowing players to tackle the entire campaign together.

Common complaints:
- Game suffers severe instability (weight 0.7): Players frequently report game-breaking crashes, mission progression blockers, and save file corruption, often rendering the game unplayable. Co-op mode is particularly affected by constant disconnections and crashes, forcing mission restarts and making shared experiences frustrating. Many issues persist across different PC configurations and hardware.
- Disappointing story and repetitive content (weight 0.6): Many players found the game's story lacking depth, feeling disjointed, or overly absurd, especially compared to previous Saints Row titles. The open world is perceived as empty, and side activities are repetitive minigames, leading to a shallow and monotonous experience that feels more like an overextended DLC than a full game. The reuse of the same map and assets from Saints Row: The Third contributed to this sentiment.
- Re-Elected update broke game (weight 0.18): The "Re-Elected" update, specifically its integration with Epic Games services, is widely cited as causing severe performance degradation, new bugs, save file corruption, and mandatory Epic Games Launcher installs. This update significantly worsened the game's stability and playability for many.
- Poor controller and mod support (weight 0.14): Many players experience issues with controller recognition, making gamepad play impossible or frustrating, despite advertised support. Furthermore, updates have severely broken Steam Workshop and general mod compatibility, preventing many community-created additions from functioning correctly.
- Dated and unimproved graphics (weight 0.1): Players note that the game's graphics are significantly outdated by current standards, with reports of blurry textures and a general lack of polish. Despite being a "Re-Elected" version, many felt there were no substantial graphical improvements, or even downgrades, from the original or previous series entries.
- Achievements are bugged (weight 0.08): A significant number of achievements are reported to be broken, not unlocking upon completion of their requirements, or requiring tedious replaying. Some co-op specific achievements make 100% completion difficult for solo players.
- Superpowers make vehicles obsolete (weight 0.08): The introduction of powerful superhero abilities like super-speed and super-jumps makes traditional vehicle-based traversal largely redundant and uninteresting. This mechanic often renders a core aspect of the open-world genre, driving, effectively useless, simplifying the gameplay loop.

Gameplay feedback:
- President battles alien invasion (weight 0.38): The central plot involves the player character, who becomes the President of the United States, fighting an alien invasion led by Zinyak. Earth is invaded and destroyed, leading to the protagonist being trapped in a virtual simulation where the majority of the game takes place.
- Superpowers define combat & exploration (weight 0.36): The core gameplay loop centers on the player acquiring diverse superpowers like super speed, flight, telekinesis, and freezing enemies. These powers are central to combat and map exploration within the virtual simulation of Steelport, making traditional vehicles largely redundant.
- Significant genre shift from GTA-like (weight 0.2): The game marks a significant departure from its Grand Theft Auto-like predecessors, transforming into a superhero-fantasy experience akin to Prototype or Crackdown. While it reuses the Steelport map and many assets from Saints Row 3, its focus on superpowers and sci-fi elements distinctly changes the gameplay feel.
- Mixed story quality, varied playtime (weight 0.12): Player opinions on the story's quality are diverse, ranging from average and banal to crazy and nonsensical, with some noting its potential despite lacking consistent momentum. The main story can be completed in about 10-12 hours, but achieving 100% completion can extend playtime significantly to 40-150 hours.
- Absurd humor & novel weapons (weight 0.06): The game features an over-the-top, absurd sense of humor, evident in its unique missions (e.g., fighting a giant energy drink) and highly unconventional weaponry. Weapons like the Dubstep Gun, which makes enemies dance, contribute to the game's comedic identity and parody elements.
- Flexible co-op gameplay (weight 0.06): The game supports both single-player and cooperative multiplayer modes, allowing friends to play together through the campaign. In co-op, players can separate to complete various objectives simultaneously before rejoining for story missions.
- Customizable difficulty & character (weight 0.06): The game features adjustable difficulty settings, with many players finding it easier once superpowers are fully unlocked, though boss encounters can still pose a challenge. Players also have access to an extensive character creator to customize their protagonist's appearance, gender, and voice.
- Abundant open-world activities (weight 0.05): The open world offers a wide array of activities beyond the main story, including numerous side quests, challenges, collectibles, and territory-conquest tasks. These activities often provide upgrades for powers and weapons, encouraging extensive exploration and engagement with the game world.
