Volition is developing a brand new “Black Street Saints” game, they introduced us before Gamescom started. Compared with the absurd action comedy that the studio has launched in the past, this restart seems to shrink the theme even more. However, the developers assured us that this game is still dabbled in absurdity, and humor is still an important part of game recognition. We can see that this is indeed the case, but at the same time it also feels more stable and consistent in tone with the first three works.
We think it is a very clever move to bring “Black Street Saints” back to its roots, because the absurdity shown in the fourth work really cannot be extended. This series has also begun to lose control of its identity. In the most recent version, many fans failed to even consider it as part of the original series that debuted in 2006. Of course, Johnny Gat, Pierce and other members have appeared, but with its superpowers and the fantasy plot that allows you to play the president of the United States, this is really incomparable with the once a little weird copy of “GTA”. It’s a far cry.
At the core of Volition’s latest project, we see a group of rebellious and talented young people who think it’s time to strengthen themselves. Four friends joined forces to do big things, because they no longer want to be another small fish in the predator’s pond, but voluntarily climb up the food chain. Although it sounds like “Black Street Saints” is bidding farewell to the chaotic fantasy theme that dominates “Black Street Saints IV”, they tell us that Volition is just looking for a way to win back their creative freedom. Developers are interested in creating a colorful sandbox world where players can realize their power fantasy and have as much fun as possible.
The new location in “Black Street Saints” is called Santo Ilesco, and it brings together 9 different districts. The image of the Southwestern United States is the prototype of the region, so you can look forward to exploring dusty deserts and densely populated cities. Volition creative director Brian Traficante said that depending on whether you are in an industrial area, one of the expensive luxury areas, or in gang territory, daily life should be very different. Verticality also plays a role in such a sandbox experience, but of course it is limited to the realm of aristocracy. When asked, a developer explained that this crowded world was created on the basis of “exploration.” However, apart from the fun of blowing up things, it is not clear to explore. What incentives can be provided.
In addition to our own group-Black Street Saints-there are 3 core factions in this world. “Los Panteros” is using heavy weapons to power bodybuilders, who rely on their physical superiority above all else. A paramilitary organization called “Marshall Defense Industry” can use the latest science fiction weapons. “Idols” are noisy young hippies who will enter the battlefield vigorously, but only when there are large numbers of them are they dangerous. With one exception, every member of our gang has had contacts with people in one of the groups.
Speaking of which, let us introduce the members: Eli is a wealthy college graduate who is responsible for dealing with clients. He wanted to build a glorious company on his own, but somehow got entangled with us and was persuaded to stay. Neenah is a creative mechanic. He knows cars and he can often find him in the car. Kevin is a DJ without a shirt. He is eager for excitement and obviously cares about the happiness of his friends (this is what the official story says-not our brains hey). We are “Charming Massacre Murderers” aka “The Boss”, and we can customize our characters in this game.
Just like previous works, customization will also play an important role in “Black Street Saints”, and the developers laugh at the options here are more extensive than ever. Players will be able to set the appearance of the gang leader by shaping facial and body characteristics from a series of options, and you can also find various clothing stores throughout Santo Ilesco. You can even choose a voice from one of a variety of voice samples that you think best suit your character. However, some of the stranger and more exciting features from “Black Street Saints IV” are gone. For example, the controversial “sexual attractiveness” regulator has not returned.
So far, we have only seen very short pre-alpha game clips, so we can’t really talk about the game itself. Volition described the gameplay as approachable and very arcade, and they pointed out that the physical performance of the vehicle has been greatly improved. Of course, we can’t confirm this yet, but we can see fragments of cars and vehicle models everywhere, or squeezed together by huge force, which is impressive. Due to the rough terrain, if you upgrade them, every car can be turned into an off-road vehicle. If you are not in a car, you will mainly run around the world or fly from a high roof in a wing suit.
The game process of “Black Street Saints” will be built on two core pillars: one part is a “large number” of different story missions, allowing us to meet and interact with different characters. If you want, the entire campaign can be conducted in a cooperative mode of two players. On the other hand, it is to promote the development of your criminal empire and see you build various facilities in the game world, including studios, discos, military training camps or fast food restaurants. By expanding your possessions, you can unlock missions, earn more money or unlock more game options. Obviously, the growth of your criminal activity will also attract a lot of attention, so we are very happy to see the development of this topic. Once your co-playing partner joins the game, he will of course also be able to see how your world is progressing.
For a long time, the crazy activities that have been the main content of “Black Street Saints” will return in the restart version, and will also be carried out in the entire open world. Fans’ favorite insurance fraud will make a comeback. We’ve never been so excited about being able to plunge into the road of mobile traffic and blow up everything with our bombs. Unfortunately, the developers did not disclose which other activities will be included in the restart, but it is said that they will mix old and new pastimes. If we have to bet, then we will guess that confusion and drug trafficking will be included in the lineup. Like insurance fraud, these have become the mainstay of the series.
After the very unstable foundation left in the fourth part, the relaunch of “Black Street Saints” gave us new hope for the series. The plot and overall tone feel more stable and reflect the roots of the series more truly, and Santo Ilesco’s completely different new setting makes it not feel like just changing the skin and not the bone. We also can’t wait to learn more about the criminal adventures players can build, as these seem to provide enough flexibility and player choices outside of the main campaign. “Black Street Saints” is expected to be launched on February 25, 2022, and we can look forward to learning more about its system in the future.