Gameplay in the Saints Row games focuses on an open world where the player can complete missions to progress an overall story, as well as engage in various side activities.
The first four games in the Saints Row series were set primarily in two fictional locales—Stilwater and Steelport—which are loosely based on real American cities.
The games center on an initially unnamed player-created character (later nicknamed "the Boss") who joins the 3rd Street Saints by chance and helps them defeat enemy gangs in citywide turf wars.
Later in the sequels, the player becomes the gang's leader, a celebrity and pop culture icon, and eventually president of the United States, while facing more powerful enemies, such as a major corporation, an anti-gang paramilitary, and an alien empire.
As the first non-linear gameplay-style video game to be released for the Xbox 360, Saints Row was widely anticipated; its pre-beta demo build set records after being downloaded nearly 400,000 times within a week.
It features online multiplayer, an in-game mobile phone, GPS navigation, elaborate character, vehicle customization, and a weapon wheel.
The player does so by completing both main and side missions related to each enemy faction, which can be carried out solo or with the help of fellow gang members.
After recruiting new and old allies to their cause and setting up a new base of operations, the Boss works restore the Saints to power, this time as the gang's leader.
[17] The game marks a major turning point for the series, putting more emphasis on comedy and featuring numerous popular culture homages, parodies, and self-referential humor, as well as an over-the-top nature.
The game features a new setting: Stilwater's sister city, Steelport, which is controlled by a single criminal organization known as the Syndicate, consisting of three gangs: the Morningstar, the Luchadores, and the Deckers.
The game is set five years after the events of Saints Row: The Third, and begins with the Boss being elected President of the United States after foiling a terrorist attack.
When an alien empire known as the Zin attacks the Earth, the Boss and the other Saints are abducted and placed in a simulation of Steelport meant to break their wills.
[20] The Boss is able to manipulate the simulation to their own benefit, gaining superpowers, and must find a way to escape, rescue their friends, and defeat the Zin, while facing enemies from their past and their own worst fears.
Its story revolves around the Saints' attempts to rescue Santa Claus from the Steelport simulation, with the Boss, who dislikes the holiday season, learning the true meaning of Christmas along the way.
[22] The game focuses on Saints members Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington and their efforts to rescue the Boss from Hell after they are kidnapped by Satan.
[23] Embracer Group's financial report released in August 2019 stated that a new Saints Row title was in development at Volition studios.
[25][2] The game was intended to be a return to the franchise's roots, with a focus on gang warfare and a less "wacky" tone than Saints Row IV.
The player can freely roam the virtual world on foot or by use of vehicles and make use of an array of weapon and mêlée based combat.
Illegal activity such as assaulting non-player character civilians and police officers will instigate a proactive and potentially lethal response from authoritative figures.
During the early development process of Saints Row, the city was designed before the script was assembled and was more than four times the size of its final version.
[...] I think that what will end up happening is that people who played Saints Row or are fans of the franchise are going to have a great time exploring the city and looking for new things.
Instead of water, the city's islands are surrounded by lava, and in the centre, there is a massive tower that has a large hole above it, presumably the entry point to Hell.
[40][41] A Saints Row film was announced to be in pre-production in April 2019, with production by Fenix Studios, Koch Media and Occupant Entertainment.
[53][54] The game is set in a futuristic Seoul, South Korea, and takes place after the events of Gat Out of Hell's "Recreate Earth" ending, wherein the Saints Row continuity was retconned.
The cinematic announcement trailer showed Persephone Brimstone (a character featured in the closing epilogue of Gat Out of Hell) leading an organization known as "M.A.Y.H.E.M."
Pierce Washington and Oleg Kirlov are two of the game's twelve playable characters, while Johnny Gat and Kinzie Kensington were added via downloadable content.
IGN reviewer Douglass Perry awarded the game an 8.5/10, praising the presentation and gameplay while pointing out technical shortcomings as well as the often forced humour.
[74] It was hailed as "the best reason to own a 360 this side of [The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]" and a "must buy" by GamePro reviewer Vicious Sid, who awarded it five stars out of five.
GameSpy reviewer Gerald Villoria awarded the game four and a half stars out of five and said that "Saints Row 2 offers up a shooting and driving experience that is plenty of fun [...] It's self-consciously funny in its irreverence, and its low-brow humor will definitely appeal to much of its audience".
[76] IGN reviewer Nate Ahearn awarded Saints Row 2 an 8.2/10, praising the gameplay but criticizing the lack of polish and the weak artificial intelligence.