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If I have a nickel for every time an open-world game that disappoints players because it’s something that isn’t what they expected, is full of bugs and has pretty mediocre scores everywhere, then I’ve got two nickels, because so Dr.Doofenshmirtz quote people keep referring to, it’s happened twice in your life (and no, it’s not cyberpunk).

The latest episode of Saints Row has been polarized by fans and critics alike, but having spent over 20 hours already, I think I’m on the other side of the fence, where people enjoy the pretty cringy dialogue, and the content feels like it’s the third game again, but more refined or reworked.

So, what do I like about this game? Besides his jankcore look? Really a lot.

Presentation

For starters, the graphics seem like a step in the right direction for the series after the overly cartoonish look of Agents of Mayhem and the rather dated upgrade from Saints Row The Third Remastered. It feels more unique between Voltion’s last two outings and it certainly looks dated compared to the graphics of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2, it looks just right for this style of play.

Performance on PC is pretty good on my PC rig with a 1060 Ti, it plays at 1080P with no dips over 60fps, perfect for an open world game. There’s some texture pop-in on Medium settings, which I think is the limit of the Unreal Engine 4, but with the amount of stuff happening on the screen during gameplay (lots of random encounters that make Santo Ileso feel alive), it still retains its high framerate.

On the voice acting side, it’s a pretty noticeable drop in performances from, say, the 3rd and 4th games, but it’s understandable that Volition is opting for newer voice talents. While the first hour doesn’t leave a good impression, the voiceover gets better as the games progress, with my assumption that the voice cast will feel more comfortable in their roles later in the game.

Overall, a pretty good version of the game for PC, even with the Epic Games exclusivity.

Gameplay

To keep it simple, this version of Saints Row gameplay feels like a more refined version last seen in SR Third Remastered a few years ago, with much better combat and variety of enemies included. from Agents of Mayhem makes it more fun to play than in 3rd Remastered.

The driving mechanics, as you would expect in an open world game, are pretty good. It copies some elements of AOM with the ability to ram enemies to lose your prominence. And it’s fair to say that it’s more fun to ride in this one than any of its open-world counterparts like Watch_Dogs Legion. One little feature I like is that when you drive over a fire hydrant you can get ridiculous airtime on it and that’s one of the fun quirks of this game.

The side activities are mostly the ones you’ve seen in the previous two games like Insurance Fraud and Mayhem are the old staples alongside others that are new like Helicopter Magnet Stealing and Wingsuit missions but I feel like it lacks the power that the fourth game had come in, which not only connects it to your side characters they give, but the added variety that doesn’t make it boring to tackle them, but in this one it feels more disjointed in the game’s story.

Speaking of which, the base building aspect is quite nice regardless of the gameplay flow of the side content as you can see your empire building from scratch and the radio news broadcast makes it more believable that you are waving in the public eye, something that was an aspect of the 2nd game but was absent after that.

Content

Saints Row may be your quintessential AA Open-world affair where loss of time is totally welcomed. As for this review, I’ve just hit 20 hours as the game has more and more stuff to do, watching your criminal empire rise during that game time and all in all a very good showing within the content. Plus Co-op play is also available if you want to cause chaos within Santo Ileso.

Personal pleasure

It’s quite an interesting predicament for both Volition and Saints Row. After cornering themselves in terms of story and the dullness of Agents of Mayhem, this may be the make-or-break moment for the series and while I’ve enjoyed my time here, most fans don’t feel like it. the same way. the game doesn’t play the same (although it plays exactly the same as the older titles) and the characters aren’t just the same as the golden trio (which I agree with).

But judging this game with people as the mega behemoth that is Grand Theft Auto is unfounded, considering that era of GTA Clones comparisons ended a decade ago (almost as old as GTA 5 too). This is truly an AA game, both in design and feel, that their owners Deep Silver are known for.

It’s a great game, apart from the sloppy first act, and it’s a shame that many won’t play this game due to several baseless reasons that I think is their choice. The older titles are still there, and their publisher won’t remove them and turn it into a terrible trilogy while denouncing fans who dare to make the game more fun through mods.

All things considered, I’ll be back for more Saints Row shenanigans.

verdict

Saints Row is a polarizing mess of an open world game that this reviewer loves. And while it shows its flaws more than the good parts of the game, that doesn’t mean the game is purely bad, but rather proof that AA games can be fun and enjoyable too.

Played on PC, review copy purchased by reviewer.

Saints Row

A mess of an open world game that is also proof that AA games can be fun and enjoyable too.

  • Presentation 7.5

  • Gameplay 7

  • Content 7.5

  • Personal pleasure 8