A Couple of Thoughts About a New Saints Row Game

THQ Nordic the other day announced a bunch of rather cool things, like Timesplitters coming back with someone from the original development team, the people behind Homefront: The Revolution now working on the Dead Island series and stuff like that. But in my eyes, the coolest thing was that Volition confirmed that they are making a new Saints Row game. We have literally no information on this apart from the fact that a game is being made, but that’s fine because now I can make a bunch of wild speculations and ramble on about what I want in a new Saints Row game.

First things first, let’s get the real dream game out of the way. I don’t care what anyone else says, the best Saints Row game ever would be a remake of Saints Row 2 on the Saints Row 3/4 engine. You wouldn’t want to change any of the in-game mechanics, you would simply improve driving and make the game prettier.

Of course that isn’t going to happen. That’s a pipe dream and frankly I don’t think Volition would ever do it because it’s Saints Row 3 that made the series shoot up in fame, Saints Row 2 was more of a cult classic. SR3 is also far more accessible to the casual gamer.

But what can happen in a new Saints Row game? Frankly, literally anything. The last game in the main series, Gat Out of Hell, was left almost entirely open-ended. You basically choose the ending you want most, from ruling over hell to going back to Saints in Space to zooming back and hard-resetting the universe in a pre-Saints Row cut scene. Agents of Mayhem was loosely tied to the Saints Row series but I don’t think it is regarded as canon or anything.

Really, what I want is a more gangsta-themed game. Saints Row 3 was kinda gangsta-y but wasn’t quite as gangsta-y as Saints Row 2. It was far flashier and shinier and, uh, zanier. That crazy silliness did attract some people and I think a new game shouldn’t go completely back to its roots. I mean, I’d love to go back to Stilwater, but a new game should be more than just Stilwater. Maybe expand into other cities or countries. We of course should spend some time in Stilwater but the game shouldn’t just be in Stilwater, it should visit other areas too. Not Steelport though. We’ve outstayed our welcome there.

I also think we need to ditch the super powers. Sure, have some zany weapons for later levels, but the last two games have been focused on powers more than guns. Vehicles have been completely ignored as well, and they should be worth, well, something at least.

As for past stories and unfinished paths though, I think they should be left behind. Not because I want things to be concluded but because I know Volition won’t do any of it justice. It’s better just to create new paths and go from there.

I’m not suggesting a completely new plot though. We do need reliable, memorable characters because otherwise it’s not really a Saints Row game. But I am rather worried that a new Saints Row game will flop because it will lean too heavily on newer fans who just want zaniness or on old fans who want hardcore heavy hitting gangsta stuff. Okay sure, the latter won’t happen, this IS a Saints Row game we are talking about, but still…

Either way, I am… curious. A new Saints Row game could be amazing or awful, with potentially very little in between.