Saints Row

When the issues of a game are rolled and stomped by its greatness, then it’s something to invest on if you have some spare.

60%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, optimization

54% User Score Based on 4,205 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 53 reviews

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About

Saints Row is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing shooter game. It was developed by Volition and was released on June 9, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"Saints Row" is an open-world video game that can be played by either a single player or up to two players in multiplayer mode. The game offers a cooperative gameplay experience and includes the Gold Edition as well as the remastered version of Saints Row The Third. Pre-ordering the Platinum Edition grants access to additional content, such as The Idols Anarchy Pack and The Saints Criminal Customs.

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54%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,205 reviews

story420 positive mentions

stability298 negative mentions

The character customization is extensive and allows for a wide range of creative options.
The gameplay is fun and retains the chaotic spirit of previous Saints Row games, with enjoyable combat and driving mechanics.
The open world of Santo Ileso is visually appealing and offers a variety of activities to engage in.

The story and characters are bland and lack the depth and charm of previous entries in the series.
The game is plagued by bugs and technical issues, including crashes and audio problems.
The humor often falls flat and feels forced, detracting from the overall experience.

story
2,462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The story of the 2022 Saints Row reboot has received significant criticism for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players finding it bland, predictable, and poorly executed. While some appreciate the humor and quirky elements, particularly in side missions like the larping quests, the main narrative is often described as rushed and unengaging, failing to capture the charm of previous entries in the series. Overall, the game is seen as a missed opportunity to build on the franchise's legacy, with many players expressing disappointment in the character development and storytelling.
- “The story, though rushed at points, is still engaging.”
- “From the music, to the controls, to the story (it's effing hilarious, but can be serious) and the game engine, it's pretty damn epic.”
- “The story is a new direction, but if you don't go in with a negative predisposition it might get some genuine laughs out of you.”
- “The story is crap, I can't even tell if it's set before or after the intro scene.”
- “The entire story of the game just felt like nothing; I can barely remember anything but the scenes and missions I hated the most.”
- “The story just felt like a bad 'sitcom' comedy that felt nowhere near the Saints Row games, and you found yourself shocked this game was considered a Saints Row reboot.”
gameplay
771 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay of the Saints Row reboot has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels repetitive and lacks the innovation seen in previous titles. While some appreciate the familiar mechanics and customization options, others criticize the clunky controls, poor driving physics, and overall lack of polish, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite its fun moments and chaotic action, the game struggles to capture the charm and excitement of earlier entries in the series, leaving many fans disappointed.
- “The gameplay is really fun and enjoyable, from the shooting to the arcadey driving, and the side activities are great too.”
- “I love the gameplay, the characters, the character customization, and the world.”
- “The gameplay is fun, with plenty of things to do, and easily offers at least a hundred hours of content including DLCs.”
- “The gameplay just feels wrong; it's obscenely arcadey to the point where nothing feels fun. The driving makes me want to fall asleep with how slow and slidey it is. The game also seems to know it's very slow, since any time there's a jump coming up, you get injected with sudden speed that's just jarring.”
- “The gameplay is bland; the driving is awful, and the whole game is just not fun.”
- “The gameplay itself is just bad: controls are incredibly slippery, missions are boring and repetitive, combat is tedious, and 'difficulty' comes from throwing overwhelming amounts of enemies at the player at once.”
humor
515 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the latest Saints Row installment is a polarizing aspect, with many players noting a significant shift from the franchise's traditionally irreverent and edgy style to a more sanitized and often cringeworthy approach. While some found moments of genuine hilarity, particularly in side missions and character interactions, others criticized the writing as forced and lacking the charm of earlier titles. Overall, the humor is described as hit-or-miss, appealing to a younger audience but leaving long-time fans feeling disappointed by its toned-down nature.
- “I'm having a great time: the writing is sharp and funny, the map is beautiful, and the character generator is robust, which is what I want from a game about wearing outfits and doing violent crimes.”
- “The writing in general made me laugh a whole bunch more than I expected, and got me engaged and actually caring about what's going on.”
- “It's a funny, buggy mess.”
- “Many long-time fans found the humor and dialogue to be "cringey" and lacking the genuine charm and chaos of previous titles.”
- “The writing and characters are abhorrent, peak millennial humor (so not funny in the slightest), 0 amount of edge or even soul.”
- “You’re not allowed to have one single satisfying or cool moment in this game without one of the characters a.) saying the most insufferably unfunny 2013 "lol the randomz" stuff ever or b.) making some completely tone-deaf real-world complaint about taxes or politics or something.”
graphics
404 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
56%
