When it comes to open-world sandbox experiences, I am all over them. The thing is though, we haven’t really had much enter the genre in recent years unless you count GTA V being redone for the 999th time. The reboot of Saints Row is looming ever closer and as a huge fan of the series, I couldn’t be more excited. The game releases on 23rd August 2022 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 4|5 and Windows PC. In this article I’ll be covering a little bit about the different editions of the game on offer, what to expect and whether it will be different from the previous entries. Saints Row has always been a closely compared game to the Grand Theft Auto series that has hinged more on the wacky and silly side of things rather than taking itself seriously, let’s see what’s on the table, shall we?

It’s Time For Change

After Saints Row IV became a little too ridiculous for my liking with an alien empire and superpowers in the mix, I was over the moon when Deep Silver Volition announced they were rebooting the franchise. The first three titles were all excellent and whilst many will compare them directly to the Grand Theft Auto masterpieces, the 3rd Street Saints were very unique in their own right. I found that the games didn’t take themselves too seriously and still provided that element of being submerged into gang culture and warfare on one street, whilst smashing people across the face with a giant dildo on a stick around the corner. I’ve ploughed through them all from beginning to end and honestly, I thought we’d never see a Saints game ever again.

After suffering some delays due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic we finally see the release date looming with it arriving in just a few short weeks at the time of writing. Hardcore fans will more than likely already understand that the game will no longer feature Jonny Gat and his personal army, but an entirely new cast and fresh storyline instead. Now, initially, I scratched my head at this decision, but I now understand that people are fed up with remasters and reboots that are like for like. It’s time to try and test a new formula in the hope of blossoming a new future for the brand.

A New Location, A New Playground

The developers have already hinted that this will be the biggest Saints Row map ever created which will be music to the ears of many. There is just something about dropping into a sandbox adventure and uncovering the size of the game for the very first time. I often find myself for the first few hours of these kinds of games just buggering off and exploring rather than actually following the structure of the game and getting the main missions done. That is the beauty though, a virtual playground that gives you as much longevity and replayability as you desire to go around running people over, having fistfights and my personal favourite which is pushing people off bridges into the water below.

Now I may sound completely sadistic when I say that, but it gives you the freedom to step away from reality a bit and just have a laugh. This time around we are going to be invested in the new fictional location of Santo Ileso. From what has been unveiled so far it looks like a huge sprawling vibrant city situated in South West America which is intertwined with vast open desert areas and more. The team have said there will be some familiar brands of stores than give a slight nod to the past games, but there is more new than old here. I can’t wait to dive in and explore!

Cross-Generation Co-Operative Play

Those who love to play with mates will be happy to know that the game features two-player online co-op so that you can join forces and blast through the story and world together. This should be a seamless option that will be integrated with the last generation console users being able to play with current generation players. It also had a drop-in and drop-out element reducing the need to sit around waiting for lobby connections. The game will not feature cross-platform, so gamers will need to be on their respective brands of console in order to play with friends. Finally, the team have promised some surprises that are under lock and key for the co-op side of things and these will all be revealed at a later stage.

The Best Customisation Experience, EVER!

Let’s be frank, Saints Row has always had a pretty amazing design suite when it comes to editing your personal character and everything surrounding them. Well, this time it has improved massively and you can even get an insight into this before the game launches. You can download the character creation area of the game right now at no charge and even transfer your craft when you finally get hands-on. Those on Xbox can check out the Boss Factory right HERE. I have had a play around with this tool and it is absolutely mind-blowing how detailed you can get. No two characters would ever look the same and this will keep the game fresh for those who enjoy repeated playthroughs or changing their image on the fly every so often.

It’s Still A Bit Crazy!

Whilst I didn’t get to play the preview this time around sadly, plenty of media outlets have managed to have around four hours with the game. It is true that it has reigned in a little bit of the insanely silly stuff, but there is still some madness and carnage to get your teeth into. Insurance fraud is still here, kicking people in the bollocks and punching innocent bystanders clean in the nose is all a possibility. Obviously, there are bound to be plenty of secrets and elements left to discover, but this is what is known to us so far.

Last Thoughts

There is a lot riding on this reboot and understandably so. The development team are starting fresh but in an attempt to appease the true fans of the previous titles. It risks being too identical to the original games unless it has a solid storyline and introduces some new goodies for players to discover. I’m happy to see some of the older fun stuff like insurance fraud, but if it just has identical features on a new island, this may not be enough for some. I do feel that a fresh cast, story and setting present enough of a reason to purchase this if you love games of this nature.

If this is an overnight success story though, I do hope that they build on these new foundations and think outside the box to keep us interested. I was a bit disappointed not to see them capitalise on the open world with some multiplayer modes and I see that as a missed opportunity. Whilst I hate going back to Grand Theft Auto again, the only reason they keep churning out the remasters is because millions still pump money into that game’s economy. I’ve dreamt and hoped for some virtual online competitive turf wars for years and they almost had the concept nailed in the 2006 original on Xbox One. So, my excitement is at a peak but I am also wary of this fresh take. Whichever way it plays out, I’ll be there with my AK47, bandana and clown shoes!