No idea, my first encounter with Serious Sam was a cheap Steam bundle so it never happened to me. They're really fun over the top games and hearing about that "feature" it made so much sense. The developers definitely prioritize fun over taking things seriously (no pun intended).
Oh I've played all the Serious Sams :) It's about the only modern 3d shooter series I can still stomach. Battlefield of Honor of Duty and derivatives take themselves too seriously and are too much for hypercompetitive dudebros.
