Saints Row IV: Game of the Century Edition

Saints Row IV: Game of the Century Edition is a PC open-world action game that combines third-person shooting, sandbox exploration, superhero movement, and deliberately absurd comedy. On current PC storefronts, this complete version is generally sold as Saints Row IV: Re-Elected, while Game of the Century Edition remains an important legacy name for the all-content package.

Steelport becomes a superpowered playground

The story places the Boss in the White House before an alien invasion tears the Saints away from ordinary politics. Much of the game takes place inside a distorted simulation of Steelport, where the goal is to resist the Zin empire, rescue allies, and undermine alien overlord Zinyak.

That setup changes the usual Saints Row formula. Cars and firearms still matter, but the main movement loop quickly becomes super speed, super jumps, gliding, and long-distance traversal across rooftops. Reaching a mission marker is often an activity in itself, especially once the Boss can cross several blocks without touching the street.

Combat is built around a third-person perspective and a flexible arsenal of conventional and alien weapons. The Inflato-Ray, Dubstep Gun, Disintegrator, Polarizer, and Singularity Gun give encounters a playful identity that separates Saints Row IV from more grounded crime sandboxes.

Powers, clusters, and the upgrade loop

The defining system is the collection and improvement of the Boss's powers. Floating Data Clusters are scattered throughout the simulation, rewarding players who explore rooftops, bridges, towers, and hard-to-reach corners rather than moving directly from mission to mission.

The power set includes high-speed movement, super jumping, gliding, telekinesis, shockwave attacks, and elemental effects. Upgrades can improve range, duration, recharge behavior, or damage, while optional elements add variations such as fire, ice, and other unusual effects to selected abilities.

Side missions are not merely distractions. Activities and loyalty missions can unlock new powers, weapon improvements, enhanced homies, and additional customization options. The result is a progression loop based less on traditional equipment rarity and more on making an already capable character increasingly disruptive.

Players who enjoy vertical sandbox movement and biologically enhanced combat may also find genuine mechanical overlap with open-world power fantasies such as Prototype 2, although Saints Row IV is far more comedic and less focused on horror or revenge.

Story missions, activities, and optional chaos

The main campaign alternates between cinematic story missions, character-focused loyalty quests, simulation breaches, and open-world activities. The strongest missions use the virtual setting to parody familiar science-fiction and videogame ideas, while the optional content gives players room to experiment with powers and weapons.

Returning activities include variations on insurance fraud, combat challenges, vehicle-based destruction, and Professor Genki's strange arena games. With super speed, telekinesis, and shockwave abilities available, familiar Saints Row activities often play differently from their earlier versions.

The game also includes character customization, allowing players to adjust the Boss's appearance, clothing, voice, gender presentation, and overall style. Weapon customization adds another layer of personal expression, letting the same destructive toolset feel more tailored to a preferred approach.

What the Game of the Century package contains

The commercial appeal of this edition is its broad content model. The current Re-Elected package is presented as including all available DLC, with storefront listings identifying 25 DLC packs across weapons, costumes, novelty items, and story content.

Notable inclusions include the Enter the Dominatrix story expansion and How the Saints Save Christmas. The bundle also includes the Dubstep Gun (Remix) Pack, Presidential Pack, and Commander-in-Chief Pack, alongside smaller customization and gameplay additions.

This distinction matters when comparing old listings. Game of the Century Edition is not the primary name used by the current Steam and GOG listings covered by this guide; Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is the current storefront identity for the complete PC release. Searchers using the older name are generally looking for the same all-included experience.

Who should play it?

Saints Row IV suits players who want a fast, unserious sandbox where traversal is almost as entertaining as combat. It is especially strong for fans of superpowered movement, outrageous weapons, character customization, open-world collectibles, and story missions that constantly undercut their own premise with jokes.

The game is less suitable for players seeking realistic driving, restrained writing, tactical gunplay, or a carefully simulated city. Once the Boss becomes extremely mobile, vehicles become optional for much of the game, and some open-world tasks can feel repetitive if approached as a checklist rather than a playground.

Knowledge of earlier Saints Row stories improves the character relationships and callbacks, particularly after Saints Row: The Third. New players can follow the central alien-invasion premise, but some emotional context and returning-character humor will land better with franchise familiarity.

PC features, multiplayer, and platform details

The PC version supports keyboard and mouse play as well as controller support. Steam lists single-player, online co-op, Steam Workshop support, achievements, cloud functionality, and Remote Play on TV among its platform features.

Co-op allows two players to work through the campaign and activities together. The current Re-Elected ecosystem can use Epic Online Services for cross-platform multiplayer between Steam, Epic, and GOG, so online play may involve additional account or service requirements depending on the storefront used.

DRM behavior is storefront-specific. GOG presents its version as DRM-free and offers an offline installer, while multiplayer functionality may require GOG Galaxy or Epic Online Services. Players choosing the PC edition should therefore distinguish between offline single-player access and the separate requirements for online features.

Localization includes English plus German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Japanese text and audio support according to the current GOG listing. Exact language availability can vary by storefront presentation and regional edition.

Related PC sandbox games

For a more focused version of the same superpowered formula, the standalone Saints Row sandbox adventure Gat out of Hell carries over the series' exaggerated movement, weapons, co-op structure, and irreverent tone into a different setting.

Players more interested in the gang-focused setup and Steelport's earlier history can compare the campaign structure with the chaotic open-world crime sandbox Saints Row: The Third. Saints Row IV is the more radical sequel, replacing much of the grounded criminal fantasy with alien simulation mechanics and superhero mobility.

Saints Row IV PC FAQ

Is Game of the Century Edition still the current PC name?

No. On current Steam and GOG storefront listings, the complete PC package is sold as Saints Row IV: Re-Elected. Game of the Century Edition is the legacy name many players still use when searching for the version with the full DLC collection.

Does Re-Elected include the DLC?

Yes. The current package includes all available DLC listed for the edition, including the two episodic story expansions, weapon packs, costume packs, and novelty content.

Can Saints Row IV be played in co-op?

Yes. The game supports two-player online co-op for the campaign and activities. Cross-platform multiplayer may require Epic Online Services and an Epic account, depending on the stores used by both players.

Does it support offline single-player?

Yes, storefront policies differ, but GOG specifically advertises an offline installer and DRM-free single-player access. Online co-op, cloud features, achievements, and cross-platform services are separate considerations.

What makes the PC version different from a standard open-world shooter?

The major distinction is the combination of superpowered traversal, alien weapons, simulation-based activities, upgradeable abilities, and highly customizable character presentation. The game is designed around movement freedom and comic escalation rather than realistic crime drama.

Is Saints Row IV a good entry point for new players?

It is accessible as an action sandbox, but returning characters and story references assume some familiarity with the series. Players can start here for the powers and comedy, while those who want the full narrative context should begin with earlier Saints Row games.