Saints Row

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 69

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There’s no shortage of comedic moments, but Saints Row feels trapped in the past. Ugly graphics, bad shooting mechanics, cringeworthy characters, and a plethora of bugs make this nothing more than a chaotic mess.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 69

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 69

There's no shortage of comedic moments, but Saints Row feels trapped in the past. Ugly graphics, bad shooting mechanics, cringeworthy characters, and a plethora of bugs make this nothing more than a chaotic mess.

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Critic Reviews for Saints Row

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

69

Reviews

Average Score - 67/100

67%

Ranges

4/10

David Jenkins (Metro GamneCentral)

A tragically outdated open world adventure that almost has more in common with Goat Simulator than Grand Theft Auto, despite some moderately entertaining mechanics.

August 22, 2022 |

Full Review

Rebooting the series, Saints Row tries to modernize its approach and themes but struggles at times to stick the landing.

August 22, 2022 |

Full Review

7/10

Morgan Shaver (Shacknews)

6/10

Mick Fraser (God is a Geek)

You could consider Saints Row a love letter to a time when games worried less over quality and more about fun, but that doesn’t excuse its faults.

August 22, 2022 |

Full Review

David Jenkins (Metro GamneCentral)

4/10 - (Read Review)

A tragically outdated open world adventure that almost has more in common with Goat Simulator than Grand Theft Auto, despite some moderately entertaining mechanics.

Morgan Shaver (Shacknews)

7/10 - (Read Review)

Rebooting the series, Saints Row tries to modernize its approach and themes but struggles at times to stick the landing.

Mick Fraser (God is a Geek)

6/10 - (Read Review)

You could consider Saints Row a love letter to a time when games worried less over quality and more about fun, but that doesn’t excuse its faults.