10%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are an improvement over previous entries, they still feel outdated and lack the polish expected from a 2023 release. Some users appreciate the vibrant art style and lighting effects, particularly at night, while others criticize graphical glitches, inconsistent performance, and a general lack of detail compared to contemporary titles. Overall, the visuals are described as decent but not groundbreaking, with a blend of cartoonish elements that may not appeal to all players.
- “The world of Santo Ileso is gorgeous and full of admittedly fun and exciting activities; in fact, this is possibly the most visually spectacular and graphically impressive game I have ever played.”
- “The graphics are solid, and the mini-games are exciting and enjoyable.”
- “The graphics and lighting are amazing; the city is full of things to do and see.”
- “Graphics are terrible being a newish game.”
- “The graphics are outdated and the writing is a little cringe but it's a fun game overall if you like open world games.”
- “The graphics are appalling by today's standards.”
stability
310 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that significantly detract from the experience. While some users noted improvements over time and found the game playable, others described it as a "buggy mess" with frequent crashes, graphical issues, and frustrating co-op experiences. Overall, the consensus is that the game launched in a poor state and still requires substantial fixes to reach a satisfactory level of stability.
- “Saints Row runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Now it's all fixed, looks and runs great (even on my i5, NVIDIA 6GB GPU), and has the smoothest driving of the series.”
- “I know this game had a rough launch to say the least, but the majority of the bugs have been fixed and the game looks and runs great on my PC.”
- “It's diabolical they can even sell a game this buggy.”
- “The game is a buggy mess, but not the fun kind... ran into a mission called corporate retreat that shows this.. the bus is driven by AI who goes off course at random which means you must restart.”
- “The amount of bugs and glitches I came across was ridiculous.”
music
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
65%
13%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the variety of radio stations and the inclusion of licensed tracks, while others criticize the overall quality and memorability of the soundtrack. Many users noted issues with audio mixing, where music is often too quiet or absent during key moments, detracting from the gameplay experience. Overall, while there are some standout tracks, the music fails to reach the heights of previous installments in the franchise, leaving a sense of disappointment for many fans.
- “From the music, to the controls, to the story (it's effing hilarious, but can be serious) and the game engine, it's pretty damn epic.”
- “The soundtrack is also a treat, offering plenty of radio stations to suit every taste.”
- “The soundtrack features a mix of energetic tunes that complement the game's tone of irreverent fun, but it lacks memorable tracks that truly stand out.”
- “The dialogue, characters, excessive political correctness, music, writing, combat, and controls are trash.”
- “While there are plenty of radio stations and songs to listen to, and the theme music is catchy, the sound is very soft, and balancing is horrendous for various types of audio.”
- “Half the time music didn't even play, so you're left in silence making the missions feel that much more dull and boring.”
optimization
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
54%
29%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting significant improvements since launch, allowing for smoother gameplay on various systems, including the Steam Deck. However, many still report persistent performance issues, such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and bugs, particularly on older hardware or when using certain graphics settings. Overall, while some users experience stable performance, others find the game poorly optimized and resource-intensive, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The game runs smoothly without any FPS drops and the visuals are quite good (Ryzen 7900 + RTX 4060 Ti).”
- “I adore this game; it feels like a GTA that's more fun and funny in general, and I've had nothing but fun. I look forward to many more hours of playing this game. Thank you, devs, for making a well-optimized, extremely fun game.”
- “Performance has gotten better; it still has some drops here and there on a mid-tier setup.”
- “Technically, the game launched with a number of issues, including bugs, animation glitches, and inconsistent performance, particularly on PC.”
- “Highly unoptimized performance, expect frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and long load times that make the experience unbearable.”
- “The game is badly optimized.”
grinding
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
9%
89%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in side missions and character leveling. While some appreciate the engaging banter and occasional fun in grinding, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the excessive busywork and lack of rewarding gameplay. Players often feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Murder circus is plain lame, spend hours grinding out unlocks for your actual character by using 4 different characters (not your character) each with their own weapon/ability on one map replaying the same map over and over grinding each character to max level to unlock a handful of weapons and outfits for your actual character that you spend the entire rest of the game playing.”
- “The main reward for beating the story is unlocking a new store where everything costs 1 million dollars, but, in the time it took me to beat the game, I never had anywhere near that amount of money, and I wasn't interested in grinding for the amount of time it would take to get it.”
- “I finished the game with approximately 70% completion and have no desire to continue grinding for the sake of grinding.”
emotional
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
87%
13%
