It's pretty evident that this should spend more time in the oven, as it has many issues, like strangely empty areas, secrets that are mind-bogglingly annoying to reach (usually through some very bad platforming), enemies that get stuck in level geometry, and a frame-rate that constantly struggles to stay put, even when one does something as simple as shooting a double-barrelled shotgun, which is not exactly a good omen for a series which revolves around epic battlegrounds.ĭespite the many years it took to develop this, Croteam's creation feels rushed. As for the action, it can get super-wild, but it kind of lacks the smart design of what came before, with most combat scenarios lacking imagination, and sometimes even feeling like it's less about playing methodically, and more about using Sam's new gadgets to save his behinds, which include miniature nukes and black holes(?!). A stage in France, for instance, is 100km2 or something, but just to be so. To be honest, though, while it's nice how this turns everything to eleven, this can occasionally be its problem. The streets of Rome, the French countryside, and the barren fields of Tunguska aren't exactly next-gen, but they look awesome, with the scale sometimes putting Skyrim to shame. It's also great how it ditches the claustrophobic corridors of Serious Sam 3, as well as its less vibrant colour palette, while also keeping its level of detail. Thankfully, this is very, very entertaining, even if it is quite rough around the edges (more on that later), and although, like Serious Sam 3 before it, kind of starts a bit slower than what's expected, with small encounters that feel very… non-Serious Sam.įortunately, this soon remembers what Serious Sam is all about (killing a crazy number of enemies, in enormous arenas), and becomes an extremely enjoyable and cathartic affair. Luckily, all this negativity mainly stems from the crashed hopes of yours truly, who expected Croteam to finally learn from its history, and offer the best entry yet, whereas the developer just crafted one more Serious Sam game. Weapons are upgradeable, so the shotgun can throw grenades, and the rocket launcher can spit five projectiles at once, but it all feels like a small step forwards, whereas other "reborn" shooters, like the excellent DOOM Eternal, dared to be major game changers. Moreover, this title isn't eager to try new things. This is tied to a skill tree that has no place in such a game, with half the abilities focusing on melee finishers, which have no place here as well. Sadly, while great fun, this leans more towards Serious Sam 3, rather than the original duology, and lacks the polish, and overall smart design of the latter. Those who go into a Serious Sam game simply want… more Serious Sam! That's not to say that nothing has changed, of course.Īpart from the typical bestiary of the franchise, with the - now iconic - running kamikazes, undead skeleton horses, machine gun-wielding scorpions, and magic-spitting, four-armed lizards, this brings forth a couple of new bad guys and gals, which manage to spice things up significantly, especially after they start attacking in large numbers, or in groups that include various types of minions, forcing the one doing all the shooting to keep many balls in the air, and think when to do what, and how.Ĭoncerning the weapons, this is a case of "don't fix what isn't broken," as it keeps Sam's boomsticks, and simply offers him the chance to dual-wield them, making the whole thing even more ridiculously over-the-top, as players can now carry a minigun in both hands, rain hot, murderous lead in a sea of aliens, and wipe them out in mere seconds. Serious Sam 4 is basically a more "modern-looking" Serious Sam 3: BFE that, tiny amount of additions put aside, is still nothing more than having the titular macho hero blasting away swarms of enemies. In true Serious Sam tradition, this takes everything from the past, and simply repackages it, with new textures, and a new engine powering it all.
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