Volition announced the latest game in the Saints Row series this week at the Gamescom event, but fan reactions have ranged from excited to deeply disappointed. This newest game, simply titled Saints Row, is a series reboot with a new setting, new characters, and new story. While some are certainly interested, those who have followed the series for some time and loved the original characters and setting are skeptical about the franchise's new direction.
Fans of the Saints Row series have not received a new entry since 2015’s Gat Out of Hell, so an impending game announcement was naturally cause for excitement, especially when the late Mike "IdolNinja" Watson, Volition’s community manager, said the game was “absolutely going to blow the roof off.” But when the trailer was finally shown at Gamescom, the reactions were decidedly mixed.
There are a number of different reasons that some fans are so disenchanted with the rebooted Saints Row, and they seem to vary from player to player. But it's clear that something is amiss, and it's uncertain what Volition could do to win back fans who've felt disappointed by the news - though time will tell whether the game itself is up to the task.
The announcement trailer shows the new Boss and the three members of their squad stealing a score from a rival gang. At the time of writing, the trailer has far more YouTube dislikes than likes. Some comments compare it to Fortnite, claim that the trailer makes the commenter feel old, or express a wistful desire for the old characters. Gamers on Reddit and Twitter were not much kinder. The general assumption from the fans is that the developers are trying too hard to create characters that appeal to younger gamers (borne out somewhat by a GameInformer article stating the developers wanted to create “relatable, modern” characters), or that the new game will lose its signature air of fun, freedom, and wackiness.
In a recent interview with Stevivor, Volition CCO Jim Boone said they were doing “less of the of the wacky” in this Saints Row, which makes it sound like the series is pulling back from the satirical hijinks that endeared it to fans in the first place. Additionally, we know that fan-favorite character Johnny Gat likely won't be in the game in any meaningful capacity, meaning the game will probably have no ties to the old Saints. Even some of the minor details have not been received well by the fans, including the fact that the logo has lost its iconic royal purple flair, which may be less an indicator of the substance of the changes so much as how much fans have come to love the franchise for its characters and identity.
Volition has since released a new trailer that shows off more of Santo Ileso and described the new game’s characters and story. In the trailer, several Volition developers mention how excited they are to be starting fresh. Creative Director Brian Trificante says, with regards to the previous Saints Row games, “Naturally, we look at all of the things we’ve done in the past, but the more we did that, the more we started to discover that we’re actually blocking ourselves from the massive creativity we have at the studio.” Since the latest trailer, some have started to warm up to the game, taking note of the points of similarity between the reboot and Saints Row 2; and while there are still others who take issue with character designs or motivations, things are beginning to seem more hopeful.
Either way, players won’t have to wait very long to see whether the new Saints Row is as special as the old ones. The new Saints Row launches on February 25, 2022, amid a relatively crowded release period - it’ll have to compete with the likes of Horizon Forbidden West (February 18), Sifu (February 22), and Destiny 2’s Witch Queen expansion (February 22).
Source: acousticbassist_/Reddit, RevenantRemnant/Twitter, GameInformer, Stevivor
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