Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the ship
Were the Heroic Saints, jolly good and in good fit
Much was stirring about, including a robot named CID
Free from the trouble that was caused on The Grid
Earth is still gone and Zinyak is dead
But there is much to be happy for , celebrating instead
All are jubilant and ecstatic in spirit, except for you
Having a heart so bitter, it would upset Cindy Lou Who
But with a FLASH and a screech, a portal appears
Instilling the crew with awes and fears
Come out, a robotic monstrosity does
With burning red eyes and mechanical gloves
At first a danger, the being from the future speaks
Relieving tensions with the answers the Saints seek
It’s a cyborg in view, half-machine and half man
Who confirms to be future Shaundi, mostly machine but still woman
A grave danger exists deep in the simulation
A Situation of  many ac hallenge and strong tribulation
If CLAWS is not stopped and Santa not saved
Humanity’s Holiday season will be put in the grave.
The Saint’s mount up and step back into the digital realm
For all that is merry may soon be overwhelmed
It’s party time once more for the top Ace
To rescue Santa and Drop the bass
Hope everyone enjoyed that. The newest, and final, Saint’s Row IV DLC pack, takes the Saints back to The Simulation to rescue the jolly-ol’ Saint Nick and destroy his evil robotic imposter. It’s back to the same crazy antics, hilarity, and action the series is known for, doused with the spirit of Christmas and The Holidays. “How the Saints Saved Christmas†is a holly Jolly good time but it could’ve been much longer and more varied. In other words, this gift pack is almost like getting Turbo Man under the tree but you get a wallflower from Bath and Body Works. Still, wallflowers smell good!
Life is jolly for the Saints, despite Earth having been vaporized with the survivors still on board Zinyak’s mothership. As they decorate the ship, the boss (your character) dismisses the season for a sham. Suddenly, a bright flash and a portal appears. Cyborg Shaundi emerges from the future, warning that Santa CLAWS, a mechanized version of the big man, wreaks havoc and destroys the future. He must be stopped to save Christmas.
   Throughout the DLC, you’ll fight to take back the north pole from rogue elves, dismantle robotic reindeer, and fight gingerbread men with lasers. You can trick out your character with a horrible Holiday sweater and take down said enemies with a Red Ryder BB Gun look alike that will, literally, shoot your eye out (But cause some significant damage to your foes. ) The levels and setting are festive and fun. There is unique music that plays, giving you the sense of the festivities as well. There are plenty of nods to various Christmas classics and various rhymes to go along with the season. There’s even a mission where you ride Santa’s sleigh and go across Steelport, firing hot coal at enemies and sending present bombs.
There’s only one, rather big, flaw with the DLC and it’s a matter most DLC suffers from: Length! There are only three main story missions and 6 side missions. While you do get new items and weapons, one of them a holiday dubstep gun, the DLC averages about 3 hours with maybe an additional hour or so for grabbing trophies/achievements one will certainly miss. Considering the price and the nature of the game, this isn’t a crippling flaw but it begs to ask “Why couldn’t there be more content?†I could imagine several missions being based off the first two Die Hard films, which take place during Christmas. That idea alone would’ve been perfect and certainly added to the DLC positively. What about a Polar Express like mission? Maybe even missions based on Home Alone or Elf?
Some of these ideas could’ve been terrific. In comparison to the Enter the Dominatrix DLC featured earlier this season, this DLC is rather we in comparison. Granted, the last outing was more of a deleted scenes kind of deal. One other silver lining for the Christmas DLC are the trophies/achievements. Do try and get them. They are quite hilarious!
Verdict:
It’s rather sad to see Saint’s Row IV conclude this way. Not in a bad way though. The missions, the characters, and the insanity of it all is what I shall miss. Despite its incredibly short length and limited variety, “How the Saint’s Save Christmas†is still a very fun and solid DLC. It’s worth your time during this festive season and provides some good laughs. It concludes the game well and brings in the hopes of a new year and a new Saint’s Row game. May the next generation be pleasant and merry to you, the people of Volition, Deep Silver, and the Saint’s Row universe.
Score: 3.5/5