Saints Row Preview – A Day In The Wilder West

The bustling patio at Champaign is filled with boisterous conversations about business and the clanking silverware. Champaign is just two hours north of Chicago. Deep Silver Volition’s stoic visage is lord over the hungry patrons. The studio’s logo hangs a few stories above the lunch spot on the side of a brownstone building. Many eating here today are likely Volition employees, and they have reason to celebrate with a feast, as their studio’s next game, Saints Row, is nearing completion.

After a short elevator ride up to Volition’s offices, I meet Rob Loftus, the executive producer behind the game. His enthusiasm is matched with a cheerful bounce to his steps. He says I’ll be playing through the beginning of the game on PlayStation 5. I’m free to explore its world, take on missions, or do whatever I want for roughly four hours. The only caveat: I can’t talk about a specific opening moment because it’s a huge spoiler.

It’s eagerly anticipated that Saints Row would be a success and this spoiler will also emerge. In the opening seconds, I see the Saints as I remember them: adorned in purple hues and partying like it’s the end of days. They have transformed an abandoned church into their headquarters, which functions as a nightclub. There are colored lights all around the floor, and the drinks flow like rivers from the bar. The joyful scene is captured in a fun sequence that showcases a range of animated sequences shot with cinematic camerawork.

Only the protagonist can be seen from their office. Then, he or she will look into a mirror. This brings up Saints’ elaborate character creator. The only difference between my creation and his is the sound of his voice. You have eight voice options, each of which can be changed at any moment, however none match mine.

Next, I get into the creator’s more refined details – like determining if my nipples show or are digitized when I’m shirtless. I also adjust the size of my groin – an awkward moment in the presence of the game’s developers.

After finalizing my look, that big spoiler hits, and it’s as shocking as Loftus billed. The impact is followed by a rewind of time in Santa Ileso to see how the Saints got here. My uniform is a blue-and-white combat suit, worn by Marshall Defense Industries. This military group’s leader is a cowboy named Atticus Marshall, who wears a white coat and white Stetson matching his white mustache and eyebrows. A large belt bucket with an attached star is found around his waist. He is a screamer for Texas.

This is my first time working with Saints Row.

Marshall Law

I’m a new Marshall recruit, aiming to make the world a better place through a bit of T.L.C.I have a culture of conflict, technologically-advanced weapons and loose morals. A large squad consisting of more than a dozen people in the same gear as me is my first Marshall mission. I get to know a few of them through another nicely animated sequence boasting sharp writing and the  Saints Row humor we’ve come to expect. We’re storming a “historic location” called the Silver Gulch, which appears to be a tourist trap showing what the Wild West was once like. We’re here to apprehend someone named The Nahualli. His name is all I know.

Within seconds of controlling my character, he’s rocked by an explosion and thrown to the ground. He is thrown to the ground by a six-wheeled vehicle. There is fire everywhere. Unusual beauty is created by the blue flares that are scattered over the dirt. More explosions shake the sky as bullets fly overhead. The chaos draws me in, but I can’t help but notice that there’s an old-gen feel to my character’s movements, how the enemies move in front of me, and the general levels of detail in the world, texture, and lighting. Saints Row appears to be a somewhat enhanced version of the last-gen.

The explosions keep going as I race forward against a torrent of gunfire. The Nahualli’s troops are decked out in red and black military fatigues and carry a variety of assault rifles and explosives. If I’m lucky, I can light more than a dozen. I also use the analog stick to take quick headshots. I use a machine gun for groups and the pistol for more precision with longer-range targets – both feel okay but don’t pack much punch.

Although it’s easy to hit and locate targets with the gunplay, it lacks the precision and speed of freely aim. Although I have the option to disable auto-aim, it is difficult for me to deal with attackers coming from several directions at once. In other words, it’s designed well for aim assist. My job is made easier by the explosive barrels that litter our dusty streets. This opening scene is chaotic and hilarious. It funnels me through well-designed set pieces that use vehicles and verticality to make it fun.

