Back when that announcement trailer arrived in August last year, I was excited. A return to the Saints Row gameplay in a new location that’s not nothing but city. Santo Ileso looked to be bringing wild west theming to what once had been a series locked to urban landscapes. And after a year, it’s here.

The reviews that have arrived paint it as a game that is stuck in the past, and so far I would agree. This is a game that takes the best of previous games without offering anything new of its own. Except perhaps the wingsuit, but that’s just one item in a sea of reused concepts. However, that doesn’t make it a bad game.

This is a game of wacky concepts, with the absurd happening with common frequency. Whether that be in the main missions or the various side content on offer. It might be toned down a bit in some regard from previous games (especially the fourth), but there’s still enough to be enjoying. Even the story shares this same ethos, though it can be a bit at odds with itself.

The beginning serves as a means of getting the crew to become the Saints, with two members of the crew already part of gangs, and the boss being a part of Marshall Defence Industries. No, wait. It’s their first day at Marshall, and that first mission is intent on making that oh so very clear.

With their second day on the job earning them a promotion and the third seeing them fired when the gangs show up to take something the leader of Marshall has invested heavy money in (that they’re meant to be protecting), things have gone wrong just as they were looking up. The story is intent on rushing through this beginning part, making it clear that the group are doing anything to survive and pay their rent (and student loans).

It’s an opening that has a tone disparity, with it wanting to the story to be serious but at the same time absurd. As I mentioned with that opening day, the characters are really invested in making it clear the player knows it’s their first day on the job, with the player character quipping about needing a bonus. It’s all very comical, but then come the end of the day, the game wants you to feel bad they didn’t get their bonus.

Thankfully, getting through that opening will present a much better story, with the narrative elements understanding which side of the serious-absurd spectrum it wants to be. A series of missions (and a criminal enterprise that’s a part of them) will play into the absurd, creating a rather comical series of events that provide a lot of laughs. Meanwhile, another series of missions will lean heavily to the serious to provide some real character motivation for one of the crew.

As mentioned, there’s criminal enterprises that can be set up. These offer access to the activities from previous games, such as insurance fraud, and while there’s still multiple of each to do, there’s only one goal rather than a medal rating system to aim for a higher score. You can’t just build all of them at once, so progressing through the story is required to unlock the next tier of empire building options.

These criminal enterprise activities are fun. Insurance fraud is the same as ever, where hitting traffic builds the money earned from claims. There’s a new crime scene activity where you need to avoid specific areas where cops are while driving a vehicle they’re looking for. They’re varied enough that you want to at least be giving them a try as you add these businesses to your empire.

All this isn’t any good if the gameplay mechanics don’t hold up, and I’d say they certainly do. Driving in this game is the best it’s been in the series. On-foot movement is fluid, with combat being… finnicky. The default fine-aim sensitivity is set too high, so bring it down and you’ll have a better time.

As for the specifics of that combat, you’ve got both guns and melee weapons, which can be customised and upgraded. Weapons and vehicles have a special ability which you’ll need to perform a specific challenge to unlock. Such abilities offer advantages in combat and chases, such as restoring health for headshots or infinite boost.

Skills are unlocked upon levelling up, which include permanent health and flow upgrades, or combat abilities that rely on that flow system. As you attack enemies, you build both the special meter and the flow meter. The special meter allows a takedown to be executed when full, which will restore some health to you.

For the flow meter, you have abilities that can be added which utilise some of that flow. These can be offensive abilities, such as a flaming punch, or defensive abilities such as a shield which protects from most attacks. That latter is especially useful if you like getting in close quarters combat. With effective dodge rolls and that ability active, you can dive into a crowd of enemies slashing away with little damage to yourself.

Perks also give combat advantages, but are also useful in other ways. You can have three minor, two major, and an elite perk active at the same time, all giving advantages to you. Earning these perks is done through challenges. The missions menu has a second tab that lists these, with each challenge involving something that can be done within the world. You don’t need all challenges complete to gain access to all the perks, either, which is good in terms of options. Though you’ll probably have completed the story way before you get all the perks unless you’ve been pacing yourself with it.

Overall, the weak opening to the game (at least in terms of story) might put you off, but keep at it until it opens up and you’ll find a game worthy of that Saints Row name. Never mind that there’s little new here, it is still a fun experience worthy of your time for any Saints Row or open world action fan. The sequel – should there be one – can bring the innovation that some want to be seeing from the series. I think Volition will certainly need to prove they can innovate on the genre with the next outing, otherwise the series will always feel stuck in the past.

Images Taken From:
Saints Row (Original Screenshots)