Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher:
Deep Silver
Developer:
Volition
Release:
Rating:
Mature
Boisterous business discussions and the clanking of silverware ring out from the crowded patio of a corner restaurant in the heart of Champaign, Illinois, a small college town two hours south of Chicago. Lording over these hungry patrons is the stoic face of Deep Silver Volition. 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. He has a bounce in his step, matched by enthusiastic words. 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.
I boot up the game, eager to see how Saints Row is shaping up and to learn what this big spoiler is. 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. The iconic gang has turned a rundown church into a headquarters functioning like a nightclub with colored lights on the dance floor and drinks flowing like a river from the bar. This joyful moment is framed within a fun montage sequence showing a variety of detailed animated sequences captured with cinematic camerawork.
The protagonist is in their office, only shown from the backside for a split second before looking into a mirror. This brings up Saints’ elaborate character creator. I try making myself and land on an eerily realistic recreation; the only primary difference is how his voice sounds. The game offers eight voices, which you can freely change at any point, but none are close to 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. Following the impact, time in Santa Ileso rewinds to show how the Saints got to this point. I find myself in blue and white combat fatigues, working for an organization called the 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. Around his waist is a sizable belt bucket with a star on it. He screams of everything Texas.
And so begins my time 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.: Technologically advanced weapons, Loose morals, and a Culture of conflict. My first Marshall mission is with a sizable squad of a dozen-plus people wearing the same gear I am. 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. All I know is his name.
Within seconds of controlling my character, he’s rocked by an explosion and thrown to the ground. A six-wheel transport explodes in front of him. Fire is everywhere. Blue flares littered across the dirt illuminate the scene with unusual beauty. Bullets rip overhead and more explosions rock the horizon. 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 has the appearance of a slightly enhanced last-gen holdover.
As I run forward into a hail of gunfire, bodies ragdoll around, and explosions continue. The Nahualli’s troops are decked out in red and black military fatigues and carry a variety of assault rifles and explosives. I light up over a dozen of them, and flicking up on the analog stick allows for quick headshots if I get the timing right. 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.
The gunplay is satisfying in how easy it is to locate and hit targets yet lacks the intensity and skill of freely aiming. While I can turn off auto-aim in the options, this scenario has attackers approaching from multiple vectors at once; it forces me to dispatch threats with barely a glance their way. In other words, it’s designed well for aim assist. Explosive barrels littered along the dusty roads make my job easier. The chaos of this opening moment is glorious and silly and funnels me through nicely designed set pieces using vehicles and verticality in fun ways.
The war reaches an old-fashioned saloon, with swinging doors on its front and second-story inn 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. I regroup with my team, and we discuss a plan, but as we converse, he leaps out of a second-story window onto a descending hover ship looking like Tony Stark designed it for The Avengers. He tosses out the pilot and appears to fumble with the controls, giving me enough time to toss a grapple attached to a sizable APC truck onto the hover ship. My aim is true, and the line tightens, but not before Nahualli rockets into the sky. The APC lifts off the ground with little resistance. 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. Enemies emerge from nearby caves, and a shooting gallery-like gameplay sequence plays out. 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. I again open fire on enemies in the caves with my other hand. This moment is grand in scale but a bit choppy in execution. Rough transitional animations make the switch between action moments a bit jarring. Enemy AI is also laughably docile, giving me plenty of time to frame them for a shot, even though they have me dead to rights for a good five seconds.
Once the coast is clear, I climb on top of the ship again and meet Nahualli for a fist 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. I can wear the Marshall gear or dress in civilian attire. I again recreate my look of the day with a gray t-shirt, black jeans, and a matching cap. The well of garment options is deep and should allow players to create some wild designs.
Opening Santa Ileso
The open world is finally available for me to explore, and I hop into a beat-up pickup truck to see what it offers. The vehicle has a loose arcade-like feel, and it can almost turn on a dime, thanks to an overly emphasized powerslide, which racks up experience points every time I use it. The experience system harks back to Saints Row 3 and rewards me for driving dangerously, like into oncoming traffic and narrowly avoiding cars. The world around me is primarily a brown desert, but I can see black smoke and fire spewing from factories on the horizon. A pocket of industrialization is out there, and I’m racing toward it.