It reaches an old-fashioned saloon. There are swinging doors in front, and rooms for the drunk. I get my first look at The Nahualli, but his troops are too entrenched, and I can’t get close to him. My team and I regroup, discuss our plans, and he jumps from a second-story window into a hovership that is descending. It looks like Tony Stark created it for The Avengers. The pilot is thrown out by him and appears to be fumbling with the controls. I have enough time to attach a grapple to the large APC truck to the hover ship. Nahualli takes off into the sky, my aim is correct, the line gets tighter. With little resistance, the APC lifts itself off of the ground. I leap onto the back of the airborne truck and, much like a scene in an Uncharted game, scale the vehicle’s exterior as it soars dangerously through a narrow canyon. I think I’ll get control of my character here, but the sequence ends quickly with the NPC hitting a rock bridge and stopping the hover ship dead in its tracks.

My character ascends to the aircraft’s wing and lays down as the vessel wobbles to free itself. A shooting gallery-like sequence of gameplay ensues as enemies emerge from the nearby caves. As the ship tries to get away, I’m thrown off its side, thankfully saving myself by grabbing the side of a wing with one hand. My other hand is used to open fire in the caves against enemies. Although this moment is large in scope, it’s a little choppy in execution. It is difficult to switch between the action scenes due to rough transition animations. I also find Enemy AI to be incredibly docile. They give me ample time to set them up for shots, even though it takes me five seconds to get my mind right.

When the coast clears, I climb up the ship once more and meet Nahualli again for a fight.

“You have more courage than brains,” he says with a sneer.

“You’re god—- right I do!” I fire back like it’s a compliment.

I won’t reveal how this conflict ends or where the story goes next, but my following action is working on my character’s look for a second time, this time getting the opportunity to select my clothing. The Marshall gear is available, but I am also able to wear civilian clothing. With a grey t-shirt and black jeans, I recreated my look from the previous day. There are many garment choices that can be used to make wild designs.

Opening Santa Ileso

It is now my turn to discover the open world. I jump into an old pickup truck and head out to find it. It has an arcade feel and can turn almost on its own. The overly-emphasized powerlide earns me experience points each time I use the vehicle. Saints Row 3 inspired the experience system. It rewards me for dangerous driving, such as into traffic or narrowly avoiding other cars. Although the world is mostly a brown desert around me, I can see factories and black smoke rising from the horizon. A pocket of industrialization is out there, and I’m racing toward it.

My drive is made more enjoyable by the fact that I have access to 10 radio stations. I finally settle on Tumbleweed Radio which plays old westerns. It consists mostly of relaxing whistling. This fits the current moment.

I’m following a purple path of arrows to my destination, and as I draw near, I receive a series of calls that introduce me to the game’s main cast: Neenah, Eli, and Kev. During my hours playing, these three characters are a constant, and Saints Row’s story unfolds through this unified ensemble in a fun way, often slowing to show their chemistry as they hang out together at the gang’s apartment.

For the next couple of hours, I continue down the game’s critical path, picking away at missions, either with all four characters working together or on my own for the Marshalls. Not only do I earn money, but also valuable experience points which unlock new skills and levels. Pineapple Express is my first skill that I have yet to unlock. It allows me grab an enemy and drop a bomb down their pants before throwing it. It’s a hell of a way to clear out a group of foes. The sticky grenade I gained later allows me to throw it at the enemies.

At this point in my story, I’m mainly taking on the Panteros since they occupy most of the surrounding industrialized area. Sometimes missions can be as easy as driving to an area and capturing a general, or even robbing safes. Others require big action sequences. One of my assignments involves mounting a tower on a truck flatbed to knock down motorbikes. These early missions are varied and entertaining. The banter between the adversaries and me provides plenty of humor and insights into the story.

My group of friends realized after a while that they were great at their job and decided to start their own criminal enterprise. Eli has the right idea to create this type of business. Kev is a master at drawing attention. Neenah, the greatest driver in town. And my player character calls himself a “walking murder party.” The gang of four is actually five: They have a cat named Snickerdoodle, almost always up to no good in cutscenes.

With the team unified, I can now call upon my allies to help me mid-mission – all I have to do is bring out my phone, dial them up, and one will be there to assist me in their unique ways.

