On paper, this reboot still expected on August 23, 2022 is supposed to cut ties with the excesses of a Saints Row 4 and finding a better balance between the story with the somewhat serious themes of its four protagonists and the exuberance that has grown in power over the episodes to the point of spiraling out of control. In Saints Rowthe rather crazy possibilities offered in terms of personalization will be a bit like a slider that everyone can place as they wish on the scale of anything big.
Apparently, almost 10 years have passed since the release of Saints Row 4. And if the latter already focused on customization tools, this reboot seems to have taken note of how the video game landscape has evolved since 2013. Obviously, the Fortnite tornado has been there, which is felt especially in the cult of emotes that cause so much face palm with us old people. Further customization of vehicles? No question of ignoring it when GTA Online imposes its law. As for the third pillar, weapon customization, it is based on Call of Duty: Warzone and the whole range of online FPS.
Let it be said, those who have the annoying habit of spending hours in front of customization tools could well lose an entire day before embarking on Santa Ileso, as Volition has decided to go all out. Good news for those who feel overwhelmed, 8 different presets will be offered as starting points for characters that can then be touched up here and there. And as much to say that we can do almost anything.
On the menu, hats, socks, masks, haircuts, skin textures, makeup, eyelashes, eyebrows, contact lenses, teething, scars, muscles, full body tattoos, partial tan and everything you can imagine from the part of a character editor as complete as it is folkloric. The morphology of his Boss is also always adjustable and Volition has not forgotten to tick the inclusiveness box by presenting a range of prostheses. We will also have the choice between 8 different voices, from the most serious to the most eccentric stamp.
Both cosmetic and mechanical, the customization of vehicles obviously does not escape the kéké-tuning atmosphere, but it will be up to everyone to express their good and bad tastes. The game will offer 80 vehicles to customize, again with presets for those who want to start from a model. In terms of behavior, we can see that vehicles are governed by four characteristics: max speed, performance, durability and all terrain. “We’re in the desert so there’ll be a lot of driving“, Volition notes in passing. In addition to road vehicles, we are promised boats and helicopters with as many options. At the wheel, the player can allow himself a fantastic exit by using the ejection seat before deploying his wingsuit.
As we said, the weapons are also customizable with lots of textures, paintings and visual effects like in a multiplayer FPS, but the fantasy obviously goes further: we can therefore see how a rocket launcher can take on the appearance of a guitar cases or how an umbrella can conceal a submachine gun. This presentation also allows you to discover the abandoned church that will serve as the base of operations for the Saints. In the center of this headquarters, which will also be renovated and therefore personalized, the player will have access to the armory or the wardrobe, and it is therefore here that he will find all the items purchased in the shops.
- Also Read | Saints Row, a lawless scoundrel in search of respectability