There’s so little time to enjoy Serious Sam 4‘s attempt at breaking the horde shooter formula in a fun way. A shame since the huge maps made to accommodate vehicles end up being an utter chore to drive/walk around through when there are no enemies. Most are jam-packed in the middle of the game, leaving the beginning and end much less exciting. Only four of the chapters feature vehicles. While the vehicle section is a nice change of pace, it comes too late and doesn’t get used enough. It’s a shame this doesn’t use the Legion System better, but who doesn’t love using a powerful mech? There’s also a giant mech you use to take out numerous enemies. Mowing down enemies and shooting armed hitchhikers in the face on a harvester is definitely one of the highlights of Serious Sam 4. The last big addition is vehicles that come when the game areas open up into the countryside. Adding on the skill system takes away from the dumb fun that Serious Sam is known for. This kind of progression works great already. When you thought you already got overpowered, the game still manages to throw you even more powerful weapons at your disposal like the attachment for Lasergun. You get dual-wielding by finding another set of the same weapon. The only progression system Serious Sam has ever needed is weapon upgrades.
The skill point system from the Serious Sam VR spinoff also makes a comeback, that I personally feel has no place in this game. While your teammates’ banter isn’t something to write home about, you will miss the additional firepower and distraction when they’re not around. You can choose to ignore them if you wish, but they’re extremely helpful for thinning out Mental’s relentless armies.Īnother addition comes in the form of AI teammates. From combat drones, chainsaw launchers, time stoppers, to a miniaturized black hole, you name it. As a first in the series, aside from hiding bonuses and deadly traps, Croteam also added side-quests that will give you extra toys to play around with. Not saying the older Serious Sam titles didn’t have “obvious arena” segments but the implementations were much better.ĭid I just mention “side-quest”? Yes, Serious Sam 4 adds a few new features to the main game - with mixed results.
Go through narrow corridors, sometimes take one or two detours for secrets or keys (or side-quests), get to a courtyard littered with items, a fight breaks out, rinse and repeat. That means the game is mostly set in urban areas, so most of the time it feels like you’re railroaded into specific routes with barely any puzzles. To get back into that point of time again, Sam and members of the EDF have to navigate through Rome first.
A flashback ensues, and things can only go downhill from there. Alas, after just a few seconds enjoying the mayhem, Sam got knocked out by one of the big baddies. This scene sets the stage for Serious Sam 4‘s and particularly, the Legion System, a “trick” that lets Croteam put in 100,000 AIs on one map. The game instantly opens with you, as Sam “Serious” Stone, and thousands of faceless Earth Defense Force members already facing down waves of Mental’s alien horde in a very large, chaotic open field. Unfortunately, they took one hop forward and two hops back. After Jewel of the Nile, it shouldn’t be too hard for Croteam to mess around with the formula in the latest entry Serious Sam 4. The concept is simple: hundreds of enemies on-screen, wide areas to maneuver, and try not to die. Serious Sam is one of the few games that’s keeping the “horde shooter” FPS sub-genre alive to this very day that not even today’s Doom can recreate.
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