Cooperative Hijinks

Next, we need to find a suitable location for our headquarters. Before beginning, however, I’m alerted that someone has joined my game. Chris Donley, Volition’s lead project manager, jumped in to show me how cooperative play works. He tells me the entire game – all the missions and side activities – are designed with two players in mind.

His presence also brings a new icon to my HUD: The prank meter, which invites me to complete a unique challenge Chris can’t see. You can play a trick on Chris by simply driving into the oncoming lanes 20 times. I have no idea what will happen, but I’m excited to see what it is.

Rather than taking on the next story mission, Chris and I dive into some of the game’s side content. All the while, I’m working on that prank meter. Wingsuit Saboteur, one of the first activities we stop at is one.

Talking to a railway car mission guide, we are hundreds of feet high in a helicopter. Together, we jump out and take off our wingsuits in order to glide across the factory rooftops. We’re looking for satellite dishes we must destroy within a set amount of time. You can use the precise controls on your wingsuit to increase speed or reduce drag and then land by pressing L2. It is fun, balanced and enjoyable for the two participants. We end with only five seconds.

Chris wins the fight. Within the next story mission, as we’re mid-battle against a dozen Panteros troops, Chris activates his prank, and a swarm of bees engulfs my character. The bees buzz around and take up most of my vision, which is quite annoying. They also make for an entertaining sight, especially during the story’s next cutscene. When I gain control of my character again – now bee free – Chris departs my game, saying there are “tons of different pranks to pull on your friends.” Most are just visual, like the bees.

The following mission takes me to the church that my story started. It’s in even worse shape than before and appears to be days away from being leveled. It has a few loaders and buckets outside. I’m not here long before the Panteros’ forces show up for a fight. I climb into one the loaders to manually lift and lower the bucket, bringing in more troops. Most of these vehicles explode under my loader’s might, some tumbling hilariously away thanks to the game’s slightly unrealistic physics.

When the church’s perimeter is secured, it becomes the gang’s new base of operations. It’s here that I gain access to something called the Criminal Empire table. It has a Santa Ileso map. It contains well over a dozen lots that are vacant. You have the option to build your building on one of these vacant lots. Pick a location near Route 66 to build one of the three structures for no cost.

Chalupabra stands are the first option. They allow me to search for and steal drugs trucks that have been scattered throughout the city. Bright Future is my second choice, which allows me to defraud corporations by illegally dumping toxic waste. Third, I choose the Shady Oaks medical clinic building. This will give me the opportunity to participate in Insurance Fraud. Players can have complete control over their open world, and new activities will be added regularly. As the game progresses, you’ll need to find ways to make cash.

A great alternative to making money is by finding glowing dumpsters. Although loaded with trash, the dumpsters are Saints Row’s treasure chests. You might find cash, rare weapons, clothing or even collectibles that can be displayed in the church if you dig into them. It is possible to place statues on pedestals or put knickknacks and art on the shelves. Your home can be personalized by you. It’s worth it. Additional emotes can be found in dumpsters. There are two animations you can use at once. In my play session, one animation looked exactly like “praise the sun” but is slightly different since it ends in dab. Second emote: My character punches himself repeatedly in the face. These emotes are available to you at all times, even when speaking with NPCs.

After I had finished the game, I felt overwhelmed at the amount of content that I’d unlocked. In addition to the many activities I completed, I was also able to access my smartphone to search for specific targets on separate Wanted or Threats lists. This gave me an increase in venture income. You and your team bring back story moments through the Wanted targets.

Saints Row is a rich open-world adventure that offers plenty of enjoyment and variety at every corner. Although the art direction is amazing, the game’s details are not up to the standard for new-gen games. It looks more like an old-generation sequel to Saints Row 3, rather than something that will be a real showpiece on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/S. That’s okay, however. In a market that doesn’t offer many games like this anymore, a new Saints Row that plays like the best entry in the series is a damn good thing to see. I left Volition eager to get my hands on more, and I thankfully don’t have long to wait, as the game releases on August 23.