Saints Row IV: Enter the Dominatrix is a downloadable content pack for the 2013 video game Saints Row IV that includes an alternate story of the alien Zin invasion. The dialogue often breaks the fourth wall and its style is self-referential in nature. Enter the Dominatrix draws on its history as originally produced as downloadable content for the game's predecessor, Saints Row: The Third. It was first announced on April Fool's Day in 2012, later confirmed, and then cancelled to be incorporated into Saints Row IV, which drew on some aspects of the original idea and left the rest for this downloadable content. It was released on October 22, 2013 to mixed or average reviews. Critics appreciated the pack's treatment of its own history, what Eurogamer Chris Schilling called a "very postmodern conceit".
Gameplay
Enter the Dominatrix tells an alternative story on the Zin invasion of Saints Row IV where the simulation of Steelport is hijacked by a rogue artificial intelligence called the Dominatrix. The pack draws on its origins as Saints Row: The Third downloadable content that was later delayed and repackaged. It also frequently breaks the fourth wall—its story's incongruence with the larger Saints Row story is a recurring theme, where the characters self-referentially acknowledge the plot holes. The story advances through cutscene clips presented as "unseen footage" found by television journalist Jane Valderama, as "what could have been". Some scenes end in concept art or videos of Volition employees acting out the drama so as to give the game an unfinished feel. The pack also casts characters from Saints Row: The Third who did not return in the sequel. The player fights the Dominatrix—who appears as a cross between Maleficent and a sex worker—several times. Other missions include using telekinesis to cage furries at a sex club and a BDSM chariot race. There are five missions in total. The pack introduces new weapons such as a heavy minigun, a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, new vehicles, and new computer-controlled support characters ("homies"). Up to two players can play cooperatively.
Plot
The events of the game are narrated from the perspective of the 3rd Street Saints as they and Zinyak (JB Blanc) are being interviewed about the deleted scenes of Enter the Dominatrix. Because of this, the narrative features many retcons, plot holes, and over-the-top moments, which the Saints acknowledge.
The "director's cut" of Enter the Dominatrix takes place one year after the non-canon ending of Saints Row: The Third, although Saints lieutenant Shaundi (Danielle Nicolet) is inexplicably still alive. The Saints still rule over Steelport, and lieutenant Pierce Washington (Arif S. Kinchen) has been elected mayor following Mayor Burt Reynolds' death. One day, Zinyak's Zin forces suddenly invade the city, and the Saints fight them off, though Josh Birk (Andrew Bowen) is 'tragically' killed while fighting a giant cyclops. Eventually, the Boss (Troy Baker, Kenn Michael, Robin Atkin Downes, Laura Bailey, Diane Michelle, Sumalee Montano, or Nolan North) faces Zinyak himself and kills him.
Following Zinyak's death, the Zin's rogue AI called the Dominatrix assumes command of the remaining Zin forces and transports the Saints into a simulation of Steelport, which she controls. The Saints recruit several allies to help them fight the Dominatrix, who eventually summons a giant soda can called Paul to wreak havoc in the simulation. The Saints manage to build a spaceship to go inside Paul and destroy its brain, killing it and weakening the Dominatrix. After the Boss kills the Dominatrix, Pierce arrives with backup: talking velociraptors, who take them to their king, Cirano. Cirano helps the Saints escape the simulation and grants each of them a wish.