Volition took a massive gamble back in 2013. They looked at the grounded, gritty urban crime drama that Grand Theft Auto was perfecting and decided to go the opposite way. They went into space. They added superpowers. They made the leader of the Saints Row 4 Saints the President of the United States.
It was weird. It was loud. Honestly, it was exactly what the franchise needed to escape the shadow of being a "clone."
If you look back at the trajectory of the Third Street Saints, the jump from the second game to the fourth is jarring. We went from fighting over street corners in Stilwater to leaping over skyscrapers in a simulated version of Steelport. It basically turned a crime simulator into a superhero sandbox. Some fans hated it. Most people, however, found themselves addicted to the sheer momentum of it all. You aren't just a gang leader anymore; you're a god-tier entity wearing a purple suit.
The Evolution of the Saints Row 4 Saints
The crew you roll with in this game isn't just a random assortment of NPCs. These are legacy characters. You've got Shaundi, who went from a laid-back stoner in the second game to a high-strung tactical lead. There’s Pierce, the perpetual butt of every joke who somehow keeps the marketing machine running. And, of course, Johnny Gat.
Gat’s return in this game was a huge deal for the community. After his "off-screen" death in Saints Row: The Third, fans were livid. Bringing him back as a rescue mission inside the Zin simulation was Volition’s way of admitting they messed up. It solidified the Saints Row 4 Saints as a family rather than just a hierarchy.
The chemistry works because the game doesn't take itself seriously. You’ll be in the middle of a world-ending alien invasion, and the Boss will start singing "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie with Pierce. It’s human. It’s stupidly charming. It’s the kind of character development you don't usually see in games where you can also hit people with a Dubstep Gun.
Why the Simulation Setting Changed Everything
By moving the action into a computer simulation run by Zinyak, the developers unshackled the gameplay.
In previous entries, you had to drive. Driving in games is fine, but in Saints Row 4, it became obsolete within the first hour. Why drive a car when you can sprint faster than a Bugatti? Why find a ramp when you can leap over a cathedral? This shift changed the identity of the Saints Row 4 Saints from a street gang to a paramilitary force of super-powered misfits.
The simulation allowed for "glitches." This gave the art team permission to get experimental. You’d see the skybox shatter or pedestrians turn into pixelated messes. It felt like a love letter to The Matrix, but with more crude humor.
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Power Creep and the Death of Difficulty
Let’s talk about the powers. They are broken. Completely, hilariously broken.
Once you upgrade your "Buff" and "Blast" abilities, the aliens—the Zin—cease to be a threat. They become fodder. Some critics argued this killed the tension. They weren't wrong. If you can freeze an entire block of enemies and then shatter them with a single stomp, the stakes feel lower.
But that’s sort of the point.
The Saints Row 4 Saints were never about the struggle of the underdog after the first two games. They were about the absurdity of absolute power. The game asks: "What would a sociopathic gang leader do if they had the powers of Neo?" The answer is usually "cause a lot of explosions while wearing a mascot outfit."
The Supporting Cast Matters More Than the Plot
The plot is thin. Zinyak blows up Earth (a bold move, frankly), and you spend the rest of the time getting the band back together.
But the "Loyalty Missions" are where the writing shines. These missions are direct parodies of Mass Effect. You go into the personal nightmares of your crew members to rescue them.
- Benjamin King: Seeing the return of the Vice Kings leader from the first game was a deep cut for long-time fans. His mission is a noir-inspired throwback that reminds you where the Saints started.
- Kinzie Kensington: Her dynamic with the Boss is the highlight of the game. She’s the brains, you’re the muscle, and the constant bickering keeps the dialogue from becoming stale.
- Keith David: Yes, Keith David plays himself. As the Vice President. It’s meta, it’s confusing, and it works perfectly within the logic of this universe.
The interactions on the ship between missions—the "Ship Life"—actually give you a reason to care about these pixels. You can "romance" everyone. And by romance, the game means you walk up to them, press a button, and immediately cut to a hilarious, awkward fade-to-black. It mocks the very systems other RPGs take so seriously.
The Legacy of Steelport
A common complaint is that the map is a recycled version of the one from Saints Row: The Third.
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It is.
However, the way you traverse it makes it feel different. In the third game, Steelport felt a bit gray and lifeless compared to the vibrant Stilwater of old. In the fourth, because you’re looking at it from 500 feet in the air or through a neon-tinted "alien" filter, the layout matters less than the verticality.