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it genuinely heartfelt and wholesome, while others feel it lacks depth and fails to evoke strong feelings. Longtime fans express disappointment over the series' decline, citing forgettable characters and a boring storyline that detracts from the emotional engagement. Despite some moments of endearing character dynamics, many reviewers believe the game struggles to balance its comedic elements with the serious themes of crime, resulting in a disjointed emotional experience.
- “Genuinely have never played a game that made me feel this way.”
- “The story is serviceable, at times even genuinely heartfelt, and the wackiness that has become integral to the identity of the series is here in spades.”
- “It has a surprisingly wholesome story for a game about criminals who do big murder.”
- “Utter disgrace to the Saints Row franchise. Terrible writing and story; main characters couldn't be more forgettable if they tried. Just generally a very poor experience with a boring story and boring side missions. The game doesn't have much to offer and is very disappointing compared to what Saints Row used to be. 0/10.”
- “The boring storyline, annoying characters, and frustrating combat with zero to no comedy make this game an insult to fans of the series.”
- “Unfortunately, when paired with the bugs and boring story, it's not enough for a positive review.”
character development
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
67%
19%
Overall, character development in the game has received significant criticism, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engagement compared to previous titles in the series. While some characters show potential for development, it often feels superficial or poorly integrated into the gameplay, leaving players wanting more meaningful interactions and backstory. The consensus suggests that the game fails to establish its characters in a way that resonates with players, leading to a less immersive experience.
- “The character development and zaniness from the last one is missing, but overall it's still pretty good.”
- “Your three primary companions do appear to have solid character development structures, but I do wish they had given them more depth.”
- “This game is a masterpiece exceeding GTA in every aspect, from character design to the story to the shooting and driving to mission design.”
- “The story is trash along with the character development.”
- “But I wish their own character developments were actually integrated into the game rather than these throwaway comments you get during a mission that ultimately means nothing in the grand scope.”
- “There's also no character development as the group already all know each other and are best friends, which means you don't get any introductions like you did starting as a newbie in the Saints in SR1 or when you put the new gang together in SR2; the game just expects you to like them without putting any work into making them likable.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its vibrant world and character customization, while others criticize the lack of audio elements and a sense of vitality, leading to a flat and uninspired experience. Many feel it leans too heavily on the style of Saints Row 3 and 4, lacking the depth and engagement of earlier titles in the series. Overall, while there are moments of enjoyment, the atmosphere is often described as lacking and disappointing, particularly in comparison to its predecessors.
- “The world is, in my opinion, really nice and I like its atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack is also pretty good, featuring a mix of hip-hop and electronic music that perfectly captures the game's edgy atmosphere.”
- “The character customization aspect, combined with the quirky atmosphere, entertained me immensely.”
- “The sound mix is broken; there's no audio for cars, vehicles, etc. This totally destroys the experience and atmosphere.”
- “I wouldn't call the script awful, but it's lazy and feeble, and the atmosphere becomes watery without vitality.”
- “Every hour of this game it continued to just get worse and worse, with zero atmosphere, trivial side activities, and some of the worst writing I've seen from a game.”
monetization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a "joyless cash grab," with many reviewers feeling that it exploits the franchise's popularity without delivering quality content. While there are no microtransactions, the downloadable content (DLC) is viewed as unnecessary and indicative of a lack of genuine effort, leading to a perception that the game was rushed and primarily designed to profit from fans. Overall, the sentiment reflects disappointment in the game's financial motivations overshadowing its creative integrity.
- “There are no microtransactions to be seen, which is cool in a 'bare minimum' kind of way.”
- “This game wasn't made for the fans; it was made as a cash grab by a dying company.”
- “This is the laziest cash grab of a game I have seen in a long time, from the engine and graphics that don't look like they have even been touched since the 4th game to the terribly buggy physics and nearly impossible side games.”
- “In general, the DLCs are just extra things that already had to be in the game; they are not really DLCs, they are just cash grabs. I recommend not getting them; there is just no point to it.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The multiplayer aspect of Saints Row (2024) enhances replayability through cooperative and competitive modes, providing social interaction and fun, though some players question if it matches the replay value of previous titles. While the game is more playable and features diverse voice selections, noticeable bugs may detract from the overall experience.
- “It may not follow the exact plot of the previous Saints Row games, but it's just as endlessly fun and replayable as any of them.”
- “Also, the selection of voices adds replay value too.”
- “I don't know if this game has the same replay value as those ones, though.”
- “It's much more playable now, yes, but some bugs are still highly noticeable.”
- “The multiplayer component of Saints Row (2024) offers cooperative gameplay and competitive modes that add a layer of social interaction and replayability.”