The Saints Row franchise has gone through an impressive evolution. Originally dismissed as a Grand Theft Auto clone, the series established its own identity with a more expansive character customization system and a lack of reverence that just got crazier over time. Saints Row: The Third seems to be when the series truly stopped taking itself seriously, in spite of some character angst present in the plot. Considering how ridiculous Saints Row 4 was with its Infamous-like superhero mechanics and aliens, The Third was a more effective compromise between fans who wanted the most absurd vulgarities possible, and others who wanted a decent open-world action game about criminals.

The new Saints Row reboot will be the first original game in the series since 2013's Saints Row 4, and judging from what trailers show, it will try to preserve the series' trademark goofiness instead of going back down a semi-serious route like the first and second games. It is also clear that the new Saints Row will most integrate modern gaming mechanics and tropes into its systems. While that might seem necessary from an evolutionary standpoint, it is critical for the game to preserve the charm of its predecessors, especially The Third.

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The Appeal of Saints Row: The Third

saints row the third pierce and johnny gat mascot

While some classic fans may be dismayed at the direction the series took in the 2010s, the original Saints Row had equally ridiculous moments, including a mission where the player had to smear feces on a wall. Saints Row: The Third took these absurd moments and made a whole game around them, further splitting the Saints Row series from Grand Theft Auto. The game's city of Steelport is just as, if not more depraved and dangerous than Stilwater, and a lot more colorful. While the new characters are still criminals, they differ from traditional gangster archetypes. Steelport is home to cyberpunk hackers, rogue FBI agents, luchador packs, pimps with autotune voices, and more bizarre concepts. Saints Row: The Third is still about gangs fighting one another for turf, but aside from Morningstar the gangs are less straightforward and flashier; even the Saints went from violent thugs to fancy celebrities that can finance their amoral lifestyles.

The game does not try to be a poignant critique of sandbox games or criminal narratives, instead it attempts to introduce weird ideas that fit the crime game paradigm and make these concepts as tonally consistent as possible. However, the game’s successful integration of its predecessors’ formula with a newfound embrace of the most extreme ideas is not the only reason why it is an ideal template for the anticipated Saints Row reboot.

Expansive character customization that allows players to change everything about the protagonist’s appearance, gimmicky stores that offer every kind of clothing and accessory one might like, and the presence of NPCs like neon-colored mascots and zombies are among the contributors to Saints Row: The Third's charm. Combined with core gameplay that consists of slaughtering civilians and authority figures, stealing vehicles, and wreaking havoc with a variety of weapons, Saints Row: The Third is a standout experience - albeit not for everyone.

The Saints Row reboot will play like a modern open-world game with expected cinematic cues and contemporary mechanics. However, in order to assert itself as a game with character, it must take notes from its predecessors. Saints Row: The Third is absurd without abandoning the appeal of typical open-world crime games unlike its follow-up Saints Row 4. This balance is the key for success, especially considering mixed reception to the reboot's trailers. The reboot needs to remember that it is part of an established series, and not a cookie-cutter modern action game with a recognizable name.

Saints Row releases February 25 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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