The verticality is what saves it. Collecting Data Clusters—the glowing blue orbs scattered across rooftops—is one of those "just one more" gameplay loops that actually works. It turns the city into a giant platforming level. If you're looking for a deep, living city like Cyberpunk 2077, you won't find it here. But if you want a playground, it’s top-tier.
How to Actually Play Saints Row 4 in 2026
If you’re picking this up now, especially the Re-Elected version or on modern hardware, there are a few things you should know.
First, don't ignore the side content. The "Rifts" and "Mayhem" activities aren't just filler; they are the primary way you earn the currency needed to make your powers feel truly god-like. If you just rush the story, you’ll miss the peak of the power curve.
Second, play co-op. This game was designed for two people to wreak havoc. Having two Presidents with super-speed running through the city is pure chaos. It’s one of the few games where the "second player" isn't just a sidekick but a full-fledged agent of destruction.
Dealing with the "Not My Saints" Argument
There is a vocal segment of the fanbase that believes the Saints Row 4 Saints went too far. They miss the days of Saints Row 2, where the tone was a mix of The Sopranos and Looney Tunes.
It’s a valid critique. By the time you’re fighting a giant soda mascot in a virtual city, you’ve strayed pretty far from "defending the hood."
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But looking at the 2022 reboot, which tried to split the difference and failed to capture much of anything, the fourth game looks better in hindsight. It had a vision. It was "The Big Ending" for that specific iteration of the characters. It wasn't trying to be realistic; it was trying to be a celebration of everything the series had become.
Common Technical Fixes for Modern Systems
Even in 2026, the PC port can be a bit finicky. If you're experiencing crashes, the first thing to check is your framerate. The physics engine in Saints Row 4 is tied to the tick rate, and running it at 240Hz can sometimes cause weird clipping issues or make the "Super Sprint" feel unresponsive. Capping it at 60 or 120 usually stabilizes things.
Also, look into the "Saints Row IV Workshop." There are mods that restore cut content or tweak the lighting to make the simulation look a bit more modern. The community has kept this game alive long after Volition's unfortunate closure.
Making the Most of Your Superpowers
To really dominate as the leader of the Saints Row 4 Saints, you need to prioritize your upgrades correctly.
- Sprint Wall Running: Get this early. It changes how you move through the city and makes collecting clusters much faster.
- Death from Above: This isn't just a move; it's a nuke. Once fully upgraded, it clears entire plazas of enemies.
- The Dubstep Gun: Don't just treat it as a meme. The "Explosive" upgrade on the Dubstep Gun makes it one of the most effective crowd-control weapons in the game. Plus, the soundtrack changes based on the skin you apply.
Realizing the Depth of the Parody
The game is a massive satire of the gaming industry itself.
From the Metal Gear Solid stealth parody—where you literally hide under a cardboard box—to the side-scrolling beat-'em-up level, it’s a game made by people who love games. It mocks the "Press X to Jason" style of QTEs and the trope of the silent protagonist.
When you look at the Saints Row 4 Saints, you’re looking at a time capsule of 2013-2014 internet culture. Dubstep, "freedom," and over-the-top action movies. It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s unapologetically fun.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you're ready to dive back into the simulation, here is how you should approach it to get the most value out of the experience:
- Focus on the Orbs first: Spend thirty minutes just running around the map collecting Data Clusters. This will jump-start your power levels and make the early-game missions feel much smoother.
- Rotate your crew: Don't just stick with Gat. Bring different homies on missions to hear the unique dialogue. The banter between Ben King and Shaundi is particularly gold.
- Ignore the cars: Seriously. Unless a mission forces you to drive, use your powers. The game is designed around the "flow" of jumping and gliding. Stopping to drive a sedan feels like a regression.
- Check the DLC: If you have the Re-Elected version, you have access to Enter the Dominatrix. It’s a "behind the scenes" mockumentary that explains why the game ended up being about aliens. It’s arguably funnier than the main campaign.
The story of the Saints Row 4 Saints is one of escalation. It’s what happens when a developer decides to stop worrying about competition and just leans into the most "video game" version of their world. It might not be a masterpiece of storytelling, but as a power fantasy, it remains largely unmatched in the open-world genre.
Don't overthink the plot. Just jump off the highest building you can find, trigger your fire-shield, and see how much of the city you can set on fire before you hit the ground. That is the true Saints experience.