The recently announced reboot of Saints Row had a new trailer that gave fans their first look at the new direction for the series. Fans tend to be fairly split when it comes to what kind of game they wanted the next Saints Row game to be. Some think the series should return to its Grand Theft Auto-like roots, while others have come to love the tone and humor of Saints Row 3 and Saints Row 4. Looking at the new trailer, it seems like Volition is doing a little bit of both.
It's looking like the Saints Row reboot is taking the best elements from all across the series and combining them into a game that has the gameplay of Saints Row 2 and the tone of Saints Row 3. This kind of reboot is the perfect way to continue the series after Saints Row 4 took things a little too wild since it takes the gameplay back to the territory-based gang warfare that fans came to love with Saints Row 2.
Looking at the reboot's trailer and the information available on the game's Epic Games store page, the game follows the Saints from creation as a sort of tech startup. The newly formed gang can take over territory and property that is then repurposed as a front for criminal activities. There aren't too many details on the extent of this property-owning mechanic, though it does have the chance to really work in some of the light-hearted humor of the latter Saints Row games. Explosions, off-beat humor and flashy character designs all point towards Volition drawing on what initially helped Saints Row stand out from Grand Theft Auto back when the two series were directly compared. It's certainly not a game that'll take itself too seriously, which is arguably when Saints Row is at its best.
Saints Row 3 doesn't have the best gameplay of the series, according to critics, but it does manage to stand out by having some truly great and over-the-top moments. Before the game's tutorial even ends, players have already skydived out of a crashing jet, diving in and out of the wreckage as they shoot down parachuting henchmen chasing after them. It's a totally insane scene that puts fun first, and it's exactly the level of craziness that the reboot seems to be capturing.
That being said, too much insanity can quickly become old. While Saints Row 4 has a ton of fans, there's still plenty of people who feel like the game went a little too far with the inclusion of superpowers and a sci-fi setting. Those still on board with simulations and alien invasions quickly fell off once Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell was released. It's clear that while retaining some of the madness from Saints Row 3 and 4 is good, relying too much on it will bring the reboot right back to that oversaturation point.
Right now, open-world games are following in the footsteps of Grand Theft Auto V by weaving deep and well-thought-out stories throughout an immersive open-world environment. Plenty of these open-world games do this amazingly well, but there's certainly room for a game that puts fun over the story. An immersive open-world environment has its place, but Saints Row would be far better going for the sandbox approach, like Just Cause.
Saints Row 2 saw a ton of praise for having one of the most enjoyable sandbox open-worlds out there when it was released. There was a ton to do and explore throughout Stilwater, even when players weren't doing missions. Although rocky in areas, the game's co-op proved just how fun Stilwater was to play around in. It's by far one of the biggest reasons why Saints Row 2 is remembered so fondly among fans, and it looks as though the reboot knows this.
Saints Row shows that Volition clearly understands why people enjoyed the first four Saints Row games. They're taking a little something from each game into the reboot to try and sculpt a Saints Row game that appeals to both new and old fans, all while still modernizing the series in both setting and sensibilities. After Saints Row 4 took the series a little too far, it looks like the Saints Row reboot is rediscovering its roots without forgetting what made the series so much fun right at the start.