Although it has found itself often living in the shadow of the Gand Theft Auto series, Saints Row is a franchise that has amassed millions of fans thanks to its open worlds that allow for limitless lunacy and a coarse sense of humor that has only grown more outlandish as the series progressed. With 2022's Saints Row, Volition hopes to reboot the Saints Row series, giving it a bit more down to Earth tone without sacrificing open world freedom and action. The game will take players to Saint Ileso, where they will witness the formation of the Saints Row gang as it goes up against three other gangs that vie for control of the city.
The reboot is an opportunity for the series to capture a new generation of gamers while drawing fans back in who may have left the franchise after feeling it had jumped the shark with Saints Row 4. Considering the stellar line-up of games that have been released in the ninth generation of gaming, Saints Row has a tall order in front of it. Fortunately, a few things are working in its favor.
Saints Row Has a Little Breathing Room
Although only a quarter of 2022 has passed, the year has shown itself to be quite an eventful one for gaming. A host of notable acquisitions were announced from both Sony and Microsoft, and they will have long-term effects on the gaming industry. There has also been a steady stream of big-budget, AAA games released, leaving gamers spoiled for choice. Saints Row was originally supposed to release on February 25. This would have put it in direct competition with numerous big titles including Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Gran Turismo 7, Dying Light 2, and Sifu, to name a few.
Ultimately, Saints Row was delayed until August 23, 2022. According to developers, the delay was made to allow the team to spit-shine the game and ensure it is released in the best state, although there will not "be much change in the game outside of overall quality and polish." An unintended byproduct is that Saints Row gets a little breathing away from some big releases, giving it space to shine. Although it will still face competition from titles like Soul Hackers 2, it is certainly not as bad as the early 2022 stampede.
Saints Row Addresses Fan Criticisms
Saints Row 4 is a divisive game, and while many enjoy the wacky superpowers and far-out plot involving aliens and simulations, others find it to be just too crazy and void of the heart present in prior Saints Row games. In comparison, the Saints Row reboot will be more grounded. However, this does not mean that the game will be a humorless, boring experience. As trailers have demonstrated, players will still have access to high-powered weaponry, and the opportunity to cause violence mayhem will still be present.
If Volition gets the balance right, it could recapture the magic of previous titles and offer a perfect blend of comedy and meaningful content. Trailers suggest that this may be done by allowing players to form a bond with the members of the Saints Row gang which includes Neenah the mechanic, Kevin the DJ, and Eli the savvy entrepreneur.
Although there are a plethora of open world games to look forward to in 2022, Saints Row still stands out because it is the latest entry in a series that has successfully combined humor and action for many titles. The game's summer release date puts it in the prime position to hog the spotlight and prove that the Saints Row franchise has what it takes to shine in a modern gaming landscape.
The Saints Row reboot is scheduled to release on August 23, 2022, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.