Saints Row IV: Re-Elected review - Silly, over the top, laugh-a-minute fun gaming

When Saints Row IV came out in 2013 it was met with a largely favourable reception.

Two years later, it was ported for PS4 and Xbox One and now it has been re-mastered for Nintendo Switch. But how does a re-master fare another five years on?

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Saints Row IV was widely praised for its over-the-top humor and character customisation options. But many felt it was all a bit too easy.

Gamers of a certain age will remember Saints Row first started out as a serious attempt to rival the Grand Theft Auto series. Now, in Saints Row IV Re-Elected, you are the leader of the 3rd Street Saints - the gang that has become the world's most powerful organisation - and you must fend off an alien invasion after becoming the President of the United States and receiving superpowers.

The fact is few games can co-exist with GTA. But Saints Row has managed to stay in the mix all these years later, and nobody does mad, messed up fun like Volition’s big hitter.

Great fun - but a few issues

You will be pleased to know nothing has changed on that front. Except now you can enjoy it on the go when you are using the Switch in handheld mode. What’s not to love about that? It is a major plus point in so many ways, but, in others, not so much. More on that in a moment.

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The soundtrack is as awesome as the game itself. This is power fantasy on another level. The closest anything I’ve played comes to this is the brilliant Crackdown.

The port is super cool but there are a few niggling issues. Playing on the smaller screen can be tricky when there is lots going on, and the best playing experience is undoubtedly on your TV.

There is also a control issue, both in handheld mode and if you don’t own an alternative control pad to the Joy Cons, as the sticks lack the size and sensitivity accuracy of the PS4 and XB1. This can be tweaked and improved in the settings, but your initial playthrough will be hard work when it comes to shootouts. If you can swing it, I’d recommend getting a pro pad for the best user experience.

Exploring and bounding around the landscape then racing through the city streets is thrilling, though.

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Switch owners are getting the full package with Re-Elected. All post-launch DLC is included but the only genuinely ‘new’ addition is the motion control support. The gyro controls, which were so hit and miss in Overwatch, actually offer a much-needed level of assistance in SR4.

Co-op mode is a must to glean the full enjoyment from this wacky rollercoaster ride.

Perfect for the Switch

Saints Row continues to do what is says on the tin. Silly, over the top, laugh-a-minute fun gaming that offers very little challenge in difficulty for the average gamer. It seems the Switch is the perfect home for this action-packed open world.

SR4 Re-Elected is a reliable and worthy port, particularly for anyone new to the series or a Switch.

And it has given us a glimpse of what might be possible in future iterations done the line.

Out: NowRating: 8/10

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