Reviewed on the PS5

You know it’s funny I’m not nosy when it comes to real life situations. I know some people that hear sirens in the neighborhood and want to go see what happened. That’s not me. For one thing I’m not nosy about those things and two I’m a chocolate man. Nothing good has ever happened to us when sirens are involved. All that to say I’m nosy when it comes to big AAA single player games. Even the one that’s I hear are bad. I always have to urge to see how bad they actually are. Its sort of like driving by and looking at a car wreck. I know, something bad has happened, I wish it were better, but at the same time I can’t take my eyes off of it.

That brings me to the latest game that I’ve been playing lately that most said was bad. The 2022 reboot known as, Saints Row. I simply had to know if it was as bad as other critics made it out to be. So is this game as bad as others claimed? Is this a good single player experience and a good reboot?

Let’s dive into it.

I remember playing the first two Saints Row games. It felt like a great idea and the start of something that could GTA alternative but it also felt like it was just scratching the potential of what it could be. This game feels the exact same. This reboot feels like a good idea that was released way before it was ready.

I’ll be real with you, this game isn’t all bad. In fact despite the many and I do mean many flaws that the game presents I’m enjoying my time with it. For those who you who don’t know, this game is a reboot of the Saints Row franchise. You play as “The Boss”. A created character that you design who convinces his three best friends that they should create a criminal organization called the Saints.

Narrative:

Let’s talk about this games narrative. The story is relatively straightforward but surprisingly I found myself connecting with your three best friends. They have their flaws like some of the unrealistic dialogue they say. However, their back stories and their personalities pull you in. They aren’t as easy to fall in love with as the original Saints crew from the first four games, but they slowly won me over.

The villains of the game all seem generic and not well fleshed out, but it’s not enough that it’ll pull most out of the story.

Gameplay:

This is where the negatives start to really pile up. Driving in this game feels average. Not as bad as some of the worst open world games, but it’s barely serviceable. Turning and drifting don’t feel as responsive as you’d expect. Combat is a mix bad as well. The shooting various from good to passable. In most instances its fine but there is times when feels inaccurate. 

I think it was a poor choice for them to get rid of the melee combat from Saints row 3 and 4. In those games you could commonly use pro wrestling style melee moves as opposed to this game where you it as a takedown to get health back or finish off an opponent. 

The mission types that you go through are a mixed bag as well. Some are enjoyable while others feel like missions that should have been left in the last generation. 

Here are some other problems I had with the game.

This game is buggy as hell. One time my character starting to vibrate uncontrollably just from trying to go up some stairs.

This is one of the most empty open-world games that I’ve ever played. I’ve gone miles in the city without seeing another soul. That’s crazy for an open world AAA game.

The dialogue is this game is rocky. Sometimes there’s some solid one liners but most of the time the characters are saying things that real people don’t say.

Overall/Should You Play Saints Row:

You know what the crazy thing is. Despite all of the flaws this game is throwing my way I’m having fun with it. This has the core of a good game. It’s weird creative decisions and the execution that’s preventing me from outright recommending this game. If you’re a gamer who is like me who’s nosy about AAA games, or someone who played the original series and wants to play something similar then try this game out. Wait for a deep sale before you do. For the rest of you single player gamers I’d advise you skip this one. Spend your time and money on something else.

Contact Us/Join the Community:

If you’d like to talk to us about this Saints Row Review you can do so here:

P.s. if you want to talk to us about any game join us at our Discord: https://discord.gg/YeCwD6gtDv