- Mixed player experience feedback (weight 0.04): Player feedback indicates a mixed experience, with some expressing initial confusion regarding the plot but generally enjoying the versatile and creative, though sometimes unclear, gameplay. Many dedicated players engaged in 100% completion, including all side missions and collectibles.

Performance notes:
- Frequent crashes and instability (weight 0.09): Players experience frequent game crashes and general instability, often occurring during cutscenes, co-op sessions, or when using workshop mods. The 'Re-Elected' update is specifically mentioned as causing worsened performance, freezing, and even blue screen errors on some systems, particularly on modern operating systems like Windows 11.
- Poor general game optimization (weight 0.07): The game suffers from suboptimal optimization, leading to inconsistent performance, stuttering, and high CPU/memory usage, especially on modern systems. In-game graphic settings have minimal impact on performance, often requiring external system adjustments or compatibility modes for stability.
- Mixed visual fidelity (weight 0.05): While the game's graphics were considered excellent for its release era and its special effects (superpowers, explosions, flight) are still praised, some elements like textures, faces, and anti-aliasing appear outdated. The simulation setting utilizes digital filters effectively to mask environmental variety issues, and object penetration glitches are sometimes seen as part of the game's virtual world charm.
- Strong performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.05): Despite general optimization concerns, the game performs surprisingly well on low-end hardware and is particularly praised for its smooth performance and stability on the Steam Deck (including OLED models). It maintains good framerates and offers decent gameplay hours on a single charge.
- Legacy version resolves issues (weight 0.04): Many players report that switching to the game's 'legacy beta' version significantly mitigates frequent crashes, lag, and general performance issues. This older version is often considered more stable, though it might impact access to modern workshop content or DLCs for some users.
- Ultrawide cutscene resolution issues (weight 0.04): Cutscenes display in low resolution when playing on ultrawide monitors. A community-discovered workaround involves editing a game display file to force cutscenes into a 16:9 aspect ratio, which resolves the low-resolution issue but not true ultrawide support.
- High frame rate causes issues (weight 0.01): Running the game at high frame rates can lead to specific technical problems. Players have noted cutscenes rendering at low frame rates (e.g., 21 FPS) and car engine sounds not working correctly when the game runs above certain frame rate thresholds.
- Workshop content difficult to access (weight 0.01): Accessing community-made content and a stable 'pre-workshop' beta branch is reported as challenging. Players sometimes need to actively hunt for specific keys or use public beta branches to utilize this content effectively.
- Excessive C drive disk usage (weight 0.01): The game has been observed to consume disk space from the C drive, even if installed elsewhere. This issue occasionally requires a PC restart to fix the reported disk space consumption.

Recommendations:
- Embraces Chaos & Absurd Fun (weight 0.49): Players highly recommend the game for its over-the-top, chaotic, and absurd humor, providing a unique open-world sandbox experience with superpowers. It's praised for being a great stress reliever and a fun distraction that shouldn't be taken too seriously, offering a joyful escape. Many consider it an excellent GTA alternative or a superhero simulator.
- Best Purchased on Sale, Use Legacy Version (weight 0.41): The game is frequently recommended for purchase only when significantly discounted, citing its value at a reduced price. Furthermore, players strongly advise using the 'Legacy' version, preferably from GOG, to avoid compatibility issues, problems with the Epic Games launcher, and to improve overall stability.
- Fun Over Story Depth (weight 0.27): The game is lauded for its entertainment value and over-the-top gameplay rather than a deep, coherent story. Players often suggest enjoying it for the laughs, chaos, and action, rather than expecting a serious or meaningful narrative experience.
- Plagued by Bugs and Crashes (weight 0.17): Many players report critical bugs, frequent crashes, and unplayable states, particularly impacting multiplayer or specific PC versions. These technical issues severely hinder game completion and overall enjoyment, leading to strong recommendations against purchasing the game in its current broken state or at full price. The 'Re-Elected' remaster is also noted as not worth it.
- Optimal for Solo Play (weight 0.14): Many players specifically recommend the game for single-player experiences, finding it more stable and enjoyable when played solo. There are cautions against co-op due to potential issues, particularly when attempting full achievement completion or dealing with general game instability.