**Read all 69 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (69 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
ACG	Jeremy Penter	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	“The game isn’t very fun, is not polished, and feels like no one knew what they wanted to make. A buffet of a game offering small tidbits of everything, but they forgot the seasonings and sadly the fish is bad.”	Read review
Ars Technica	Sam Machkovech	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	When I got the wingsuit working, I could fly decent distances while diving to maintain speed, then pull up on my joystick to catch more air and keep going. But the wingsuit is just a wingsuit, and in a series like Saints Row, that feels like a missed opportunity. Why not let wingsuit flyers shoot a gun, fly higher with a jetpack, or grab onto power lines and fling themselves around? After I experimented with flight a few times, I found the system too unwieldy for consistently convenient travel and leaned on fast travel or cars.	Read review
AusGamers	Kosta Andreadis	5.4 / 10	08-22-2022	Ultimately the new Saints Row is a disappointment, especially if you’re a fan of the series.	Read review
Bazimag	Sina Golabzade	6 / 10	08-22-2022	The new Saints Row is exactly what we expect to get from a title in this franchise, the crazy action, the juvenile humor and the abundance of everything purple! Problem is that all of this feels a little stale by today’s standards and considering how out there the two recent games before this were, it all also feels a little dialed back too, which may be disappointing for some of the older fans of the series that wanted to new game to get even more crazy.	Read review
But Why Tho?	Arron Kluz	6 / 10	08-22-2022	While there are definitely elements of Saints Row that really annoyed me, I still generally had a good time with the game. If you consider yourself a Saints Row fan you’ll probably find plenty to enjoy in the newest entry, even if some of its elements are weaker than others. If you were hoping for a major new take on the series or what it could be, however, you’ll be left sorely wanting.	Read review
Cerealkillerz	Nick Erlenhof	7.4 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row wants to return to the old open-world days, but forgets to take along current practices such as mission design or visuals. Entertaining, silly and charming, it is able to fill a little-occupied field in the genre. But it is not a real reboot. It’s more of a scaling back of the craziness and a rehashing of old virtues. But anyone who can appreciate this will have fun in Santo Ileso for a long time.	Read review
Checkpoint Gaming	Luke Mitchell	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row successfully reboots the much-loved franchise, although things don’t feel as wild or chaotic as I was expecting or hoping. The main campaign is a short but enjoyable romp with some decent creativity, but the open world template doesn’t innovate beyond the trappings of the genre. Side missions and distractions are amusing yet repetitive, and the adventure is lacking in polish overall. Still, being able to play the entire experience with a mate by your side makes for a lot of laughs, and if you can forgive the cringe dialogue, there are some fun moments between all the meandering that still makes it worthwhile. I can’t say that the Saints are “back and better than ever”, but gearing up for a modest romp with a lot of explosions and strong personalisation will certainly set them up for a roaring sequel if given the chance.	Read review
COGconnected	Mark Steighner	84 / 100	08-22-2022	Despite some tech issues and inconsistent mission design, this kinder, gentler incarnation of Saints Row is probably a step in the right direction.	Read review
Cultured Vultures	Ashley Bates	6 / 10	08-22-2022	The Saints Row reboot wants to tell a new, modern story, but the gameplay framework surrounding it is starting to show a bit of rust.	Read review
Destructoid	Chris Carter	8 / 10	08-22-2022	An open world that lets you waste time in it for fun feels like a lost art, especially in a post-GTAV world mostly barren of games like GTA. I didn’t really know how I felt about Saints Row until I hit the open-world segment, and this current team showed me what it is capable of. The campaign likely isn’t going to strike a chord with a lot of people, but the muck-about nature of the world map kept me playing longer than I expected. A sequel that leads into its biggest strengths has a lot of potential.	Read review
Digital Trends	Tomas Franzese	3 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row is a perfectly fine open-world game. Just don’t expect any surprises, as the reboot lacks much character.	Read review
EGM	Josh Harmon	2 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row pairs a great open-world city and respectable gameplay fundamentals with repetitive, dated mission design, a story that never finds its footing, and too many bugs to count. Depending on what you prioritize in a game, you may get some enjoyment out of it, but at best you’re looking at a diamond in a whole lot of rough.	Read review
Eurogamer	Vikki Blake	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	Volition’s Saints Row reboot won’t set the world alight, but there’s a punchy game here with some pleasant surprises.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Giuseppe Carrabba	7.8 / 10	08-22-2022	The reboot of Saints Row offers a fun experience	Read review
FingerGuns	Miles Thompson	7 / 10	08-22-2022	The Saints have come marching in once again and while Santo Ileso offers a fun playground for these reborn renegades, it’s somewhat marred by a wealth of graphical issues, some underwhelming gunplay and a predictable narrative. Having said all that, you can customise your character into an orange, hurl yourself into traffic to make money and throw a self-propelled football at enemies to send them into space. It’s Saints Row as you remember, for better or worse, with a new coat of paint and refurbished for modern times.	Read review
