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Enter the Dominatrix has had a long, hard road. Originally planned as an expansion for Saints Row: The Third, it is now the first of two DLC packs for the latest in the series. In the spirit of the franchise though, this addition never misses an opportunity to poke fun at that particular subject. I, like most people, was looking for a good excuse to dive back into the world of Saints Row IV, and while this tidbit doesn’t last nearly long enough, what is here had me smiling from beginning to end.
This DLC drops into the main game and essentially becomes a separate sidequest within the core experience. There are a handful of missions, each one dealing with a sort of alternate timeline from the main story. It is laid out like a deleted scene, complete with interviews with the Saints about the particular incidents. Everything fits into the wackiness the series has become, accompanied by excellent writing and some genuinely funny moments. I particularly enjoyed the cut scenes, which were storyboard drawings with notations and timestamps.
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Just when I think the series cannot possibly get any crazier, a DLC pack comes along and ups the ante once again. The first mission starts off by setting the stage, with nothing too wild, but from there it just goes off the deep end. From an Innerspace-style flying mission through a living, breathing energy drink, to more gimp chariot races, and that ending. Just wow. The buildup really set it up for something that was even too crazy for a Saints Row game, and it delivered. I will have the song that is sung during the ending moments stuck in my head for days.
In addition to the set of missions, there are also new homies, weapons and vehicles that are obtained after completing it. I could also replay any of the missions after I was done, giving me a chance to experience them at my leisure. The new weapons include a grenade launcher, mini-gun and flamethrower, which is as much fun as it sounds.
The homies are the best addition though. I don’t want to spoil the returning characters, but when I heard a specific voice during one of the missions, which had a spoof of the Game of Thrones throne made out of daddy parts by the way, I completely lost my mind. Volition knows what people loved about The Third, and have brought back a lot of it with this DLC.
If there is one part that sticks in my craw though, it was the length. I blasted through the entire DLC pack in just over an hour. I will admit, I am greedy, I wanted more, but I still feel like there should have been a little more to this. For the $6.99 price tag it feels like they are pushing the boundaries of cost versus content. I wanted more, and Dominatrix ended long before it got warmed up.
Still those looking for more Saints Row will be pleased. It makes me wonder how much of this was cut to fit it into the world of SR4, considering it was supposed to originally be a full-disc expansion for the last game. That said this is still a great start to the season pass, and I hope the second pack delivers just as much fun when it drops. Definitely recommended for anyone who cannot get enough gimp chariot racing.
Review copy of game provided by publisher. Primary play on Xbox 360.
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