Recent reviews by Smock

This size of this game is massive!
Even without any of the DLC there's lots to do in this game.
When you do decide to pick up the DLC (a steal when on offer!) it adds a lot to the game - some of them have special game modes like the heavy transport, with escort vehicles.

Driving seems straightforward, there's no weird jankyness of controls or anything.

Most importantly though, the devs are still updating this game - not just creating content for DLC, but updating existing content, whether it's the game engine or already released maps

Keep on trucking!

Please bear in mind I bought this as part of the platinum pack (most DLC + SR3 remasters) at 70% discount

For the price I paid, I would recommend this.. just about.

For me, the main story missions are probably only 20% of the game, and I think this is where a lot of people had their initial issue - new characters, odd dialogue (some say 'woke' but I'm not sure about that), and I would agree that I did find some scenes very strange. Worrying about whether they could afford a waffle toaster (just steal one?) or pay rent (seriously??) and drinking from mugs (it honestly looked like they were settling in for a night of watching TV with some hot cocoa). It was just all slightly off, and not really 'saints row'. It does slightly improve in the action parts of missions, but it's still all very odd from a game of this type (let alone a SR title).

The other 80% of the game - customisation of vehicles, clothes, tattoos, territory wars, building your empire up, stealing cars, robbing stuff, side hustles, is a lot more in keeping with other saints row titles - I can see how this is a progression of sorts. But I do miss certain ones from SR2 or SR3, in particular genki bowl, and there are a few other absences. (I get that murder circus is similar to genki bowl, but you're not playing as yourself).

For me the big let down, is that nothing is particular amazing. The whole experience is just very unambitious. There's nothing particularly about this game that marks it out from a bunch of others. i think if you even filled it with the old SR characters and script writing, it would still be a fairly mediocre affair. It's just pretty lacklustre overall.

SR2 and SR3 are titles I've played through 2 or 3 times each (and am going through SR3 remasters now), and while I have basically 100% this new one, I honestly can't say I'd want to play it through ever again.

This is why I might recommend it at perhaps 50% off or greater (75% I would say pull the trigger), but just know that the main missions and dialogue might irk you slightly.

There is a fantastic little puzzle game at the heart of this. Unlike other puzzle games, when adding new features to how puzzles work, to increase the complexity, the difficulty doesn't seem to ramp up too hard. I still felt like I had a good chance of solving all the puzzles in the late game.

Add to this the atmospheric music, and the strangely haunting concept of basically hiding yourself away, and this is indeed a hidden gem ;-)

A charming puzzle game that starts off really simple, but then adds levels of compexity as you go.

Not gonna lie, the difficulty really does rampm up to the mid-end games. I had to look up half of the late stage puzzles and almost all of the final ones. It still felt satisfying finishing the game though!!

Looks like it could have been a fun little game, at least for those who don't invert mouse.
However, if like me you're an invert-y, the lack of support for invert mouse makes this impossible to play.

Dev says they won't include it, so refunding.

I've only come across 2 other games that didn't have invert mouse support on release in the last few years, and both of them listened to the community and added the feature in.

Real shame.

(If they do ever include it though, I will pick it up again)

Not having played the original Mafia, but having played the original Mafia 2 (was decent) and Mafia 3 (was boring/glitchy) I was hesitant to stump up the cash for this.

I'm glad I did though, it turned out to be a real gem.

I can't comment on how it compares to the original, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I felt the voice and motion acting was brilliant (there's some really great humour in there at times too), really displaying emotions really well - you get a sense of the camaraderie between the main (and supporting) characters.

The driving is good - all the cars handle differently, and weather effects the way they handle too, but they all handle pretty well as can be expected for 30's cars (and this was on keyboard, not controller).

The shooting/fighting is pretty decent. You can't just run and gun - you need to counterattack in fighting and take cover in shootouts.

The collectibles are quite fun to gather up as you go and in freeride, and really convey a sense of the time.

The open world city (when you get to explore it) feel pretty vibrant (and downbeat) and alive.

The cops are quite decent. offences ramp up from just giving you a fine to shoot on sight, and it's difficult but quite possible to lose them even at higher levels.

All in all, this game is a complete gem, and I would have no regrets in recommending this to others.
(Especially if it's on offer!)

Once I got past the (slightly) quirky controls (probably due to it's port) this game did not disappoint!

Having played the original in the 90's, and then replayed it recently ready for this sequel, brought back such nostalgia, and it flowed into this sequel - it has the feel of the old point and click adventures I so loved back in the day but with a 3d world+interface that works (looking at you grim fandango).

Thoroughly the whole thing (some great easter eggs too).

Da Iawn!

p.s. leet is great!

This game is amazing!

It's really well thought out puzzler at heart, but with such a fresh take on the 'leading character'

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire time, learning the new skills to apply to new puzzle types.

Heartily recommend!

I really enjoyed this.

It's actually clever the way it's put together - to get you to progress further.

and yes - I jumped out of my skin at least 3 or 4 times !!

Surprisingly good (witty and weird) narrative on some of the jobs.

A decent and fun game - not as challenging as it used to be, but still a fair challenge