What Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is a third-person action game set in a bizarro-Steelport simulation after an alien invasion of Earth. You play as the Boss of the Saints, who has been elected President of the United States, and the story takes you across countries, time and space as you fight to free humanity from the alien overlord Zinyak and his empire. The game leans hard into comedy and parody, so expect the tone to stay loose and absurd even during combat. Alongside the main campaign, this version includes 25 DLC packs, among them the Dubstep Gun (Remix) Pack, the Presidential Pack, the Commander-In-Chief Pack, and two episodic story expansions: Enter The Dominatrix and How The Saints Save Christmas.
Playing it together
The game supports online co-op, so you and a friend can work through the open world and the story side by side. You fight alongside homies new and old, and the co-op play fits the sandbox structure: there is a whole city of activities and mayhem to share rather than a fixed set of missions you must take in order. Since the game is built around superpowers and heavy firepower, two players tearing through the simulation together keeps the pace fast and the chaos doubled.
Powers, weapons and customization
Movement and combat are built around superpowers: you can leap over buildings, kill with your mind, and run through tanks. On top of that you get an array of alien vehicles and weapons, including the Inflato-Ray, the Polarizer and the Disintegrator. Character customization covers your character and your clothes, and there is a separate weapon customization system, so you can shape both how you look and what you shoot.
Before you start
This is an open-world sandbox with a long story plus DLC expansions, so set aside time if you plan to run the whole thing. The humor includes dark humor and parody, which is worth knowing before you jump in with a group. Check that everyone is set up for online co-op before you begin so you can play through the simulation together.