With the reboot of Deep Silver’s mega-popular action-adventure game Saints Row finally blasting its way toward the masses on August 23, 2022, ardent fans have already begun discovering the most devastating weapons to buy and unlock. The game consists of seven different weapon categories that include melee, rifle, pistol, submachine gun, shotgun, big gun, and specialized, with each category presenting a range of powerful tools to take down enemies as easily as possible.
To avoid repetition by loading up on one type of weapon, fans of the Saints Row reboot will get a far greater advantage by learning which weapon reigns supreme in each respective category. Beware, things may get awfully bloody!
Smelterville Slugger – Best Melee Weapon
While some gamers favor the default Axe as an ideal weapon to take on enemies in close quarters, there’s no question that the badass Smelterville Slugger is the best in class. The Slugger is a wooden baseball bat adorned with sharp metal nails and barbed wire at the tip, allowing players to doll out extreme punishment by bashing enemies from one side of the bat or impaling them with the other.
The Smelterville Slugger also has coiled chains and sharp nails around the entire barrel, making it twice as effective as the one-sided Axe that players start the game with. While melee weapons aren’t the wisest when taking on gun-toting enemies, it’s absolutely ideal for bashing and braining unarmed enemies looking for a physical clash in the popular 2022 open-world video game.
AR-55 Burst Rifle – Best Rifle
While the default Kurkov K-8 AR to start Saints Row is perfectly serviceable, those who purchase or unlock the AR-55 will immediately notice the difference in firepower, speed, accuracy, range, and overall efficiency. The gun’s Beowulf Receiver signature ability uses a modified .50 caliber receiver to increase its overall damage.
Essentially fusing the massive spray of an assault rifle with the accuracy of a ranged sniper rifle, the AR-55 is ideal for mowing down enemies at close range thanks to its burst fire action and taking down foes from afar thanks to its upgraded zoom scope. Those looking for headshot kills or destroy enemy vehicles with just a couple of rounds, look no further than the mighty AR-55.
.585 Safari Express Rifle – Second Best Rifle
At a hefty price of $80,000, the .585 Safari Express Rifle provides quality over quantity. That is, while it only shoots one round at a time, the gigantic size of the bullet caliber will stop a charging elephant dead in its tracks. Therefore, while reserved for only certain situations, few weapons in Saints Row are deadlier or more efficient.
Thanks to its Shock and Ouch signature ability, the .585 Safari creates such a forceful muzzle blast that nearby enemies will stagger on impact. With slow reload times and heavy recoil, accuracy is a must when using the rifle. However, one shot will obliterate a foe on contact.
TEK Z-10 SMG – Best Submachine Gun
While SMGs have been notoriously problematic in Saints Rows’ past, the overhauled TEK Z-10 Submachine Gun in the video game franchise reboot is a real dandy. While the reloading time is the only real drawback, the TEK Z-10 is the most accurate and powerful of the group. Whether up close or trading fire with throngs of enemies at mid-range, accept no exceptions.
The easy-to-grab and lightweight firearm is also ideal for taking on enemies while on the run rather than firing from a fixed stationary position. Even more versatile, the SMG doubles as a melee pistol that can be used to beat enemies with when the 40-bullet mag is depleted.
1921 Johnson SMG – Second Best Submachine Gun
While the D4th Blossom SMG is as lethal as it sounds, it does not deal half of the damage that the 1921 Johnson SMG does in the beloved PS5 action-adventure game. Thanks to its armor-piercing rounds signature ability, the firearm modeled after the original Johnny Gat essentially functions like a wieldier Tommy Gun and will lethally penetrate the most fortified foes.
Ideal for taking on the toughest opponents bolstered by bullet-proof vests, shields, barriers, and the like, the 1921 Johnson can also destroy enemy vehicles. What it lacks in range, accuracy, and magazine capacity, it more than makes up for with its deadly destruction.
MDI-50 Tac – Best Shotgun
While certain gamers favor the Police Shotgun in Saints Row, one blast of the badass MDI-50 Tac Shotgun will show a stark difference in power, speed of fire, and lightweight controllability. Shotguns are obviously tailor-made for short-range shootouts where one hit on target will deliver absurd amounts of damage, with the MDI-50 Tac’s automatic double-blast action outranking the rest.
The strongest aspect of the MDI-5o Tac is its rapid rate of fire, which enables players to stop and drop foes in a single headshot or two. Even more versatile, the shotgun’s signature ability pairs well with the aforementioned TEK Z-10 SMG in order to electrically stun enemies on impact.
TOGO 13 Sniper Rifle – Best Specialized Weapon
As every Saints Row diehard knows full well, sometimes the safest strategy is to sit back and pluck off enemies one by one from a great distance. The wisest bet when taking this approach in the 2022 reboot is to acquire the supremely deadly TOGO 13 Sniper Rifle, hailed by all as the best Specialized Weapon in the game.
Unlocked after completing the Drawing Heat quest, the TOGO 13 is a hulking piece of hardware that pairs well with the AR-55 to sustain long firefights at a far distance. Even more helpful, the signature ability of the TOGO 13 grants players with more ammo the more accurate they are at headshots.
Handcannon .44 – Best Pistol
In Saints Row, pistols are always handy when fighting enemies on the run or when a player needs a free hand to collect items. The best pistol in the reboot is the Handcannon .44, which fires large Magnum rounds that will kill an enemy with a single headshot. The best part? It only costs $600 to obtain from the Friendly Fire gun shop.
With a massive damage rate on par with the Safari Express Rifle at a fraction of the cost, the Handcannon .44 also inflicts major AoE damage that will push enemies back, allowing a player to advance their territory and dominate the battlefield. While the recoil is heavy and the rate of fire is fairly slow, the above-average reload speed atones for such downsides.
MDI-39m Sixguns – Second Best Pistol
For a cost of $30,000, players can obtain the second-best pistol in the highly anticipated 2022 game. The MDI-39 Sixguns is a supremely balanced firearm that has high damage rates on par with its range and reloading speed. This bad boy uses six micro-missiles as homing darts that will turn the most novice marksman into an instant deadeye.
Even more deadly, the Sixguns’ signature ability includes Rocket Rebound, which actually bounces ammunition toward nearby enemies after they’ve already annihilated the target. The only drawback is its limited magazine size and steep price, otherwise, it would be foolish not to protect oneself with the MDI-39m.
AT Rocket Launcher – Best Big Gun
While the RPG Rocket Launcher is worth a try, the best big gun to use in Saints Row is definitely the almighty AT Rocket Launcher. This mammoth murder weapon boasts a mag loaded with four large rockets that will destroy a vehicle full of baddies in a single shot or two. Even more helpful, upgrades include guiding the rocket’s flight to go anywhere the shooter desires.
Even if players do not directly hit an enemy, the massive impact of the rockets will send them flying off their feet, allowing for an easy follow-up attack to rid them once and for all. Far lighter than anyone would expect, players can actually use the AT Rocket Launcher while on the run, making it one of the most harmfully versatile weapons in the game.
