10 Best No. 4's In Gaming History
The fab fours.
A few weeks back, WhatCulture looked at the 10 Best No. 3's in Gaming History. It was a fun article to write, allowing us to look back at gaming's storied past and wax lyrical about our favourite hobby. It was so much fun, in fact, that we were inspired to write a follow-up. Six weeks of intense research later, we figured out that four follows three and got cracking on this list.
The number four often gets a bad rap (infamous pop-culture repository tvtropes.org literally has a section titled "Four Is Death"), but thankfully each game on this list avoided the curse of the quad. Whether putting the player in the shoes of a pirate, a regretful father or the president of the United States, each entrant on this list delivers some of the best moments in video game history.
Before we discuss our first entry, we should mention one small caveat: to stretch our wings, sequels from franchises discussed in the "Best No.3's" article were automatically disqualified. So the likes of Super Mario World, Link's Awakening and Quake 4 won't be making an appearance. (Although the latter would only have had a shot if we changed the title of the article to "10 Sequels That Learned Absolutely Nothing From The Prequel").
With that out of the way, let's get started!
10. Saints Row IV
The above photo shows the player character of Saints Row IV, giving the player a cheeky thumbs up after assassinating a terrorist leader and dismantling a nuclear warhead in mid-air. After this, you become president of the USA, and you're done with the tutorial.
Yes, the tutorial. Saints Row IV starts where most would finish, going full Spinal Tap in its desire to fit in absolutely every idea the developers had. Alien invasion? Sure! Superpowers? Go for it! Biz Markie? Damn right!
SR IV is a glorious playground of a game, where the most fun to be had is in simply exploring the world with your superpowers. If you've had a bad day, leaping from skyscraper to skyscraper while Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" plays in the background is sure to lift your mood.
Saints Row IV's playground is further bolstered with some of the best playmates in gaming. SR IV is a culmination of the bonds forged by the Third Street Saints over the course of the series, and features some brilliant character moments: Car-singing with your bestie, watching your friend move on from a toxic ex and, of course, the best romance in video game history. (Warning: NSFW language).
After the debacle of the 2022 reboot, treat yourself to a replay of Saints Row IV and remember why you fell in love with the Third Street Saints in the first place.