Saints Row

[h1]SAD END OF A GREAT SERIES[/h1] As a longtime Saints Row fan, I was excited to hear that the series was getting a reboot. The latest Saints Row games had become far too over-the-top while also failing to stay interesting, so a return to something more grounded felt long overdue. Unfortunately, instead of giving the franchise a fresh start, Volition probably killed it for good. The game isn't even terrible. There are some genuinely enjoyable moments here and there, and the gameplay is passable after all the post-launch fixes. However, that doesn't change the fact that, overall, it feels like just another empty, soulless third-person open-world game. Instead of something unique, we got another bland mix of corporate design-by-numbers and ideas based on what was popular with kids five years ago. As much as I'd love to say otherwise, the Saints Row reboot wasn't a fun experience, and [b]I can't recommend it[/b]. [b]Story[/b] I don't think the main story is bad, or at least the core ideas behind it aren't. It's essentially a series of "fun" missions loosely connected by a simple plot, much like the older Saints Row games. You can sum up the entire story in a single sentence: we're criminals, we're tired of working for someone else and taking on small-time jobs, so it's time to build our own criminal empire. The main problem for me is the writing. I don't expect anything groundbreaking from this series, but there are certain standards that should always be met. Unfortunately, the dialogue in Saints Row is mostly dull and unfunny. The game was released in 2022, yet many of its jokes already felt painfully outdated by then. Maybe I'd be less critical if the characters were at least entertaining. Spoiler alert: they aren't. They're just a group of teenagers-who-aren't-actually-teenagers with generic sad backstories. It's just impossible to like them. Another major issue is how lazy everything feels. The missions often don't flow naturally or feel properly integrated into the world. Instead, you simply select a mission from your phone app and get told where to go and what to do. I understand that the developers probably didn't have a huge budget, but making such a core part of the game feel so cheap certainly doesn't do it any favors. [b]Characters[/b] Memorable characters were always one of the Saints Row series' greatest strengths. Even if you didn't enjoy their antics, you couldn't deny that they left an impression. Here, though, we get a bunch of kids playing dress-up as gangsters. Fortunately, they're mostly just boring rather than actively irritating. I actually like the concept behind the protagonist. They're basically just a weirdo who's really good at killing people and genuinely enjoys it. It's not the most original idea, but in the hands of better writers, it could have been a lot more entertaining. [b]World[/b] Santo Ileso is a generic open-world city set somewhere in the American Southwest. I have no idea who thought that filling the map with desert landscapes and endless shades of gray and brown would make for an interesting setting, but it certainly didn't do the game any favors. It doesn't help that most of the locations are visually bland and completely forgettable. By the time you finish the game, you'll struggle to remember any of them. [b]Gameplay[/b] The gameplay loop revolves around driving (with occasional flying) and shooting. Sometimes you'll also get missions that involve taking pictures with your phone or doing the classic "Insurance Fraud" activity. That's pretty much everything the game has to offer. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem if these elements were actually well-made... Shooting is very mediocre, despite having a decent variety of weapons. None of them feel like they have any real impact or "power" behind them, and the only meaningful differences between them are range and reload speed. Finding ammunition is rarely an issue, so I usually ended up sticking with the same rifle and going for headshots to maximize damage. Somehow, driving is even worse. I don't expect an action sandbox game to have realistic vehicle physics - just give me a solid arcade driving model. Instead, we get something that feels like a piece of wood that occasionally turns into a soap dish rather than an actual fun vehicle to control. There is also some basic vehicular combat, but it isn't particularly interesting either. Saints Row allows you to level up your character by completing missions and defeating enemies, unlocking new skills and perks along the way. Skills are active combat abilities, while perks provide passive bonuses earned by completing specific challenges. Some of these abilities are extremely powerful and can make an already easy game even easier. One of the few genuinely good aspects of this game is the amount of customization available. You can change your appearance, your clothes, and even the outfits of your crew members. If that's not enough, you can purchase or unlock even more options in-game. You can also customize your base, weapons, vehicles, and probably a few other things that I've forgotten about. The game also features co-op, but I haven't tested it. [b]Visuals[/b] The visuals are colorful and stylish, but not stylish enough to hide the noticeably dated character models, textures, and animations. Solid art direction alone isn't enough to make this game feel like a true "current-gen" title. On top of that, technical issues and visual glitches only make everything look even cheaper. That being said, not everything is negative. The lighting is actually quite good, especially during sunsets, and the customization options are visually appealing. The clothing selection in particular stands out thanks to its variety and unique designs. [b]Audio[/b] There's not much to say about the audio - it's just fine. You won't find any exceptional voice acting, memorable soundtrack (aside from maybe some licensed songs, lol), or particularly impressive sound design, but none of it is ever outright bad either. [b]Technicalities[/b] Bugs... so many bugs... Even after all the patches, the game is still buggy as hell. Fortunately, most of these issues aren't game-breaking, but it's impossible to ignore them when they happen so frequently. Listing every single one would take forever, but any recent bug compilation on YouTube will quickly show you what kind of problems the game still has. Surprisingly, I only experienced one crash to desktop during my entire playthrough. At least the performance was decent. Most of the time, I was getting around 120-144 FPS without any major drops or noticeable stuttering.