When it comes to video game reboots, the one thing you need to be sure to do is to capture the imagination of fans who remember the original properties while also seeking out new ways to make the game entertaining and fun for all who play. For the team at Volition, Saints Row was the franchise that made their name. They had four solid entries, with the third being so great that it set a bar that has been hard to clear. That’s why they spent a while trying to make a reboot for the franchise to set everything back at zero and thus give them something to build off of again.
That reboot launched last year, and sadly, it wasn’t that much of a hit. In fact, based on earnings reports that its company and publisher stated, it was a big flop. But that hasn’t stopped the team from trying to fix what they did and lure new people to try it out, which is why there is a double dose of news about the game today.
First, the next DLC expansion for the game is coming out next week, and it will be a “unique affair,” to be certain.
Just as important in the news is that next month, Saints Row will launch its reboot on Steam.
Could these be the “giant swing” that brings people back to the title? It’s hard to say. To their credit, Volition has been doing its best to improve the game and ensure that things were better than at launch, and the DLC expansions have been trying to fix the content issue as well. But whether it works the way they hope is up in the air.
One of the biggest problems with the game was that, like many other AAA titles in recent memory, it was incredibly glitchy at launch. Even story missions and key gameplay mechanics couldn’t be finished or used because of the bugs.
Furthermore, the graphics, story, and gameplay felt more like a rehash than something fresh and new, which is not how reboots should go. Just look at Kratos and his new adventures to prove that.
Finally, gamers just had a hard time attaching themselves to the new Saints, and when you can’t connect to your main characters, you have a problem.
Only time will tell what happens to the franchise next. Maybe these two upcoming things will help it. Or maybe it’ll just keep spinning the game’s wheels.
