Welcome to San Eliso: Your New Open World Playground. The only problem is that there are a lot of domineering gangs standing in your way, and even the cops basically have no jurisdiction. Party-savvy icon, strong gasoline head, Loth patron and ruthless Marshall rule the Southwest town with an iron fist. So you need instructions from new friends; Neenah the driver, Kevin the dull DJ and Eli the book scholar. They’ll show you building a new criminal empire in the saint’s name, where you (a former Marshall agent, just fired and looking for new opportunities) will take on the role of boss. You might ask, how? Of course, blast and shoot your way to success!
Saints Row has taken several odd directions since its inception, and now Volition has embarked on a complete reboot of the Saints Row saga, introducing us to a brand new origin story and new gang members. Anyone who has followed the marketing of New Saint Street is probably familiar with the disappointment of fans with the characters, and so far, I might be willing to agree. The new millennial face feels lifted from Fortnite in terms of design and doesn’t quite match the hard-boiled gangster of its predecessors. It’s Volition’s attempt to attract a new audience, and after spending a few hours with the newest crew, I can say they’re not nearly as engaging as the street soldiers you know at the start of the series.
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At the same time, the whole thing is clearly ironic, with entrepreneurship permeating the game’s gang culture through explosive means, and the only way to start your own business is to eliminate your competitors – preferably with rockets and rifles. In the reboot, Volition has moved away from the craziness of recent titles like UFOs and the Presidency, but for those who like the tone, there’s still plenty of heightened action, which is well reflected in the game on the gameplay itself. In fact, it’s worth noting that the developers have taken inspiration from the masculinity of Hobbs & Shaw, and Saints Street now has more in common with Fast and Furious or Kingsman Points, not the suburban roots in the first two games.
For example, the physics of the vehicles are wild and airy and not always realistic, but given the game’s quirky tone, it fits the game’s crazy attitude quite well. Shooting is a bit tame, but smooth gameplay controls work well. The rhythm and quick transitions are reminiscent of Just Cause 3 in a chaotic setting where you quickly switch between traditional shooting and gliding through the air in a wingsuit and hijacking a helicopter the next moment. The prologue takes some time to complete, but after a few hours, Saints Row begins to come back to life, and the open-world gameplay flourishes with plenty of quests. I’ve done some side quests, if you’ve played Open World Champions before, it won’t be groundbreaking, but at least for those looking to spread its devastating impact and live up to the saint’s reputation, there’s a lot to do Do. The game feels a little controlled at first due to the story, but soon players are encouraged to explore the city the way they like.
Like previous games, you can create your own bosses, and reboot does expand the character creation mode. Here you can choose everything from the skin texture you want to the sounds you want to hear from the gangster. During my five-hour journey, I played myself a golden Oscar statue with prosthetics and a mountain dialect, but you can always adjust it via the in-game menu if you want to change your character. Tired of sounding like a red neck? Now your boss can be a sarcastic Brit with just one click! The same goes for the cosmetic choices for your vehicles and weapons, the further you go into the game, the more experience points you gain and the more options you unlock. You can also decorate your HQ here, but I wouldn’t expect to include any strippers…
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I can’t get into the story details, but the bulk of the game will revolve around recruiting more members and making sure you protect your territory from other invading gangs. It’s probably something fans of the first game will appreciate, even if the new characters aren’t convincing at first. I did find the shooting a bit repetitive and the game world felt a little lifeless, but then I basically just scratched the surface at the start of the game and it became clear that you could unlock more ways to fight. All in all, Saints Row is a compromise between the game’s more down-to-earth approach and the twisted humor of later episodes. It might not appeal to fans who want something like the first two Saints Row games, but it should appeal to new audiences who want some honest and quirky open-world action.
