Some fans believed that the decision to reboot the iconic (and quirky) Saints Row series was a risky one, considering how many fan-favorite characters and locations the upcoming game would be doing without. Developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver, the next Saints Row is looking to strip everything back to an original story, with new characters and new areas to explore. With the last few entries in the Saints Row franchise, like Saints Row 4 and Saints Row: Gat out of Hell failing to gain the same commercial ground as their predecessors, Volition felt that it was time for the series to take a new direction.
The new Saints Row is also intending to step away from some sillier elements introduced in the recent titles, getting back to the slightly more serious tone of the first few games, while still maintaining the series' sense of humor. After a six-month delay from its original release date, Saints Row is set to launch in August of this year, and fans are eager to get to know the new location of Santo Ileso, and build up their own criminal empire. Along with a look at some of the game's mechanics and gameplay features, the developer has detailed the story of the newest Saints Row game, showing how players can be a part of shaping their new community, for better or worse.
Saints Row: A Whole New World
The upcoming Saints Row is a complete reboot, so players shouldn't expect to see Johnny Gat rock up or hope to cause more chaos in the streets of Steelport. Instead, the action of Saints Row will take place in Santo Ileso, a fictional city based on the American southwest. The city has nine different districts, each with its own distinct flavor offering anything from a run-down rural town vibe to a casino-infested Las Vegas wannabe. Players need to take over these districts one by one and wrestle them from the control of one of the three main gangs in Saints Row; the vehicle obsessed Los Panteros, the anarchic party animal Idols, and the militaristic Marshall Defense Industries.
Not only does this provide gamers with a brand-new city to explore and give the franchise a fresh start, but it also lets players have a hand in shaping the community. The game follows the very start of the Saints' journey with the formation of the gang, and gamers will need to build up their illegitimate business empire with legitimate fronts, and take over Santo Ileso so they can run the city how they want. In this sense, players will be able to make their own story, becoming a benign boss or ruthless gang leader as they plot their city-wide takeover.
Saints Row's New Cast Of Characters
Like in previous Saints Row games, players will be able to create their own protagonist in a detailed and extensive character creator mode. Saints Row offers insane levels of customization, from skin textures and colors to android-like prosthetics. However, it's not just the characters that players can craft in such detail – vehicle customization is also going to be a large focus in Saints Row. Players will explore this new world as "The Boss," who is a former member of Marshall Defense Industries. They will need to create their own gang to rival the big three in Santo Ileso and forge their own criminal empire, with the very noble goal of paying off student loans.
The player's Boss will be joined by other ex-gang members who have become disillusioned with their own factions. These include former Los Panteros mechanic Neenah, who becomes the gang's driver, ex-Idols member and DJ Kevin who helps execute heists, and business entrepreneur Eli who oversees and plans the gang's activities. Players will recruit other members to build up their gang as they go, gaining influence and territory along the way. The open-world setting really is the player's oyster, and gamers can explore the diverse districts of the new city as they conquer them. Saints Row will even feature co-op, so gamers can bring along a friend for the ride.
Saints Row releases on August 23, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.