Our review of Saints Row IV: Enter the Dominatrix
Enter the Dominatrix was conceptually designed to be the first expansion for Saints Row: The Third before the downloadable content was canceled and fully realized in Saints Row IV. In the newest add-on, it sheds light on why it didn’t originate in the last game. The expansion has Volition poking fun at themselves with witty writing, funny set pieces, and more Saints wackiness. However, Dominatrix might tarnish the hard work that went into Saints Row IV, due to its lack of polish from start to finish. Sometimes it’s better to bury an idea, and leave it up to wishful thinking about what Enter the Dominatrix could have been.
Previous missions in Saints Row IV involved roaming around Steelport City, where you could cause mass chaos and collect blast clusters to become more powerful. Enter the Dominatrix introduces a reality TV show flair. The point-of-view is presented by the characters through a series of TV interviews, which explain why certain characters were cut from the game. This is an alternate take in how Zinyak, the man villain in Saints Row IV, appeared in the series. However, he barely appears in this DLC. If you were looking for any more explanation into his origin story, then you will be deeply disappointed.
Gameplay has the same problems that plagued Saints Row IV. Large portions of Enter the Dominatrix focus on waves of enemies, but you’re just too powerful. This creates the chaos the series is known for, and it’s one of its major strength. However, I never worried about my health because of my super powers. Ultimately, the gameplay experience becomes boring and predictable. The DLC doesn’t introduce any variety to the missions, so it’s simply just more of the same action that you experienced in the full game.
The biggest problem with the DLC is it purposely tells an incomplete story. Most of the DLC is not finished, leaving you wanting more. Cut scenes are shown in art form and left unrendered. Gameplay segments are jump-cut together on purpose to help piece together a plot that doesn’t really exist in the first place. The extra levels, and extra comedy gags that just fall flat in Enter the Dominatrix.
The design is roughly the same from the original game, which isn’t a surprise. The engine has its bright spot displaying the might of being a super hero, but at times its age really shows. But it’s still a blast to jump into the air while listening to “What is Love” by Haddaway.
If you’re a fan of series, you’ll likely enjoy this more than others, especially for fans of Saints Row The Third. If you aren’t, you’ll be missing a large chunk of what the content is going for and will miss most of the jokes. I expect the rest of the DLC will focus on the events that happened in Saints Row IV. I would hold off on this first DLC, unless you’re eager for more from the Saints Row universe.
Score: 7 / 10