- Mixed Legacy Comparisons (weight 0.09): There's a mixed sentiment when comparing this game to earlier Saints Row titles, particularly SR2 and SR3. Some players find it an improvement or a worthy continuation, while others express a preference for the predecessors or highlight issues in this installment compared to them.
- Moderate Playtime, Limited Replay (weight 0.02): The main story is estimated to take 10-12 hours, extending to 20-25 hours for 100% completion including side quests and collectibles. However, some players note that replayability is limited after a single full playthrough, especially once all achievements are obtained.

Other player notes:
- Divergent franchise direction from SR3 (weight 0.13): Many players perceive Saints Row IV as a major shift from Saints Row 3, often feeling more like a 'DLC' or 'SR3.5' due to its increased focus on superpowers and less realistic gameplay. This departure disappointed some long-time fans who preferred the grounded, yet unique, tone of its predecessor, while others appreciated the game's intentional self-parody.
- Strong player loyalty and nostalgia (weight 0.12): Many players show significant dedication, logging hundreds or even thousands of hours across various platforms and years, often returning to the game out of nostalgia. This enduring appeal is frequently tied to fond memories of playing the game during their younger years.
- Mixed reception and minor flaws (weight 0.08): Overall player impressions are varied, with feedback ranging from 'alright' to 'fun for 5-10 hours initially,' acknowledging its flaws and potentially outdated graphics. While not considered a masterpiece, it maintains a unique appeal despite varied score assignments and notes about initial issues like controller lag.
- Mixed achievement quality (weight 0.03): The game's achievements offer a mixed experience; some are enjoyable, while others are described as grindy, requiring extensive collection or repetitive actions. Online co-op achievements are noted as a potential obstacle for players aiming for 100% completion.
- Consistent GTA alternative (weight 0.03): The game is frequently compared to other open-world titles like Grand Theft Auto, Just Cause, and Prototype. It distinguishes itself by offering a less realistic and more satirical experience, solidifying its position as a unique and consistent alternative within the genre.
- Developer Volition's legacy (weight 0.02): Players recall the original intent of developer Volition to create a strong competitor to Grand Theft Auto. There is a sense of nostalgia for 'old Volition,' acknowledging the studio's journey, especially through challenging periods like THQ's bankruptcy.
- Extensive DLC content (weight 0.01): The game includes a substantial amount of downloadable content, notably the standalone 'Gat out of Hell,' which adds several hours of unique gameplay. Some players observed that not all DLCs were bundled together and had to be acquired separately.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.33): Players experienced significant frustration due to numerous game-breaking bugs, constant crashes (especially in co-op mode), and severe performance issues. Technical problems like loss of progress, inability to launch the game, and incompatibility with hardware or mods were frequently cited. The mandatory integration of the Epic Games Launcher and negative impacts from game updates also contributed to player annoyance.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.3): Satisfaction stemmed from the game's humor, engaging action, and killer soundtrack. Players appreciated the abundance of content, character customization, and the overall quality of the gameplay, often finding it a worthy continuation of Saints Row 3. The game's over-the-top nature, superhero elements, and good performance on various hardware also contributed to a positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.26): Players felt disappointment due to the game's buggy and unstable technical state, which often made co-op unplayable or ruined the overall experience. The perceived departure from the Saints Row franchise identity, including a far-fetched story and excessive absurdity, also let players down. Many felt the game reused too many assets from its predecessor and lacked innovation, making it feel like an oversized DLC rather than a full sequel.
- Excitement (weight 0.16): Excitement was generated by the game's chaotic, action-packed gameplay, especially the unique superpowers and alien combat scenarios. Players enjoyed the sense of unlimited freedom, the game's madness, and its exaggerated humor. The engaging story elements and the overall unique blend of genres also contributed to an addictive and thrilling experience.
- Joy (weight 0.14): Players experienced joy from the game's absurd humor, over-the-top action, and the power fantasy offered by superpowers. The fun gameplay, interesting characters, and the ability to play with friends in co-op mode were frequently highlighted. Unique mechanics like the Dubstep Gun and the game's ability to provide constant entertainment and stress relief also brought immense enjoyment.
