Saints Row’s 2022 reboot won’t skimp on the mayhem, Volition vows

If you’re headed into Saints Row Pack a lunch for the rebooted and open-world criminal escapade that launches August. Lot. Deep Silver Volition’s developers know this.

“In terms of the amount of it, you said it, you can be a victim of So much,” creative director Brian Traficante acknowledged — where “so much” means just about every feature in Saints RowSide hustles and rackets are used to customize characters, as well as car combat and melee finishers. The core narrative is driven by multi-part missions.

“So we put a lot of energy into making sure that you can feel successful, and you can be accomplished in the main objectives,” Traficante said. “You don’t have to do all the things. You can get easier options. An example is a [business]Venture, it is possible to build it but only 25%. [the] venture and you’ll earn the achievement [to] move on.”

So, Traficante is trying to make a thread. On the one hand, there’s the boundless open world of content that hardcore completionists have expected from Saints RowIt has been a popular genre for over two decades. But, in structure, dabblers and samplers won’t feel paralyzed by FOMO. Designers are actually pitching Saints Row’s many facets as an expression of playing style, on the assumption that most folks won’t want to do everything.

Grid View

“You’ll see a cool thing, and that’s the beauty of it — are you pulled to vehicles? Are you pulled to combat?” Traficante said. “Are you pulled to weapons? Is it character design that you are drawn to? I mean, tell me about your passion. Because I guarantee you, we’ve got something out there for you to go seek.”

Big picture, Saints Row will be the same up-from-nothing/comeback epic players have come to expect of the open-world crime genre, no matter how weird it got from 2011’s Saints Row Third onward. The game still centers on wiping out rival factions to establish control of the city — in this case, Santo Ileso, introduced in the game’s first big reveal at Gamescom 2021.

Three months later Volition and Deep Silver reopened Saints Row’s launch date down the road to August (from February), saying that the game needed more development polish while vowing not to back away from the younger, more diverse, and more inclusive Gen Z sensibilities presented in its cast and story. Last week’s preview event seemed to confirm this; the missions, dialogue, and (it must be said) weapons stayed true to what was shown nine months ago, and didn’t veer back to the days when Saints Row was marketed by porn stars and dildos.

That’s not to say it’s any less zany. Players will be onboarded with a tutorial heist mission of a payday loan joint — because they and their group-house roomies need to make the rent. Of course, that leads to more trouble with a rival gang, in a lengthy story mission that introduces your lieutenants’ stories and the gameplay loops you’ll be returning to throughout Saints Row.

“There’s a lot of heavy lifting” done in the game’s early portions, Traficante said. “These are brand-new characters. […]While we want to be there for you every moment, all the know-how, all the feelings, there are also other costs. We’ve got to keep things moving along to keep the player engaged.”

Image: Volition/Deep Silver

Volition showed off a mission in which the gang, still in its early days but starting to pack a punch, acquires an attack helicopter (they’re used as thrill rides in the Vegas-like Santo Ileso, letting tourists shoot up the desert) to invade a rival faction’s weapons factory. Before going in, The Boss (the player character, same as they’ve always been known) re-spec’d their skills loadout, which runs four perks deep. This passive ability can be earned through completing tasks in the wider open world. If properly arranged, it may give players an advantage. The fire resistance perk was used to help the player navigate the weapons foundry in the fight against the Panteras Gang, who are known for using firebombs.

Similar, weapons of any kind are inadmissible Saints Row Signature abilities will be unlocked only after completing challenging tasks. We saw an extra-damaging submachine gun in the weapons factory mission. That comes in handy when a rompin’, stompin’ monster truck rolls up on the set. There are likely to be other weapon signatures and perks that can help sub-boss and boss enemies get along, depending on the player’s style.

Image: Volition/Deep Silver

“At the end of the day, it’s a Saints Row game, it should be recognizable and felt as Saints Row,” Traficante said. When Volition announced the game’s delay in November, chief creative officer Jim Boone said the studio wasn’t using the extra time to rewrite Saints Row’the story of its characters. Bottom line, Volition is trying to make Saints Row feel familiar through gameplay, assuming that’s what its biggest fans value most.

Volition’s welcome mat for Saints fans is another one of Volition’s side hustles and ventures. Santo Ileso’s map has 14 vacant lots in need of redevelopment, one of them being an old folks’ home that unlocks the fan-favorite insurance fraud racket. For players who prefer drive-bys to shootouts on foot, a chop shop garage offers additional customization options. Each business venture will offer four levels with progressive benefits, and mission list to unlock each. They also allow you to take over turf, which will help get the game to its ultimate state.

“The side hustle culture is something that I think I drew a lot from,” said Volition’s Jennifer Campbell, one of Saints Row’s writers. “Because of the dream of, like, ‘One day, maybe I’ll be able to retire.’ It seems to be really big in the early to mid-20s. It’s amazing to see all the entrepreneurs creating opportunities even though they face so many obstacles. That’s a really awesome story to inspect: When you’re up against the world, how do you find ways to prosper?”