Saints Row Review Summary

Enjoyable, fun gameplay experience: Many reviewers found the gameplay enjoyable, citing the humor, action, and overall fun factor. The game is often compared favorably to earlier Saints Row titles, with some considering it a return to form. Some reviewers note that the game is better than expected, especially after updates.

Engaging side quests and activities: The game offers a wide array of side quests, activities, and open-world content that many players find engaging. Building a criminal empire and managing businesses adds depth to the gameplay experience. Some reviewers found the side content more enjoyable than the main story.

Appealing art style and soundtrack: Some reviewers express strong positive emotions towards the game, praising its art style, soundtrack, and overall aesthetic details. These reviews often lack specific details about gameplay mechanics or features. The reviewer appreciates the game's art style and the 'sunset, desert, and cowboy' theme.

Hilarious and charming LARP missions: The LARP (Live Action Role Playing) side missions are a highlight for many reviewers, who find them hilarious, charming, and reminiscent of New Vegas. These missions offer a unique and engaging experience within the game. The LARP questline is one of the best quests the reviewer has ever experienced in a game.

Memorable and enjoyable missions: Some reviewers highlight specific missions or moments in the game that they found particularly enjoyable or memorable. These missions often involve over-the-top action, crazy scenarios, and satisfying shooting mechanics. The game shines when you dive into all the side missions and activities.

Poor story, writing, and characters: The game's story, characters, and writing are widely criticized as bland, uninspired, and often cringeworthy. Many reviewers feel the humor falls flat, the plot is predictable, and the characters lack depth and charisma compared to previous entries. Some reviewers felt that the game tried too hard to be relatable, missing the core appeal of the series.

Repetitive, boring gameplay and world: Many reviewers found the game to be repetitive, boring, and lacking in innovation. Missions and side activities quickly become tedious, and the open world feels empty and unengaging. The game fails to provide a compelling reason to explore or continue playing.

Numerous bugs and frequent crashes: The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes, game-breaking bugs, and glitches. Co-op mode is particularly problematic, with disconnects, desynchronization, and mission failures. Many reviewers reported that these issues significantly detracted from their overall experience, making the game unstable and unplayable.

Not a good 'Saints Row' game: Many reviewers felt that the game fails to capture the essence of previous Saints Row titles, lacking the charm, humor, and over-the-top action that defined the series. It is often compared unfavorably to earlier installments, with many feeling that it doesn't live up to the Saints Row name.

Poor physics and driving mechanics: The game's physics and driving mechanics are frequently criticized as being unrealistic, clunky, and outdated. Cars often behave erratically, and the world's physics can lead to unexpected and frustrating situations. These issues detract from the overall gameplay experience and make driving less enjoyable.

Familiar Saints Row gameplay: The game blends familiar Saints Row elements like gang management, humor, and open-world crime, with a mix of old and new mechanics. It attempts to recapture the feel of earlier titles while introducing a fresh start for the series, but ultimately feels like a combination of previous installments.

Extensive customization options: The game features extensive customization options for characters, weapons, and vehicles, a staple of the Saints Row series. Players can personalize their appearance, modify their cars, and tweak their arsenal to suit their playstyle, though some find the options scattered and less extensive than previous games.

Varied driving and vehicle handling: Driving mechanics are a core element, with varied handling between vehicles and a dedicated drift button. Some find the driving floaty, while others appreciate the arcade-style feel and customization, but new features like hanging on cars and a wingsuit are rarely needed.

Decent but uninspired combat: The game features adequate shooting mechanics with some arcade elements and active abilities. While some find the combat satisfying and responsive, others consider it too easy or unremarkable, with the difficulty balance being hard to find.

Base upgrades and perk system: Players can upgrade their base location and unlock new content through progression, with activities tied to property ownership. The perk system, unlocked through challenges and Ventures, adds another layer of customization, but is limited by an energy bar.

Inconsistent performance, optimization issues: Many reviewers report inconsistent performance and optimization issues, with frame rate drops and stuttering occurring even on systems that meet or exceed the recommended specifications. Some suggest the game is a resource hog, while others point out the lack of population density as a possible design choice to improve performance.

Improved stability after patches: Some reviewers, particularly later in the game's lifecycle (Dec 2024), indicate that technical issues have been largely resolved, resulting in smooth and stable performance. This suggests that patches and updates have addressed many of the initial problems.

Good Steam Deck performance: The game generally runs well on Steam Deck, often achieving playable frame rates. This is a positive point for users who prefer handheld gaming.

Infinite loading screens: Some players have encountered issues with the game getting stuck on loading screens or black screens, preventing them from progressing. This is a critical issue that can render the game unplayable.

Audio issues, low volume: Some reviewers have experienced audio issues, such as low volume or missing sounds, which detract from the overall experience. This suggests potential problems with the game's audio mixing or implementation.

Buy on sale only: Many reviewers suggest only purchasing the game on sale, as the full price is not justified by the content or quality. Some even provide specific price points they deem acceptable. A few reviewers explicitly advise against buying it at full price.

Fails as Saints Row game: Many reviewers compare this game to previous Saints Row titles, with many feeling it doesn't live up to the series' legacy. Some suggest sticking to older installments or that it's only enjoyable if you separate it from the franchise. Some reviewers feel that the reboot is a disgrace to the series.

Overall disappointing and not recommended: Many reviews express disappointment, calling the game mediocre, generic, or even terrible. Some reviewers actively discourage playing it, even for free. Some reviewers feel the game is boring, a waste of time, and not worth playing alone.

Mixed opinions on co-op experience: Some reviewers recommend the game as a co-op experience, while others advise against buying it for co-op due to connectivity issues. Some reviewers state that the game is better in co-op than solo. Some reviewers feel that the game is essentially a single-player experience due to the lack of multiplayer activity.

Mindless fun, generic open-world: Some reviewers recommend the game for mindless fun and blowing things up, comparing it to GTA and Rage. Some reviewers feel that the game is generic but may satisfy those looking for a standard open-world GTA clone. Some reviewers state that the writing is unpleasant, but the rest of the game is bland and inoffensive.

Reboot aims for fresh start: The Saints Row reboot attempts to reimagine the franchise with a new storyline, characters, and setting, aiming for a fresh start, but the new cast isn't as iconic as the old crew. The game seeks to balance zaniness with a more grounded narrative, potentially targeting a wider audience.

Mixed reception; divisive among fans: The game received excessive criticism upon release, partly due to perceptions of appealing to Gen Z. Some negativity was justified due to technical issues. It attempts to find a middle ground between the realistic Saints Row 2 and the wacky Saints Row 3, but it doesn't fully appeal to either group.

Volition's closure impacts game's future: Volition, the studio behind Saints Row, is no longer active, and this was their final game. The game will likely no longer receive updates because the studio closed. This point gains importance due to the finality of the game's state.

Try the game yourself: The reviewer acknowledges that people have their own ideas of what's good or bad and advises players to try the game themselves. The reviewer recommends reading helpful community reviews to get a balanced perspective.

Santo Ileso: desert setting, spread-out map: The game takes place in Santo Ileso, a smaller city in the American Southwest, featuring a hotter climate and mountainous desert areas. The city map feels spread out due to vacant land, with a large lake increasing distances between districts. Santo Ileso features diverse environments, including urban areas, residential zones, and desert landscapes, but lacks greenery.