- Amusement (weight 0.11): Amusement arose from the game's humor, satire, and absurd premise, which often included pop culture references and bizarre moments. Players found the over-the-top story, character interactions, and quirky gameplay features like the Dubstep Gun hilarious. The game's unrestrained nature and ability to mock everything contributed to its comedic appeal.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players generally enjoyed the game for its diverse gameplay, humorous plot, and fun DLCs. The core experience, including superpowers, weapon customization, and cooperative play, provided many hours of entertainment. The game's ability to be a relaxing, mindless, and fun adventure despite its flaws was frequently mentioned.
- Anger (weight 0.06): Anger stemmed from the game being broken by updates, leading to unplayable states, lost progress, and constant crashes, particularly in co-op. Players were frustrated by the developers' inaction in fixing long-standing bugs and the forced integration of the Epic Games Launcher. The inability to get refunds for a broken game and the game's overall poor quality on PC also fueled player rage.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.04): Nostalgia was evoked by the game's callbacks to older Saints Row titles, reminding players of previous games in the series or their childhood experiences. Revisiting a beloved game from the past, particularly from Saints Row 3, brought back fond memories. The game's ability to connect to past entries and the humor of older titles were strong drivers of this emotion.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom set in due to the game's limited replayability, repetitive missions, and a predictable or weak narrative. Players found the game too easy and monotonous after a while, with superpowers often making other gameplay mechanics feel obsolete. The reused map and repetitive side quests from Saints Row 3 also contributed to a lack of sustained interest.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance was caused by frequent game crashes, automatic closures, and unreliable save files, which interrupted gameplay. Intrusive pop-ups, particularly from the Epic Games Launcher, and repetitive side hustles were also sources of irritation. Some players found the game's humor outdated or cringey, further contributing to their vexation.
- Helpfulness (weight 0.01): This emotion describes players who actively sought to assist others by sharing solutions and workarounds for common technical issues. Their contributions included providing detailed advice for game-breaking bugs, performance problems, and localization challenges. This collaborative spirit aimed to improve the game experience for the wider community.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game stemmed from a deep affection for the Saints Row series, particularly the original state of Saints Row 4 and its superhero gameplay. Players adored specific characters like Johnny Gat and Shaundi, praising the game's crazy sandbox nature that turned glitches into advantages. Many considered it one of the best games they had ever played, appreciating its enduring charm and unique experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration was shown for the game's unique approach to satire and irony, its original and creative concept, and its strong writing and themes. Players appreciated its ability to rival other open-world titles like Just Cause 3, often calling it a classic. The character creator and the game's overall creative design also earned high praise.
- Neutrality (weight 0.01): Neutrality reflected a detached perspective, with players often providing factual information about game installation, versions, or account requirements without strong emotional bias. It also encompassed opinions that the game was 'alright,' 'average,' or not the top of the franchise, acknowledging flaws without significant positive or negative sentiment.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from the game's escalating absurdity and its departure from traditional gameplay, making the plot unclear or hard to follow. Players were often puzzled by missing purchased DLCs, uncertainty about technical solutions, or why an older game was suddenly receiving negative attention. The significant shift in the series' identity also contributed to player bewilderment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation was expressed for the game's superior optimization on PC, the stability of its legacy versions, and its unique and 'mad' qualities. Players valued the game's absurdity and its distinctiveness compared to modern titles. The game's potential role as a franchise send-off was also a point of gratitude.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players felt relief upon finding workarounds or solutions to previously unplayable technical issues, allowing them to finally enjoy the game. This emotion was also associated with the game serving as a tool for stress relief and venting frustration. Positive resolution of problems, such as a CPU usage fix or dismissible Epic Games Launcher pop-ups, brought comfort.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness stemmed from the buggy co-op preventing players from enjoying the game with friends, or from the closure of the game studio. Some players felt a sense of loss over the game's unfulfilled potential, believing it could have been great with more effort. The necessity of leaving a negative review despite personal enjoyment also contributed to this emotion.
- Acceptance (weight 0.01): Acceptance involved players acknowledging the game's minor technical issues, bugs, or nonsensical story, yet still finding it playable and enjoyable. This perspective allowed them to embrace the game's over-the-top direction and focus on the fun aspects despite its flaws. The ability to overlook imperfections contributed to a more positive overall experience.}