The game has plenty of those in the back half, like a big hill that a swarm of headless kamikaze soldiers rush over. No entry in the franchise could be taken seriously without the wide open fields and rolling hills. These rare circumstances sound like an insignificant change, but it connects the environment to the action. A few might burst out from a window or emerge from a pipe. When progressing through levels, not every enemy teleports into the world. Some tight spaces have jump pads, ala Doom Eternal, but these arcade arenas are out of place. With obstacles and explosive barrels, moving the wrong way or using the wrong weapon results in death. These require careful navigation while enemies spawn from all over.

Like Painkiller, there are tight, clever combat spaces that trap Sam temporarily. Levels are not just better visually they flow better. The levels look a little better than they did in SS4, due to unique structures and added detail, although the game is still far below the presentation of other modern shooters. There is even a haunted village to explore, to change up the tone. Starting on the coastline, Sam will travel across frozen tundra, between oil derricks, across farms with windmills, through warehouses, inside bunkers, around quagmires, and along train tracks. The diversity is reminiscent of some older shooters that had themed levels. The Siberian landscapes are more interesting than those in SS4 because there is more variety. There is not much story here to worry about, and that is true to the franchise. His infamous puns return, although thankfully their number has been reduced which increases their effectiveness.

Some tag along for a short time and help out, but Sam mostly fights the hordes alone across various locations in Russia. Instead you, as Sam, will meet a small partisan group. The rest of Sam’s team do not make an appearance in this expansion. What we know is that Sam is after General Brand, a human traitor who has a holy relic and must be stopped at all costs. It takes place during the events of the main game, although how the two games link together is not that important. Siberian Mayhem is a “midquel” to Serious Sam 4.

Serious sam 3 secret weapons