Sift Heads – Cartels 4

Pros:
Engaging combat.
A decent story.
A great assortment of weapons.
A Skill-tree system.
Cons:
Kiro isn't playable.
While the art of the world fits the setting of Sift Heads, it made navigating through some sections of the game confusing.
Overall: 8.5/10

I want to point out, I did not refund this game because it was bad, I myself was just not enjoying it.
It's not bad so far, It just doesn't feel the same. I miss the feel of the original games to be honest.

After a long anticipated wait for the release. SFHC4 delivered well for its performance and visuals. Pyrozen took the gameplay elements from its predecessors and combined it into a masterpiece. Not only that the game runs perfectly on the steam deck. Overall, it has been a long journey waiting for the sequel. Once again keep on sifting heads bounty hunters!

Out of all the Sift Heads games, this definitely feels the closest to being a real game. A nice way to kill five hours.

(ENGLISH + SPANISH)
I've been eagerly anticipating this sequel for over 11 years, and I can say with certainty that the wait was worth every second. This game is a true masterpiece, a 10 out of 10. It is the best experience that the **Sift Heads** franchise has offered so far, and without a doubt, the best game in the entire saga. Even if you're not familiar with the series or don't think it might interest you, I assure you that this game is filled with positive qualities that will invite you to enjoy it. It's simply amazing, and even more impressive knowing it was developed by a small group of passionate people.
Nostalgia plays a big role here, as seeing so many classic characters finally getting closure is a gift. The story is truly wonderful, and the game offers a much longer duration than previous entries, which only lasted about 30 minutes. This game, on the other hand, gives you about 5 hours of an immersive experience. And if, like me, you decide to complete it 100%, and facing the most challenging difficulty, **ruthless**, you can expect around 20 hours of intense gameplay. But every second is worth it because the game is simply amazing.
I will try to describe the story without spoilers, so everyone can enjoy this incredible gem. The game begins right after the events of the last title, where Vinnie escapes from prison and discovers that his three enemy factions, the three cartels, have united with one final objective: to eliminate him and his companions. The gameplay is innovative, bringing us to a 2.5D world where we not only have to shoot and fight against our enemies but also use different skills, weapons, customizations, upgrades, collectibles, easter eggs, secrets, and much more. The story, without a doubt, deserves a 10 out of 10. It is the perfect ending for the saga if no more **Sift Heads** games are made, although it also leaves the door open for new stories.
The **Ruthless** difficulty of the game really took me by surprise; I didn't expect to face such an extreme challenge. Although it's not impossible, if you face an enemy and take two hits, or at most three if you're lucky, you're already doomed. The game transforms into a **Dark Souls** of shooters, a ruthless battle where every move counts. Despite being frustrating and challenging, there's something incredibly fun about this difficulty. It not only tests your skill and prior experience after having completed the game but also changes many aspects of the enemies and the AI.
The adversaries become faster, stronger, with much better weapons, etc. Their combat maneuvers are impeccable, and basically, you're prepared to die over and over again. However, I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed both playthroughs. Those 20 hours of gameplay, every minute of challenge and overcoming, every resurrection after a fall, was a journey full of satisfaction and adrenaline.
If the saga ends the way this game does, I think it's a wonderful choice by the director. It filled me with joy to play it, as it brought a big smile to my inner child. Seeing how the characters I loved as a kid have grown up and gotten the closure they deserve is deeply satisfying. Truly, Chriss Martin, the entire **Sift Heads** community thanks you for this incredible gem you've created. The wait has been entirely justified, and I hope this game is at least nominated for Game of the Year in the indie games category. This game and the whole franchise deserve to be tried, played, and replayed because they are simply perfect. It couldn't have been done better; it's spectacular, simply spectacular. I loved it.
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La verdad es que he esperado con ansias esta secuela por más de 11 años, y puedo decir con certeza que la espera valió cada segundo. Este juego es una verdadera obra maestra, un 10 de 10. Es la mejor experiencia que la franquicia de **Sift Heads** ha ofrecido hasta ahora, y sin duda el mejor juego de toda la saga. Incluso si no conoces la serie o no crees que pueda interesarte, te aseguro que este juego está repleto de cualidades positivas que te invitarán a disfrutarlo. Es simplemente asombroso, y más impresionante aún es saber que fue desarrollado por un pequeño grupo de personas apasionadas.
La nostalgia juega un papel importante, ya que ver cómo tantos personajes clásicos finalmente encuentran un cierre es un regalo. La historia es realmente maravillosa y el juego ofrece una duración mucho más extensa que las entregas anteriores, que apenas duraban unos 30 minutos. Este juego, en cambio, te da alrededor de 5 horas de una experiencia inmersiva. Y si, como yo, queres completarlo al 100% y enfrentándote a la dificultad más desafiante, **ruthless**, te esperan aproximadamente 20 horas de juego intenso. Pero cada segundo vale la pena porque el juego es sencillamente asombroso.
Voy a intentar describir la historia sin spoilers, para que todos puedan disfrutar de esta increíble joya. El juego comienza justo después de los eventos del último título, cuando Vinnie escapa de prisión y descubre que sus tres facciones enemigas, los tres cárteles, se han unido con un objetivo final: eliminarlo a él y a sus compañeros. La jugabilidad es innovadora, llevándonos a un mundo en 2.5D donde no solo debemos disparar y luchar contra nuestros enemigos, sino que también podemos usar diferentes habilidades, armas, personalizaciones, mejoras, coleccionables, easter eggs, secretos, y mucho más. La historia, sin lugar a dudas, merece un 10 de 10. Es el cierre perfecto para la saga si es que no se llegan a hacer más juegos de **Sift Heads**, aunque también deja la puerta abierta para nuevas historias.
La dificultad **Ruthless** del juego realmente me sorprendió; no esperaba enfrentarme a un desafío tan extremo. Aunque no es imposible, si te enfrentas a un enemigo y recibes dos golpes, o como mucho tres si tienes suerte, ya estás condenado. El juego se transforma en un **Dark Souls** de disparos, una batalla despiadada en la que cada movimiento cuenta. A pesar de ser frustrante y desafiante, hay algo increíblemente divertido en esta dificultad. No solo pone a prueba tu habilidad y experiencia previa tras haber completado el juego, sino que también cambia muchos aspectos de los enemigos y la inteligencia artificial.
Los adversarios se vuelven más rápidos, más fuertes, con armas mucho mejores, etc. Sus maniobras de combate son impecables, y básicamente, te preparas para morir una y otra vez. Sin embargo, debo admitir que disfruté de ambos playthroughs profundamente. Esas 20 horas de juego, cada minuto de desafío y superación, cada resurrección después de una caída, fue un viaje lleno de satisfacción y adrenalina.
Si la saga concluye como lo hace este juego, me parece una elección maravillosa del director. Me llenó de alegría jugarlo, ya que devolvió una gran sonrisa a mi yo de niño. Ver cómo los personajes que tanto amaba de pequeño han crecido y recibido el final que merecen es algo profundamente satisfactorio. La verdad, Chriss Martin, toda la comunidad de **Sift Heads** te agradece por esta joya increíble que has creado. La espera ha valido totalmente la pena, y espero que este juego sea nominado al menos como juego del año en la categoría de juegos independientes. Este juego y toda la franquicia merecen ser probados, jugados y vueltos a jugar, porque son simplemente perfectos. No podría haber sido mejor; es espectacular, sencillamente espectacular. Me encantó, lo amé.

