Saints Row Gearbox: It’s Saints Row 2022, and it’s time for a clean sweep. After the bizarre antics of the last game, in which the Saints’ leader became President of the United States and was granted superpowers to thwart alien invasions and zombie apocalypses, Deep Silver decided to take a new tack with the third chapter.
And that’s usually a red flag for players (we all remember Diablo Immortal and eFootball 2022). In its heyday, Saints Row was as popular as the Grand Theft Auto series, so the developers of the latest instalment decided to return to the game’s roots.
The concept was straightforward. The game takes place in the city of Santo Ileso, where the Saints first emerged, and the player must organise a criminal gang in order to seize control the metropolis. The one and only catch? There are two opposing gangs in the city and a private military firm that wants to wipe them out.
The series has made a name for itself because of its entertaining idea. Is it true that Saints Row 5 has been able to deliver an experience that will not make players long for the series’ previous instalment? After putting in two weeks of playtime, I was able to determine the following.
Before we get started, it’s worth noting that we tested Saints Row on the HP Omen 16, a mid-range gaming laptop and that the game is available on Epic Games Store for PC. PlayStation and Xbox consoles can also play the game.
Saints Row Gameplay
The Saints Row games are set in an open universe. The series blends aspects of action, adventure and vehicle gameplay. The game world is open for the player to explore on foot or via vehicle, and they have access to a wide variety of weapons and melee combat options.
Violence against authority figures, such as civilians and police who are not playable characters, will result in a swift and maybe death response. If the player dies or is arrested, they will reappear at a local medical facility or police station, respectively.
An emphasis is centred on urban warfare; the player character is linked with a street gang known as the 3rd Street Saints. Game tasks are structurally organised into various mission arcs. These missions can be completed in any order, independently, or simultaneously.
Missions are accessible by earning respect points; respect is game currency acquired by playing non-story mini-games known as activities and diversions. A large chunk of the gameplay revolves around personalization.
In Saints Row 2, not only may the player alter the appearance and wardrobe of their character, but they can also modify select vehicles at chop shops, design the interior of their gang’s safe houses, and train the Third Street Saints to behave more civilly.
Saints Row City and Characters
I could be among the minority, but I enjoyed the city design. There is enough visual variety in Santo Ileso, which has been styled after Las Vegas, to support the open-world premise. On one side, you’ll find orange deserts and jagged mountains, while on the other, a swanky neighbourhood bathed in neon blue technology.
I enjoyed learning about the varied cultural traditions of other areas. Nicely detailed, too; I liked discovering new stuff all the time. As with the protagonist, the Boss in this game heavily depends on his smartphone for navigation.
It features the map, mission data, skills, style changes, wanted status, camera and more. It’s an unusual feature, but it fits the game’s urban setting and makes it feel more realistic. Moving on, we have to talk about the characters.
Eli, Kevin, and Neenah make comprise the core team, also known as the original Saints. Each character possesses a unique power that helps you out in various assignments. Former Los Panteros mechanic Neenah is now the gang’s chauffeur.
Kevin is an aspiring chef who earlier worked as DJ and as a result has various connections in the city. In conclusion, Eli is a businessman and investor who is striving to make ends meet and who planned most of the gang’s actions.
The majority of the playable characters have their own distinct personalities and are enjoyable to work with in cooperative play. All the same, the characters as a whole came off as somewhat two-dimensional. Neither their drive nor their influences felt real enough to take on such a massive job.
However, the dialogues and the character lines are really entertaining and will make you laugh out loud regularly. Here comes the artificial intelligence at last. There is a good variety in NPC statements and reactions, depending on whether they are a gang member, police officer, or civilian.
The AI is generally reliable and easy to use. The antics of these people, from car theft to beating up innocent bystanders for spare change, never failed to entertain. To be fair, many bugs were discovered in the game’s early stages. However, a fix was sent by the corporation that addressed most of the problems.
Saints Row Verdict
I have one point to say before the verdict is announced. My impressions of the game will always be coloured by my personal taste, which is for narrative-focused games with deep character arcs and constantly shifting gameplay systems.
However, not all gamers adhere to this norm. We’ve already covered our thoughts on the game’s strengths and weaknesses. Now, though, the issue everyone is asking is whether or not they should purchase this game.
Version 1.2 – The Bright Future update has officially landed in @SaintsRow
With over 200 improvements including co-op, a new voice pitch slider and 7 new garages to keep your vehicles in! Update your game and check out the full notes here: https://t.co/Fa9CoFL8Xa pic.twitter.com/Z0imPHXQwB
— Volition (@DSVolition) November 16, 2022
If you have ever been a fan of early 2000s action movies like The Fast and The Furious, and you appreciate mindless action and the open-world experience in a GTA-like environment, then this game undoubtedly has a lot to offer.
If you’re a fan of crude humour, you won’t be let down. You might also love it if you’re a fan of games that emphasise likeable characters and humorous interactions amongst them. Apart than that, though, the gameplay and visuals in this game fall flat.
There were times when it felt like a game that refused to evolve with the times and make use of modern technology. The game could have been great, but it squandered its potential in various ways, in my opinion. If you’re a Saints Row fan, you can give it a shot, but we suggest waiting for the end-of-year Steam sales.
Volition will join Gearbox after Saints Row had a poor reaction
Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors announced the move from Plaion (previously Koch Media) to Gearbox Entertainment in a statement posted accompanying the company’s second-quarter financial results. Saints Row’s response “did not fulfil the full expectations and left the fandom largely polarised,” he claimed.
Volition, the game studio, has been working hard to enhance the player’s journey. Wingefors added, “Financially, Saints Row has performed in accordance with management expectations in the quarter,” despite the game’s negative reception.
Volition will transition to become part of Gearbox following a disappointing reception to its Saints Row reboot, Embracer Group has announcedhttps://t.co/rIwEyMemtw pic.twitter.com/2Liv6pSBFD
— VGC (@VGC_News) November 17, 2022
Moving ahead, Volition will merge with Gearbox, which has all the resources necessary to ensure the studio’s continued success, including a seasoned management team based in the United States. The transfer of a major studio between operational organisations is unprecedented, but it may not be the last.
The decision was made on the same day that the first big Saints Row update became available to players. A “special focus” was put on fixing “stability and co-op gameplay difficulties,” and the update ended up being 200 changes long.
Adding that “this significant upgrade is just the beginning of our continued support for Saints Row in 2022 and beyond,” Volition said that they have big plans for the game.
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