Saints Row Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

Saints Row could have been brilliant. Heck, it could have been the haymaker to squash Grand Theft Auto if it had chosen to play its cards right. But, despite the words of warning from former fans, Volition and Deep Silver opted against a fifth installment in the series, and instead decided to reboot it from scratch. Frankly, it should have been the case of, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Yet, Volition had other plans for the Saints; they wanted to rebrand, restart, and ultimately resonate with a wider demographic in the hopes that a new lick of purple paint would effectively appeal to both old-school fans and newcomers alike. But, none of that ever came to pass, and unfortunately, it led to a rather disappointing reboot that left die-hard Saints fans pondering the future of the franchise.

Suffice it to say that, while Saints Row was known for its ludicrous antics and ever-expanding lore, it did of course reach a point where the plot had reached its climax. The President of the United States; elemental powers; and oddly, a time-appropriate Dubstep Gun to compliment the series’ eccentric coating were the final nails in an attempt to push the boat out into a seemingly endless dimension. Time travel, of course, was an option for Volition, seeing as the fourth and final chapter in the anthology pondered the possibility of a sequel. Perhaps, then, a fifth game could have come to fruition. Saints Row, however, wasn’t the finale that we needed; it was a shell of a cult favorite—a barebones carcass that, while still in receipt of a lot of the original trademarks, had lost its touch. It was still Saints Row, but arguably a far cry from the Holy Grail or formidable reboots.

A Fall from Grace

Saints Row, particularly the third and fourth entries in the series, had a long history of keeping you on the edge of your seat. It wasn’t that they were impeccable, or even that they fostered engrossing plot lines; it was that they ensured that each and every mission was of an entirely different pedigree. It wasn’t uncommon, in fact, to waltz into a 2D arcade beat ‘em up mini-game, and then bolt into a sci-fi tower defense ordeal in which you would take on the role of an assault rifle-wielding toilet. The point is, Saints Row knew how to keep you guessing, whereas the reboot never did. It wasn’t that it removed the signature from the footer; it was that it made a conscious decision to banish the nonsensical narrative and pull the throttle on a one-track blueprint.

I will stand by my word and say that, as far as open-world games go, the earlier Saints Row chapters had little else to offer in its two major cities. It needed an extra lick of paint—a new lease on life, or even a new sandbox to call its own. To that end, the reboot did take the initiative to tap into something fresh. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a well-rounded sandbox that ticked a lot of the right boxes.

From a narrative standpoint, Saints Row could have chosen to pursue one of thousands of different routes. And yet, annoyingly, it chose to opt for the coming-of-age approach—a lazy and inefficient structure that, while still oddly satisfying to watch unfold over a period of time, leans on a lot of the same unfortunate tropes that make a rather forgettable, cliche-riddled timeline. It isn’t that it’s a bad idea, or even that it’s boring; it’s that it’s subpar in the eyes of its prequels. Again, there could have been more, yet Saints Row chose to play it safe and settle for a rather predictable textbook narrative.

A Glimmer of Hope

With all of the above said, Saints Row was, of course, able to rekindle several of its most iconic segments, including its high-octane mini-games, open-world activities, and gang-based management. What it failed to implement, however, was the crude and somewhat punch-drunk humor that made the earlier iterations the belly laugh material that they were. It fell a little flat in a lot of places, more so given that it centered its premise around a trove of fresh faces that, sadly, just didn’t do enough to leave a lasting impression. And, to be honest, that’s something that sullied the whole point of the franchise.

Suffice it to say that, where the previous chapters in the book offered an abundance of endgame activities to participate in, the final chapter wasn’t quite as fleshed out or as expansive. The world was there, yet it just didn’t possess the beating heart of a communal presence. The Las Vegas-inspired setting was, well, large enough to explore, yet as equally barebones and vacant as a barren desert. It had no soul, is what I’m saying, and that’s something that Saints Row was once known for. Alas, the bustling hub disintegrated, and a hollow shell was lathered over its foundation. A critical mistake, truly.

If we take the technical issues into consideration, then we ultimately have a rather poor reboot on our hands. Fixes were made, for sure, but a little too late to turn the tide back in Volition’s favor, sadly. Again, it could have been an excellent return to the root, but due to its lack of depth and graphical errors, it just wasn’t. A shame, too, as it had the potential to become yet another fantastic underling in Deep Silver’s otherwise stellar portfolio.

Verdict

Saints Row could’ve been the all-powerful sequel to a perfect storm, but it wasn’t. Maybe, if it had kept to its roots, and if it had taken the opportunity to continue its legacy without rebranding itself, then it would have amounted to a lot more than a mere fragment of its former self. It isn’t Saints Row; it’s an open-world game that wants to be Saints Row. And that’s a crying shame, because frankly, it could’ve easily gone on to become a powerhouse of a successor. Sadly, though, that time has passed, and all that remains is a husk of a world and a capsule that could have capitalized on so, so much more.

Of course, if you’re looking to plug into an open-world game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, then you probably won’t be disappointed by the final offerings from Volition. If, however, you’re hell-bent on rekindling the flame beneath Saints Row’s glory days, then you may want to opt for another route. The Saints, sadly, are dead and buried, as are the hopes and dreams of the series ever being resurrected.