Game Informer	Andrew Reiner	8.5 / 10	08-22-2022	It may not push your new hardware to the limit and is a little rough around the edges, but the latest Saints Row is everything it needs to be, delivering a wonderful comedic experience with plenty of depth.	Read review
Game Rant	Dalton Cooper	2.5 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row has its moments, but the game is weighed down by ugly graphics, bad shooting, and a story full of obnoxious characters.	Read review
Game Revolution	Mack Ashworth	3.25 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	The Saints Row (2022) reboot takes things back to basics but with very little push for innovation.	Read review
Gameblog	Unknown	5 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row had a unique opportunity to come back and be a good summer game. Most of the time, its fun, especially in co-op, thanks to his arcade feel and humour But there are too many flaws and way too many bugs to enjoy the title completely. Maybe some updates could fix things but not entirely.	Read review
GameGrin	Andrew Duncan	7.5 / 10	08-22-2022	A fantastic addition to the Saints Row catalogue, though it’s marred by a bunch of glitches and bugs that keep it just shy of excellence.	Read review
GamePro	Eleen Reinke	65 / 100	08-22-2022	Saints Row sometimes offers wacky fun even in the reboot, but stands in its own way with grind and repetitive tasks.	Read review
GameSpew	Richard Seagrave	7 / 10	08-22-2022	For a game all about building a crime syndicate, the fact that engaging in such activities feels so optional on the main path is a crime itself. It also won’t come as much surprise to Saints Row fans that this is just as scrappy as ever before. Still, it’s ridiculously enjoyable nonetheless.	Read review
GameSpot	Richard Wakeling	6 / 10	08-22-2022	The Saints Row reboot ditches the over-the-top aspects of its predecessor, but still feels like it’s trapped in the past.	Read review
GamesRadar+	Alyssa Mercante	3 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	When you focus on the various Criminal Ventures at your disposal, you can unearth a lovely little buffet of variety	Read review
GameXplain	Adam Conner	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	Video Review	Read review
Gaming Nexus	Eric Hauter	9.5 / 10	08-22-2022	Volition’s gamble to reset and reground Saints Row pays off generously. A visual delight, with plenty of gameplay mechanics to keep players goofing off for days, and the Santo Ileso setting is one of the best in video game history. Sure, the shooting gets redundant after a while, but with so much to see and do you can go hours in between gun battles. Saints Row manages retain what players loved while feeling fresh and new. Other reboots, take note – this is how you do it.	Read review
GamingBolt	Usaid	8 / 10	08-22-2022	Despite a couple of shortcomings and genre trappings in its open world department, Saints Row remains a thrill ride through and through	Read review
Gert Lush Gaming	Jim Smale	8 / 10	08-22-2022	I enjoyed the story but I stayed for the characters, Hands down one of the best groups of people in a Saints Row game in a long time.	Read review
God is a Geek	Mick Fraser	6 / 10	08-22-2022	You could consider Saints Row a love letter to a time when games worried less over quality and more about fun, but that doesn’t excuse its faults.	Read review
Hardcore Gamer	Chris Shive	3 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Technical issues notwithstanding, Saints Row is not without its shortcomings, but it succeeds more often than it doesn’t.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	Bruno Sol	84 / 100	08-22-2022	Although Saints Row may fall short in some technical aspects, it is still incredibly fun. We enjoyed character customization, controls and some mission design.	Read review
IGN	Tristan Ogilvie	6 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row delivers no shortage of shallow shoot ’em up thrills, but it’s a very familiar and uninspired brand of sandbox fun.	Read review
IGN Italy	Alessandra Borgonovo	7.5 / 10	08-22-2022	A known series makes its comeback to the scenes with a game which is, overall, funny, engaging and explosive in its own craziness. Too bad that there are too many bugs.	Read review
IGN Spain	Rafa Del Río	8 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row becomes the reboot that the most traditionalist fans of the saga needed.	Read review
LevelUp	Pedro Pérez Cesari	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is an experience with peculiar contrasts Volition truly tried to reinvent the franchise for a new generation, but not wanting to betray its roots it was unable to evolve in the way it needed to be truly relevant in the midst of 2022.	Read review
Metro GameCentral	David Jenkins	4 / 10	08-22-2022	A tragically outdated open world adventure that almost has more in common with Goat Simulator than Grand Theft Auto, despite some moderately entertaining mechanics.	Read review
Paste Magazine	Moises Taveras	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Reinvention can just as easily be a prompt for a bold new swing, and while Saints Row feigns one or two, it could stand to commit more fully to them. This retooling/reboot/reenvisioning doubles down on the past in an intentional, if short-lived, nostalgia play, but there has to be more there, right? If we should see more of these Saints-and I earnestly do want to-I would hope it would be with something fresh to say or show. Until then, Saints Row still has some growing to do.	Read review
