The reboot of Saints Row made its debut at Gamescom, showcasing that the series is returning to its criminal roots. Saints Row will be abandoning the superpowers and sci-fi fantasy elements that began to somewhat alienate fans who had grown fond of building out a criminal empire. Thankfully, that’s what the reboot of Saints Row is all about.
The first look at Saints Row was a CG trailer that didn’t really fully communicate what the game actually is to fans. Some franchise fans reacted negatively, thinking it didn’t resemble what the series is known for. Despite the wacky tone and over-the-top action, some thought it looked too cartoon-ish and didn’t correctly reflect what fans enjoy about the series. Whether or not that will be the case in the full game remains to be seen, but it seems Volition wanted to at least show fans what the game actually looks like as well.
An extremely brief look at gameplay for Saints Row debuted at Gamescom and showcased big car chases, fairly extreme enemy types, and some grounded criminal activities like store robberies. The Saints Row reboot will follow the Saints as they truly build the gang from the ground-up, so players should expect it to lean close on those humble origins, but it’ll still include the more absurd elements the series is known for as well. It seems like Volition is walking a fine line between telling a contemporary crime story and also still delivering on what fans expect from Saints Row.
Watch the Saints Row gameplay reveal on YouTube here.
Fans can still expect a balance between old and new from Saints Row, allowing it to move forward, but also retain what made people fall in love with it initially. As of right now, Volition hasn’t made it clear when they’ll show more gameplay, but it seems like the developer will have a steady stream of content and details in the coming months. A remaster of Saints Row: The Third released quite recently, so it’s possible Volition was trying to get players in the right mindset for the reboot and set the tone for how the reboot will play.
Since the game releases in February, it’s likely it won’t be long until Saints Row gets more substantial gameplay footage. The only noteworthy gaming event currently scheduled before 2022 is The Game Awards, also hosted by Geoff Keighley, so it’s possible it could show up there again. That said, it seems likely there will be a bit more to show before then so Volition can stay in the minds of its fans leading into launch.
Saints Row releases on February 25, 2022 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.