Just like the good old days on flash websites playing a good chunk of the sift heads series, this is a worthy addition to the series.
Only negative I have to say is even though it has a cool art style it does get confusing on where you can and can’t go.

i was pretty skeptical of this game before release. The classic games, though they absolutely have their charm and are iconic, aren't very substantial as games to actually play. The World series stepped up a notch, and even though they aren't full of content either (not counting the Reborn remake), they improved in the classic series.
The first three Cartels games, however, felt underwhelming, as the gameplay felt too reliant on the introduced cover system, and they felt a lot more linear than the World games. And when I saw the trailers and the combat feeling like a better SH3, I was concerned because that game feels pretty damn janky to play with as well.
However... My mind is blown by this release. The combat feels so fluid and so loose and freeing compared to past entries. It feels amazing to have the freedom to take cover, or go Rambo, or walk around like a maniac (which is what I did). The different enemy types offer a nice challenge and strategy to take them down. The mods and enhancements are also lovely; I particularly love the shotgun mod that makes the enemies burrrrrn.
And of course, everything still maintains the iconic Sift Heads style... Kinda. Vinnie and Kiro finally experienced twink death, looking as thiccer and buff as ever. Shorty is one lucky bastard, hot damn. The new backgrounds are also lovely. The forest is my favourite area visuals-wise, it has that Folklore-like aesthetic but mixed with all the (less than 50) shades of grey. Truly pleasing to the eyes.
There are some annoyances with the game, however. For example, the map is not that useful. It doesn't track your position as you are, so it can't really help to guide yourself to find a new location or to see if you missed something. It's also a bit annoying that in a first run, it's a bit difficult sometimes to figure out where you're supposed to go, as there aren't any clues for some of the important areas that you are meant to go to to progress through the events. the glitches are also here, as usual for SH... Well, not really. Again, another huge improvement from past entries, but still, at times you can get stuck somewhere, and at one time I wasn't able to wiggle out to go back to the floor.
And even still, these issues did not ruin the fun at all. I'm not sure if this will be the final SH ever as the ending is kinda vague, but if it is, I'm happy that it ended on its Abbey Road. And thus, after finishing this game, I can absolutely recommend this game for those who have been waiting for it for so long. Just go ahead and get it.