Saints Row is back and no, there are no super powers or organized crime families running the White House. That’s because Saints Row is not Saints Row 5; instead, it is a reboot of the series that largely does away with the past. Johnny Gat and the gang are gone, though the developers teased there may be small nods to the history of the series, and it’s back to building a criminal empire from nothing. Developer Volition seems to be looking to fill the void that Rockstar has left between Grand Theft Auto entries, and it’s been a long time coming – both franchises released their last mainline title a month apart eight years ago.
Saints Row is not really a reimagining of the series like one might expect, as it was surprising how familiar it was during Screen Rant’s preview. It’s very much Saints Row with its wacky humor, insurance scams, and more. Those missing the days of Saints Row: The Third will feel right at home with this reboot and that may be a good thing, but there are still some things that sparked slight concern based on a hands-off presentation. The snippets of gameplay that were shown looked like the next game still has the floaty 2011 controls and gunplay that have characterized the series previously, which is disappointing given how long it has been and how much has been done with third-person shooters in the last decade.
It’s possible it plays better than it looks, as the team made some bullish statements regarding the gameplay. Volition cited films like John Wick for inspiring the game’s combat, and called attention to Baby Driver and Hobbs and Shaw as inspirations for the driving and tone respectively. The Saints Row series is known for being outlandish and those films are quite fantastical, so these are great reference points.
Even with the expectation of the game being theatrical, Saints Row still tries to ground itself. This is the origin story of the Saints and is all about a group of people trying to break free from the shackles of the American system via a criminal empire. Players will once again create a custom character and work within an ever-growing gang to make a name for the Saints through clashes with rival gangs and monopolies on businesses. It seems like the goal is to really gain full control southwestern city of Santo Ileso, ranging from the booming financial district to the rugged desert. Players will be able to own businesses that offer all kinds of lucrative gameplay opportunities, such as running drugs via food trucks, owning arms dealerships, and more, ensuring a diversified portfolio for the Saints.
This reboot of Saints Row feels like a return to form for the series and allows Volition the creative freedom it needs to bring the franchise back down to Earth, quite literally. With a new engine, world, characters, and a new era of open-world gaming, there’s lots of potential to revitalize Saints Row as a key player in this genre once again. So long as the game can shake its dated gameplay and feel like a polished experience with the series’ signature charm, it could be the refresh the long-running franchise needs.
Saints Row releases on February 25, 2022 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.
