Where do you take a series after the protagonist took over a gang, became a popular celebrity, then the President of the United States, then ruler of the universe? You push the reboot button, and do it all over again.
Deep Silver Volition, the development studio behind Saints Row, states that they are ‘returning back to the roots’. The reboot will do away with the wacky alien overlord shenanigans and, sadly, The Penetrator.
Since this is a reboot, there will be a new cast, new world, new gangs, and a new Boss. This breaking away from the canon of the previous titles frees up space for the developers. The freedom to play around with the lore, design, and mechanics allows them to stretch their creative muscles without being too tied down by what the previous titles established.
Players, taking on the role of the future Boss, will climb their way up the underworld ranks in the crime-ridden Santo Ileso, a fictional city set in the American Southwest. This is a setting where lawless factions try to outdo each other, maneuvering for a bigger slice of the territorial pie.
Alongside the new characters Neenah, Kevin, and Eli, players will form The Saints. They will butt heads with Los Panteros, The Idols, and Marshalls as their criminal empire snowballs in the game.
Saints Row boasts the biggest sandbox for players to indulge in, with nine unique districts set in the middle of the beautiful Southwest Desert.
There will also be a large variety of weapons, both familiar and unexpected, and all customisable. Vehicle options also run the gamut, with cars, bikes, planes, helicopters, hoverbikes, hoverboards, and even a wingsuit.
And, keeping in line with the series’ ethos to be as inclusive as possible, Saints Row offers the most extensive character creation suite in the series thus far. The game also features fully untethered and seamless drop-in/drop-out co-op. This emphasis on co-op is also consistent with the other titles of the series, and comes as no surprise as part of the Saints Row package.
While most of the details are under wraps, we do know there will be many easter eggs referencing the older games, even if the new Saints Row is set in a different world. Fans will definitely catch onto those nods to the series’ legacy.
Also, it is confirmed that Insurance Fraud will be in the new game, which is a way for players to earn money in-game by getting run over by vehicles.
It seems like Deep Silver Volition does know what fans love about the Saints Row series, despite the presumed scaling back of outlandish absurdity with the reboot. The original Boss took four games before becoming ruler of the universe, and we are more than willing to do it all over again with a new one.
Saints Row will be released on 25 February 2022 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Epic Games Store.
Brandon shapeshifts between being a nerd and a geek like Mystique, but with fewer options. He reads an unhealthy amount of comics and manga, while playing a healthy amount of board games and video games.
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