The mission variety might be one of the best things about Saints Row. That is something this series has always been good about. Some great main story missions may not outdo anything from the past, but they are a blast to play all the same.
The only downside to the missions in Saints Row is that they can’t be played again. That’s why it is advised to make a save file before starting any mission. One never knows when they will want to replay something again. Of the many main story and side missions in this reboot, which ones stick out the most? There will be spoilers.
8 Observe And Report
“Observe and Report” is an early mission in the game while players are still part of the Marshalls. The boss is teamed up with JR to keep surveillance on a convoy of Los Panteros trucks. They are not to engage the enemy but of course, something goes wrong and players have to start smashing stuff up.
They’ll jump from truck to truck, taking out gang members and hopping off before things start exploding. There’s a dust storm involved too and the climax has players face a wannabe Wolverine.
7 Aggressive Recruiting
“Aggressive Recruiting” is like the game’s version of a Battle Royale experience but without the multiplayer. Eli thinks The Saints need notoriety, so The Boss volunteers to go to this murder island to broadcast their talents.
The ride there is on a spooky ferry, fitting for a Halloween DLC expansion. The island takes away weapons but gives players more unique ones as a compromise like a giant Katana or a pistol that shoots heat-seeking poison bullets. It’s a quick mission but is a fun one to cause mayhem in.
6 Take Me To Church
“Take Me To Church” is the mission wherein The Boss urges their crew to create The Saints. They find an abandoned church, occupied by city builders, so players have to bulldoze them off of the property. Then they need to pick up the realtor for the property and scare them into submission.
Do stunts enough times in the desert and he will give up the deed along with some other goodies. It ends in a big shootout which is normal for Saints Row but the first two aspects make this a memorable mission.
5 The Dustmoot
“The Dustmoot” shows off the nerdier side of Eli as if the game didn’t highlight it enough at that point already. Eli belongs to a LARP group in the region which is a cross between an RPG like Fallout and Mad Max.
He needs to level up fast, so he asks The Boss to help him on his quest. That’s when The Boss decides that Eli shouldn’t bow down to any group in the game and that they should make their own kingdom. It’s a silly premise that would also be fun for a full-fledged DLC expansion.
4 The Frontier
“The Frontier” is a stealth mission that sees The Boss break into a Marshalls prison to free the Nahualli. He’s the antagonist from the beginning of Saints Row, which was a surprise to see him return in this way.
The mission starts with an epic glide down onto the roof followed by some sneaking past guards. It’s not a full-fledged stealth operation akin to a Metal Gear Solid game. The mission would have been better had it contained more cardboard boxes. However, a prison escape is always a great scenario to put into a video game.
3 Corporate Retreat
“Corporate Retreat” was supposed to be a fun bonding mission for the team. The Boss allowed every member to choose one activity to do on their RV trip across the region. Unfortunately, rival gangs keep popping up and ruining their non-kill day.
The best part about it is that the Nahualli was invited to join the activities. His confusion about the whole process, like Kevin not wearing a shirt, is priceless. The Nahualli proves to be one of the coolest characters in the game because of this hilarious mission. It also ends with a good shootout with one of the best weapons in Saints Row.
2 The Great Train Robbery
A majority of the game builds up to “The Great Train Robbery” which indeed involves robbing a train. Instead of riding up on horses like in a Wild West game akin to Red Dead Redemption 2, players take hoverbikes.
They jump onto the train, fighting their way through goons and traps. There’s even a tank-driving segment. The true cherry on top is the showdown with Sergio, the leader of Los Panteros. Let’s just say he gets what’s coming to him but in one of the most unexpected ways possible. Overall, it’s an exhilarating train ride full of explosions.
1 Idol Threat
“Idol Threat” is an earlier mission when The Saints are first starting but it has everything. It begins with Kevin being kidnapped by his forming gang. This leads to The Boss tracking him down to a seedy bar wherein a good old-fashioned brawl erupts. Players then kidnap an Idol member while he is in a Porta Potty and they drag him around the Idol camp as he screams about excrement getting everywhere.
Then, there is a climbing segment involving diffusing bombs before finally rescuing Kevin. It’s a scene straight out of Final Fantasy 7 Remake which is funny since one of the voice options for The Boss, Voice 2, is played by Erica Lindbeck who also played Jessie in that game. That’s not the end of the mission though but the climax won’t be spoiled. It is a rad mission in Saints Row to be sure.
Saints Row was released on August 23, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.