After an extended hiatus, Deep Silver Volition revealed that the Saints Row franchise is primed to return early next year at Gamescom. The last release in the Saints Row series was Gat Out of Hell, a spin-off starring beloved reoccurring character Johnny Gat as he battled his way out of the afterlife, released in 2015. The last main entry, Saints Row 4, released in 2013 and saw the titular criminal syndicate ascending to the White House while fighting off an alien invasion with super powers and phallic baseball bats.
Now, Deep Silver Volition is getting a new crew together with a reboot that returns to the franchise's gangland roots. Featuring an amusing “criminal syndicate as business start-up” premise, this new installment of the Saints series maintains a signature blend of bombastic, crime-action and comedy. But the GamesCom trailer also represents a clear tonal shift for the series.
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The reboot – simply titled Saints Row – is far from grounded, as the trailer boasts a gravity defying car chase that would make The Fast and the Furious movies blush. But the series is backing away from the absurdities of aliens, presidential aspirations, superpowers, and demonic legions. A blank slate is sure to open up storytelling opportunities, but shedding the series’ most outlandish features may come at a cost.
What Happened to the Aliens and Tigers?
When the original Saints Row first launched in 2006, it was couched as a direct competitor to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise. The series arguably hit its stride with its third installment, however, when the series started to let its hair down. Though aliens and superpowers wouldn’t arrive until the next game, the recently remastered Saints Row: The Third leaned into ridiculous elements to differentiate itself from GTA.
Some notable examples include the Jackass-esque “Trail Blazing” flaming ATV mini game, and the “Tiger Escort” activity, in which players must cruise around in a car, drifting at appropriate intervals to soothe a tiger that periodically attacks the player. The game also introduced a now-infamous, iconic melee weapon: The Penetrator. The writing, while juvenile, made the absolute most of its bizarre set pieces and eccentric characters.
With a playful “start-up for bad guys” conceit, it’s clear 2022’s Saints Row hasn’t lost its sense of humor, but players who preferred the zanier elements of Saints Row’s sandbox worlds may find themselves miffed by the comparatively conventional-if-lawless southwestern setting. After all, there are dozens of games where players can drive around cities doing crimes in cars. Comparatively fewer titles let players do so in a bobblehead helmet while wielding Hulk-like “Apoca-Fist” gauntlets.
Doing Battle with GTA
Between the glowing cat-eared motorcycle helmet and cars that can apparently leap up skyscrapers, the trailer does not make it seem like the new Saints Row will be positioned as a next-gen GTA-killer. But taking a step away from lunacy in favor a of crime comedy with shades of social commentary is definitely a step toward GTA's territory. Both games will occupy mechanically and thematically similar spaces, and players will inevitably compare them.
But this match-up might go better for Saints Row than one would expect based on GTA’s legendary clout. While Rockstar has steadily injected fresh content into Grand Theft Auto Online, it must be acknowledged that the game is starting to show its age in certain respects. If nothing else, experienced players have seen the scope of what it has to offer, and many of those players are likely hungry for something fresh.
Alongside the enduring success of GTA Online, Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely an extremely long way off. Unlike the late 2000s through the early 2010s, there are far fewer series’ operating in that same space today. Saints Row could offer a welcome change-up to those hungry for something new, but that assumes everything goes according to plan. Competing with one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the last decade is not a half-hearted endeavor.
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If Deep Silver Volition is too conservative with its mechanics and story, it will have an extremely difficult time differentiating itself from GTA 5 and GTA Online. Even if Saints Row’s offerings are excellent, it will be a hard sell to convince invested players to switch games if the two titles feel too similar.
Fresh Faces In Familiar Territory
There is a reason there are fewer GTA clones than there were a decade ago: the format became familiar. Between True Crime, Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row, and a host of lesser-known titles, the market reached saturation. Players knew, or assumed they knew, what to expect, and that may still be true. It is also possible, however, that gamers who grew up on GTA clones might just be hungry for a modern take on the concept.
If Saints Row similarly wants to grow up, shedding some of its crasser qualities in the process, that’s an admirable endeavor. But juvenile charm is still charm, and it must be replaced by something equally compelling. “GTA with Better Graphics,” or “GTA but Funny,” won’t cut it because GTA is already funny. Next-gen console ports of GTA are fast approaching, and the game already looks great on PC. What Saints Row needs to maintain, regardless of what it changes into, is flavor. Grand Theft Auto is not drab, conservative, or humorless, but it is an established brand. As a result, it is harder for Rockstar to take the sort of radical and trangressive risks that Deep Silver Volition can take with the new Saints Row.
Fortunately, that distinctive character can be achieved in a number of ways. Hopefully the game will not abandon its penchant for surreal, stunt-like mini-games, and the developers will have an arsenal full of fan-favorite weapons seasoned with a few oddballs. The weapons don't need to be as cartoony as The Third’s Mollusk Launcher, but they do need to feel distinctively Saints Row. It must be said, the new Saints Row appears to be brimming with personality, which was ultimately what allowed The Third to step outside GTA’s shadow. Sometimes, personality is all it takes to make a familiar experience feel fresh again.
Saints Row is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25, 2022.
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