The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game were released both physically and digitally, same for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, although the latter two also saw a release bundled alongside Saints Row IV: Re-Elected.[2][3]Gat Out of Hell was released as a monthly free game on PlayStation Network in July 2016.
Gameplay
The player controls Johnny Gat or Kinzie Kensington in an open world environment. Gat Out of Hell shares many gameplay aspects with the previous installments, being primarily played as a third-person shooter in an open world city scattered with quests, secondary objectives, and various collectibles. Superhuman abilities return from Saints Row IV. Gat Out of Hell introduces “angelic flight”, giving wings to the player.[4] Unlike past Saints Row games, players cannot customize the playable characters; however, by importing a Saints Row IV save, players can import their custom Boss character to replace the default Boss.
Unlike game progression in previous titles, players advance through the story by completing activities to fill a “Satan’s Wrath” meter, which unlocks cutscenes and further story elements.[5]Gat Out of Hell takes place in an open world new to the series, New Hades, made up of five islands: Shantytown, Barrens, Downtown, Forge, and the Den, all surrounding a central tower on a middle island.
The player is able to fly around the open-world hell. They can also summon demon allies to flight alongside them.[6] The game’s weapons are inspired by the seven deadly sins (e.g. the Gluttony Gun that shoots cake batter on enemies for other people to consume).[6]
Plot
The 3rd Street Saints hold a birthday party for lieutenant Kinzie Kensington on their spaceship, but while playing a game of Ouija with a board that once belonged to Aleister Crowley, they unwittingly contact Satan, who proclaims that the Boss will marry his daughter Jezebel. Satan then drags the Boss down to Hell, with Johnny Gat and Kinzie volunteering to rescue them.[7]
Upon arriving, they find that the Ultor Corporation has a branch in Hell and go to confront their CEO and former Saints enemy Dane Vogel. Vogel denies involvement in the Boss’ kidnapping, but admits he is taking advantage of Hell’s economy, and offers to help the Saints save the Boss. At Vogel’s advice, Johnny and Kinzie attempt to get Satan’s attention by recruiting several allies across Hell, including Kiki and Viola DeWynter, William Shakespeare, Blackbeard, and Vlad the Impaler. Eventually, Jezebel, who began rebelling against her father, finds Johnny and takes him to confront Satan. Johnny surrenders after Satan threatens to kill Jezebel, prompting Satan to name him worthy of marrying his daughter. Johnny agrees to do so after Satan promises to free Kinzie and the Boss in return, but changes his mind at the wedding and attempts to kill Satan. After killing his minions with Kinzie’s help, Johnny defeats Satan, who banishes him, Kinzie, the Boss, and Jezebel back to the mortal realm.
However, Johnny is detained by God, who reveals that Satan was plotting an invasion on Heaven since Zinyak hastened the Apocalypse by destroying Earth, and hoped to use the Boss as the general of his army. God offers to repay Johnny for defeating Satan, giving him five choices: go to Heaven to be reunited with his girlfriend Aisha, return to Hell to become its new king, find a new homeworld for the Saints to rebuild humanity, recreate Earth, or be told the secrets of the universe. Recreating Earth leads to the timeline of Agents of Mayhem. The universe of Saints Row is retconed, and Johnny becomes a lieutenant within the Seoul police force, hoping to find his friends. Kinzie and Matt Miller converse about “Brimstone”, a captured female who Johnny goes to interrogate.
Development
In December 2013, comedian Jay Mohr, who voiced antagonist Dane Vogel in Saints Row 2, revealed that he was doing voice work for the next Saints Row game.[8] It was later revealed Volition would be unveiling a new game at PAX Prime on the August 29, 2014. They teased an image which depicts a Ouija board with the Saints’ fleur-de-lis on it. Later, at their panel on the same day, Volition and Deep Silver confirmed a standalone expansion to Saints Row IV, called Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell. The game was initially scheduled for release on January 27, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One[2] but was later rescheduled to January 20, 2015 in North America and January 23, 2015 in Europe. The game will be released in a bundle alongside Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.[9]
The expansion was inspired, in part, by Disney films, which are among the “big loves” of the game’s creative director, Steve Jaros.[6] He wanted the game to parody the fairytale qualities and “whimsical love songs” of the Disney film genre.[6] Parts of the plot were taken from such films, including the birthday party prologue from Sleeping Beauty, talking inanimate objects, princess Jezebel rebelling against her father, Satan, through her spousal choice, and musical acts where Satan sings sentimentally.[6] The open world was designed to be a “fun toy box” that encouraged traversal through flight.[6] The January 2015 launch trailer included a hotline phone number with promotional hold music.
