It’s a bit weird, but whatever, it’s the only way they’ll work. Meanwhile, health bars can be recovered with takedowns–delightfully brutish animations which, more often than not, see nearby enemies just stand and watch while you carry them out. It’s not overcomplicated it genuinely works, except when it doesn’t, as you jump or dodge because Saints Row doesn’t consistently register repeated inputs. It’s paired with a passive bonus system split into three tiers, and you can comfortably customize this to your play style. By holding RB/R1 with a button of your choice, you can throw grenades, call for backup, give yourself a health boost, and more. Volition / Plaion Saints Flowįirst things first: the most obvious change to the established formula is a suite of unlockable special moves, courtesy of the Flow system. The Icons are one of Saints Row's three main factions, none of which have any real personality. This is the crux of the 2022 Saints Row “origin story”: a tale that barely scratches the surface, and instead insists on doing things slightly differently, with the odd new mechanic that barely papers over its gaping, aging cracks. In those first couple of hours, you start your job, do well, then get fired, and decide to do your own thing. Those hoping to get something truly revolutionary from the storyline will struggle to find anything genuinely surprising. Aside from utterly unthreatening car chases during repetitive business venture missions, you’ll see them approximately four times during your 25-hour story playthrough. Marshall is a glorified, tech-driven security company–standard fare. The Idols, led by their TV helmet-wearing, six-strong “Collective”, stand for anti-capitalism, but it’s not really clear how. This poor early storytelling continues to be a running theme throughout the game.ĭespite wonderfully weird back stories and characters from past groups like the Luchadores, Ronin, Deckers, and Sons of Samedi, Saints Row’s gangs overwhelmingly lack identity. Instead, this trio is only respectively known for gunslinging, a love for their car, and the ability to cook good food.

You never actually find out how you became such a badass, or why Neenah or Kev is so awesome (or how they’re active) in their Panteros or Icons crews, or how you all met, or why they forgive you for mass-murdering their friends on a day-to-day basis.

You’re personally contracted to security company Marshall, completing the game’s initial, bombastic missions with style. Your four-strong gang of misfits have strong acting talent, but very little character depth.

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