
At first, the game feels acceptable, with lots of enemies but as long as you manage them effectively you'll come out victorious. If you happen to die in a problematic location when respawning means death again the game will offer you the chance to reload to an earlier save or reduce the difficulty.ĭifficulty in video games is a fickle topic due to varying levels of skill but Serious Sam 4 had a hard time finding that nice balance. This is made possible due to death locking being possible. Sometimes there are so many enemies they get caught in the environment, forcing me to look for this 1 enemy so I can progress. Checkpoints are plentiful and you can reload saves within stages if you die too much. Despite some of these areas not being gated the game will punish you for leaving by having the enemies chase you even into other areas. Often these areas are large pieces of flat and occasionally sloped land with a handful of assets plop around for environmental variety. These include multiple phases often with ads peppered in that require the player to manage between both.įights are isolated into arenas and since Sam lacks any mobility pass running the developers would need to craft some unique areas to keep things dynamic but they don't. This coupled with trees often hiding enemies and things can become rage-inducing. During the final levels, it can become frustrating due to this system as enemies can spam attacks such as AOE fire, missiles, and mini-guns with no cover for Sam and little health. The boss fights are grand affairs against intense opponents. You're given mostly enough ammo to deal with targets but the enemies have near-perfect accuracy with all weapons and attacks. Often you'll face a combination of enemies that can feel one-sided. Getting to the end of each stage will require a great deal of mettle as the game is not easy. Despite this being the core of Serious Sam 4 if too many enemies are present the game will slow down and during narrative fights, it's not uncommon to see enemy models overlap one another. There is a decent selection of alien targets with most looking like they came from DOOM with each one having specific attacks. The core of Serious Sam 4 is blasting through aliens and the game provides lots of enemies.
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These are totally optional and mostly placed in easy to reach areas with full voice-acting.

These provide insight into how people are helping the war or annoyed by the shift. The game does attempt to showcase how the war has altered the planet and civilization with adequate collectables.

Thankfully you don't have to babysit anyone since they do not have health bars. Some fight alongside you and are capable fighters but the game balances this by sending more enemies your way. Kenneth is a newbie to war but wants to impress Sam, Rodriguez is a veteran soldier similar to Sam, Fiona Starr also known as Hellfire is equal to Sam in combat and quirks even serving as his love interest, and many more join the fray. Sam is the leader and is a single-minded individual focused on his goal and wanting nothing more than the save Earth. The voice work for each of the characters is decent with each one having distinguishable personalities.

Sometimes the characters will call back to earlier experiences but the narrative mostly remains focused on what's happening now. The developers do attempt to create some comradery and somber moments but due to that lackluster connection doesn't hit especially given the tone of the game. The game doesn't attempt to get newcomers up to speed but it's not necessary as the primary focus is just to save Earth. Along with his close allies, Sam leads the attack against an alien force led by Mental. Players take control of Sam Stone, a harden soldier known for snappy 1-liners and killing aliens. Serious Sam 4 comes with the bare minimum and leaves without much of a bang.
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Unless you're a hardcore fan of the series many other titles such as DOOM Eternal, Ion Maiden, and Dusk deliver more than Sam can offer. It's your basic first-person shooter but it can become incredibly challenging especially during the final levels.

Despite running on a PS5 the game can lag when too many enemies are on screen, death locks are possible, and graphical and technical issues are abundant. It doesn't try to be profound and focuses on Sam and his friend plowing through hundreds of enemies using an array of guns. Serious Sam 4 is all about cheesy one-liners as you blast your way through hordes of aliens.
