When I checked out Serious Sam 4 in 2020, I was massively let down by awful optimization and trite gameplay. It was so bogged down that I gave it a four out of ten, and I haven’t thought of it since. When I was presented with a newly-announced standalone expansion in Siberian Mayhem, I thought it was a good idea to give it another try. Now that the title has had more than a year to fix the choppy framerates and a co-opted development between Croteam and indie studio Timelock, is it any better?

Much like any other entry in the Serious Sam franchise, you’re thrust into the action from the get-go. There is no time for a tutorial, there are baddies to vanquish. The time between me launching the game and getting into the fight was minimal; a one-time mouse sensitivity adjustment and graphics check were all I needed. Sam wasted no time getting to work with his signature puns, as well, which are scattered throughout Siberian Mayhem to hit-or-miss effect. Duke Nukem he is not, and only a few of Sam Stone’s one-liners got a laugh out of me.

The one thing I’m going to walk away remembering about Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, unfortunately, is its uncompromising, consistent stuttering. Upon some research, I discovered it wasn’t just me with this problem. Gamers with top-of-the-line hardware experienced the same issue. I noted how tough it was to get 4 in buttery-smooth shape, but even after a year-and-a-half, where one problem gets solved, another finds its way to our screens. Whether it’s high-intensity gunfights, dialogue, or even cutscenes, half-second stutters were a normal thing.

Once I got used to the obstacle of optimization, I surprisingly had loads of fun with Siberian Mayhem. There’s ample variety between the available guns, from a high-powered crossbow to a cannonball launcher. Level design is gargantuan, succinct, and even offers side missions with worthy awards for those who enjoy going off the beaten path. While most fights took place in large, open fields, there were some “battle arenas” a la DOOM 2016 that got my blood pumping.

As far as a story goes, which is typically throwaway in a shooter, it was paltry and had maybe 3 to 4 minutes of dialogue between characters in total. What most FPS gamers care about is the gameplay and that much is nailed in Siberian Mayhem, despite the hiccups. My runtime was a little over 3 hours, which is to be expected from a standalone expansion. Timelock and Croteam ensured no time was wasted, with some of my battles lasting several minutes. Once I got to a wide-open space stocked to the brim with ammo, I knew I was about to have my hands full of lead.

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem isn’t going to win any awards, but it might just be enough to tide fans of the series over for a while as they explore every nook and cranny to find the dozens of secrets littered about. With so many competent and polished FPS games available at a similar price point, it’s hard to make an argument for this game to be a must-play, but one can surely do worse for $20.

A PC Review Copy of Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem was provided by Croteam for this review.

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Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

$19.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Tight Gunplay
• Variety Of Weaponry

Cons

• Atrocious Optimization
• Short for $20