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[Update: Some readers requested a video without commentary, and since I am a man of the people here's a link for the 40 minute gameplay video without commentary.]

They say that first impressions are everything, and if that's true than Saints Row 4 makes one of the best first impressions in recent memory. We've seen some truly great game openings this year — from BioShock Infinite to The Last of Us — but where those games go for a serious, somber tone, Saints Row 4 takes things in the opposite direction.

As you can see in the gameplay video above, Saints Row 4 wears its influences on its sleeve, and isn't afraid to fluctuate between parody and super serious badass simulator. And when the game commits to a joke, it really commits to a joke.

What's on display in the gameplay video are the first 40 minutes of Saints Row 4 (that means *SPOILERS*), skipping the hour+ that players can spend creating their character. The game's early moments provide the proper set-up necessary to understand why the player character is the President, and then shows how things rapidly devolve from there.

Saints Row 4 Gameplay Video

And although it's only briefly touched on in the video, gamers should get a clear idea of the types of tomfoolery developer Volition can get up to when working within a virtual world. All bets are off in this Matrix-esque version of Steelport. And let us just say that after the first 40 minutes, and the game starts giving the player more and more superpowers, things only get crazier.

Rest assured, we will provide a closer look at the various super powers in Saints Row 4 — how players can use them, and how they give the game a personality all its own — in a video set to go live when the game launches on August 20th. For now, we wanted to give you a brief glimpse at the game's excellent first 40 minutes to show that, yes, Saints Row 4 is still as funny and self-referential as ever.

Also, make sure to read our review of Saints Row 4 for our thoughts on the game as a whole.

What do you think of the first 40 minutes of Saints Row 4? Does this increase your interest in playing the game?

Saints Row 4 will be available August 20, 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Game Rant used a PC build to record this gameplay.

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Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina