Saints Row (2022) – Main Story Campaign

Lore & Background

The game is set in the fictional city of Santo Ileso, located in the American southwest and modeled after Las Vegas, Nevada. At the start of the game, the city is controlled by two warring gangs: Los Panteros, a gritty vehicle and fitness-oriented gang that runs smuggling and protection; and the Idols, an anarcho-communist gang focused on clubs and nightlife. A third faction, Marshall Defense Industries, an international private military corporation known for its high-tech weaponry, is also based in Santo Ileso and attempts to eradicate all gang presence in the city while increasing its own influence.

The player character, known simply as 'the Boss', gets fired from Marshall Defense Industries and decides to form a gang, the Saints, with the help of their friends and roommates: Eli, Kevin, and Neenah. The main antagonist is the Nahualli, who betrays the Boss and is killed in the final confrontation.

Reader's Guide

Similar to previous installments in the series, Saints Row is an open world action game with third-person shooter elements where players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the main story. Outside of missions, players can freely roam the game's world and complete optional side activities. The game's setting, the fictional city of Santo Ileso, is broken down into nine districts, which players will have to work towards taking over in the name of their gang, the Saints, earning certain benefits in the process.

After taking over a district, players are able to use empty lots found there to launch illegitimate businesses with legitimate fronts to finance and benefit the gang. The city includes more vertical areas, which can be explored using specific tools made available to the player. The driving gameplay has been improved from previous Saints Row games to encourage the use of vehicles as weapons themselves alongside guns. The game includes a detailed character creator for the player-character, including selection of gender.

In addition to their character's appearance, players are also able to customize their weapons and vehicles. There is a drop-in cooperative multiplayer mode which allows two players to play together at the same time, with each player using their own custom Boss character and progressing in their own missions.