It is not a copy of GTA V, it is not a copy of GTA V, it is not a copy of GTA V. Well, maybe it is a little, but the new Saints Row goes far beyond that. More than the pressure of being similar to the game that sold more than 165 million copies, it carries the responsibility of being a reboot of a series that started well, but has suffered in the last decade.
And, as the saying goes, crazy is expecting different results by doing the same things. So don’t go thinking that this game is a sequel to the old ones, or just an updated version for next-gen consoles of that 2006 title. It is something totally new. A fresh start for the saga. Out go the 3rd Street Saints, in come The Saints. In place of the Saints Row district in Stilwater, St. Ileso.
Forget the shooting vibrators and the craziness of the previous games in the franchise. Things are more “real” now. As much as possible. It is an open-world experience in a huge universe, full of things to do, following a gang of young people who are tired of life, either from ordinary jobs or from other criminal groups, who unite to take control of the city.
Will it work? Will Volition’s gamble pay off? You’ll find out this Tuesday (23), when the game hits the market. And if you want to know what MeuPlayStation thought of the game, just keep reading.
Every Saint Helps!
Santo Ileso is a huge city. With the clear inspiration of the southern region of California in the United States, it has deserts, lakes, casinos, bars, a series of attractions. It is a mixture of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas… In short.
The space is shared by gangs, such as the Los Panteros, with their cars and weapons tuned in a more traditional way, and the Idols, all hi-tech with an anarchist touch, as well as the Marshall, a military force used for the security of the area. The main character is fully customizable, and the tools used for customization are quite vast, from physical characteristics to clothing and accessories.
Your protagonist works for the Marshall and has a friend in each gang: Neenah, a driver for the Panthers, and Kevin, a DJ for the Idols. Eli, the gang’s nerdy partner, joins them. At least in the beginning. The cool thing is that they complement each other. You are a killing machine. Neenah the getaway driver, Kevin the contacts guy, and Eli the business part.
And the beginning is all about getting to know the guys, exploring the place, and understanding everything that is going on. After a series of events with everyone involved, they unite to form the group that will give name to the game: the Saints. This is when the fun really begins – and the backdrop is created for what appears at the very beginning of the game, which you will understand as you play.
The goal is one: control the city.
And for this, there are a multitude of missions – from the main ones to the sidequests (some of them, as is becoming routine, mandatory), plus a series of collectibles and events. As you progress, you also unlock the Coop mode – either with “the machine” controlling a gang member, or online. The experience is intense and fun.
It is hours and hours of exploration in a vast world, divided into counties dominated by enemies and full of activities. There are only a few mini-games that would be very conducive. There are basketball courts in the setting, so why not let them hit a ball? Or have something involving gambling in the casinos, drinking in the bars, etc. That’s a lot of quests, not much to do in your spare time – except for what is already predetermined.
Amen
All this background comes to life with an amazing setting and gameplay that deserves praise. The variation in missions, weapons, and vehicles, the cool story, the excellent soundtrack… wouldn’t help if it wasn’t for a great gameplay, right? Well, Saints Row gets it right in this aspect. Whether in combat, whether in exploration.
Does it have some problems? Sure. The physics of the vehicles is a little crazy – you can knock down a truck by hitting it sideways with a motorcycle, for example. There are also certain bugs, with the character crashing, graphics not loading properly, etc. But nothing that is not common in large open world games – we saw similar things in Red Dead Redemption II, GTA V, Assassin’s Creed and so on.
The combat flows very well, with different weapons and the possibility to do takedowns that generate great animations. The movement with the vehicles is also nice, especially when you unlock the most advanced and unusual ones. And the soundtrack to these moments is also galactic. Some are even played in specific parts of the missions, making the adventure even more hypnotic.
The scenarios are assertively constructed, making the level design another highlight of the game. The visuals are incredible. The characters, not so much, but the city is charming. Santo Ileso invites you to explore it and keep increasing its empire. In the midst of the Saints’ story, it is also interesting to move through the streets and get to know everything that is happening in the city.
Also, as in every open world game, right?
If you like this genre, you will certainly love Saints Row. It has everything good (and bad) that games of this type offer. And it’s up to the player to see the glass as half full or half empty. The missions can get more and more fun or more repetitive. Walking around the city can be super fun or just a waste of time. It all depends on your profile.
Saints Row: is it worth it?
Many people will complain, others will find it interesting. The “GTA V copy” label will certainly be stuck on the game. And between the successful gameplay and environment and the dubious physics of the vehicles or a lot of bugs (some even funny), Saints Row delivers a fun experience, with hours and hours of gameplay and deserves your attention.
The customization is another highlight of the game. From the character to weapons and vehicles, you can leave the game with your face. This is, again, something common in this type of game, but Saints Row manages to raise the level. Tattoos, accessories, clothes. Pipes, ammunition, camouflage. Paintings, parts, built-in weapons. There are countless possibilities, making the gameplay fun and unpredictable.
Another important point in this aspect is how you can also tinker with the game experience itself. In the performance part, mode that values the 4k visual or the one with more fps. Not to mention the possibilities of commands, use of adaptive triggers, and so on. It is a complete menu, full of options, all for players to have the best experience possible.
The change has done well for Saints Row. Bringing things to something more “real”, but still having a bit of what made the series famous, was a good thing. The new characters are interesting, so is the city, and the technical aspects, even with a flaw here and there, do not disappoint. It could only have the dubbing in Portuguese, right? But menus and subtitles already help a lot.
Verdict
Advantages
- Experience is a lot of fun
- Variations in missions, weapons, and vehicles
- Character customization
- Interesting narrative and characters
- Very well constructed scenarios
Drawbacks
- Many small bugs
- Vehicle physics is a bit weird
- Obligation to do sidequests
- No dubbing in Portuguese
- Few activities that are not missions.
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