At Gamescom Opening Night Live, the team at Volition finally pulled back the curtain on its Saints Row reboot. The series has been treading water since Volition released Saints Row IV back in 2013, with most players left unsatisfied by the publisher's attempt to make a spin-off in the form of Agents of Mayhem. The newly unveiled Saints Row game looks to take things back to basics and rebuild the franchise when it launches in 2022.
With its appearance at Gamescom Opening Night Live being the first time Volition is showing off the new Saints Row, it's not surprising that details were relatively scant. The biggest revelation is that this won't continue with the story or characters that players are used to. Instead, Volition has decided to completely reboot Saints Row and start over. Considering how over-the-top the series had become with Saints Row IV, it's easy to imagine the developers feeling like they had nowhere to go with a Saints Row V. After all, it's hard to top a game that has players becoming the President of the United States, fighting off aliens in a massive simulation, and then literally go to Hell during one of its expansion packs.
Players will instead roll into a new city set in the American Southwest. There, they'll be in charge of a brand-new group of Saints, trying to make a name for themselves amongst the other gangs of the city. As they go, players will create their criminal empire from scratch. They'll purchase new businesses that open up even more opportunities for the Saints Row franchise's trademark wacky gameplay. Whether it's returning old favorites like Insurance Fraud or new mini-games that make use of the new engine, it sounds like Volition is going all out to deliver a massive city full of things to do.
Of course, some players will be disappointed to not see some of their favorite characters back in action. They've spent four games and several years getting to know characters like Shaundi, Pierce, and Johnny Gat. Dropping them by the wayside does give Volition the freedom it seems to want, but it does present a risk. Considering how poor the response was to Agents of Mayhem, Volition seems to be taking another risk by potentially alienating old fans with this Saints Row reboot.
That said, the initial announcement trailer at least points to a game that should make longtime fans happy. The trademark humor and bright colors are there. If Volition can nail the gameplay, the Saints Row reboot could be a hit. Saints Row's official release date is set for February 25, 2022.
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