Saints Row 4 promises to be on of the most outlandish games in what already is quite the over-the-top series. But the path the game has taken has been quite rocky. THQ, the publishing company that had been producing the series since 2006, recently went bankrupt. If it was not for Deep Silver buying the franchise, we could possibly have not seen the continuation of Saints Row. Saints Row 4 producer Jim Boone reflects on the uncertainty of the time to Eurogamer:
"THQ had been going through a lot of struggles for years. Honestly, the last day, really at the bankruptcy court, that was the first time that it was clear that THQ wasn't going to be around. When the individual bidding was finished, that was the first time everyone was like, 'Oh wow, this is actually happening.'"
However, the game has been able to overcome these challenges, and, because the game started development in 2011, faced minimal delays after the sale of Volition and Saints Row. Furthermore, the next game in the series manages to bring even more ridiculousness to the series.
In Saints Row 4, the President of the United States is a member of the gang, and faces an alien threat that invades the world. using a combination of newly-acquired superpowers and ridiculous weapons, players must fight off the aliens and save the world. For the first time in the series, weapons are all fully customizable. Players will be able to use standard weaponry, or get crazy with a gun the blast dubstep wobble bass at enemies, as well as a gun that inflates heads to cartoonish proportions until they explode.
Superpowers add another layer of chaos to the mix. Now players can use superspeed, telekinesis, freezing powers, and others to dish out punishment to the bad guys (and civilians) populating Steelport. Clearly, there will be many, many ways players can play through the open world adventure game. Whether messing with civilians going about their day, or playing through the story linearly, Saints Row 4 offers a completely unique experience to whomever plays it. Look for the game to come out in August.