PC Gamer	Jody Macgregor	60 / 100	08-22-2022	The knockabout glee of classic Saints Row ultraviolence is here, but held back a little by new-found restraint.	Read review
PCGamesN	Jordan Forward	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Sometimes repetitive, sometimes eye-rolling, and sometimes just plain busted, Saints Row 2022 is far from perfect, but that doesn’t stop it from being a chaotic good time.	Read review
PlayStation LifeStyle	Paulmichael Contreras	7.5 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is the game to play when you want to turn your brain off and enjoy some mayhem. With many criminal ventures to run through, there is always something to do, some other bar to progress as you help the Saints reach their true potential. It’s a shame a few technical issues show up, but thankfully most of these can be overcome by restarting the game. This may not be as over-the-top as previous Saints Row games, but it could be the start of something great.	Read review
PlayStation Universe	Michael Harradence	8 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is a necessary reboot for a series that was getting out of hand (pleasingly so, but still), and Volition has made smart decisions in retooling the origins of the purple-clad gang without losing that silly, violent, and crude spirit. It leaves room for future improvement and escalation, and that’s an exciting place to put the Saints in.	Read review
Polygon	Todd Harper	Recommended	08-22-2022	The “Should you buy this game?” part of this review is easy: If you enjoyed previous Saints Row games, you will probably like this one, and if you’ve never played one, this is a decent onboarding point.	Read review
PowerUp!	Leo Stevenson	8.8 / 10	08-23-2022	Saints Row is bananas.	Read review
Press Start	Toby Berger	7 / 10	08-22-2022	The new Saints Row doesn’t break any new ground, however it’s still a relatively fun time. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason not to give this one a spin.	Read review
PSX Brasil	Thiago de Alencar Moura	80 / 100	08-22-2022	In many ways, Saints Row is a game that looks back on its past with reverence, trying to keep much of what worked in the past while updating it for a new generation of players (and consoles). It manages to do it with many more hits than mistakes, but it’s still a game that shouldn’t please any player. If you are a fan of its tone and proposal, it is undeniable that there are dozens of hours of fun here.	Read review
Push Square	Robert Ramsey	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is a largely successful reboot, even if it sometimes feels dangerously outdated in terms of open world design. Its story and characters can be hit and miss, but the experience is carried by fun gameplay and an endearingly dumb sense of humour. Despite the new faces, Saints Row is definitely still Saints Row	Read review
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	Alice Bell	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	You can spend many happy hours in the new Saints Row game, without it leaving a lasting impression. The story is rushed, and for all the slick shooting and driving this game doesn’t feel fresh.	Read review
Saving Content	Ed Acosta	4 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Other than a few hiccups I’ve encountered, I am loving my time in the game. Even if the car physics aren’t the best, they are nowhere near unmanageable. Flying around the world in helicopters, drifting cars, and weaving in between traffic is just as satisfying as ever. Gunplay is tight, and if you’re the type to pull the aim trigger and have it lock on, you’re going to love the way this plays too. The writing is corny, but in the right kind of corny, I can respect. Doing all there is to do in Santo Ileso will keep me hopping back into this world more and more. Now excuse me as I wrap this big ass gold chain around my neck and get back to my criminal empire. The Saints are back, baby.	Read review
Screen Rant	Scott Baird	2.5 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row is glitchy and feels rushed.	Read review
SECTOR.sk	Peter Dragula	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row offers a decent reboot of the franchise, although the production costs don’t go up to the level of GTA. The focus on fun, action and variety of activities is strong. The co-op helps the fun even more.	Read review
Shacknews	Morgan Shaver	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Rebooting the series, Saints Row tries to modernize its approach and themes but struggles at times to stick the landing.	Read review
Skill Up	Ralph Panebianco	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	Video Review	Read review
Softpedia	Unknown	6.5 / 10	08-22-2022	Review code provided by the publisher.	Read review
SpazioGames	Nicolò Bicego	7 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is fun, but it feels like it forgot that we are in 2022 and not in 2013 anymore, ’cause it really has nothing new or fresh to offer.	Read review
Stevivor	Ben Salter	4 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row gets the gang back together, but needed more time to complete its comeback.	Read review
The Escapist	Marty Sliva	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	Video Review	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Jim Hargreaves	7 / 10	08-22-2022	After so many facelifts, there were fears Saints Row would fail to recapture the unconventional beauty of the earlier games, but this reboot proves how adept Volition is when it comes to reinventing their flagship franchise. This latest outing is my favourite game in the series to date, so while basic combat and dips in visual quality are disappointing, they did little to keep me away from Santo Ileso. You’ll struggle to find anything ground-breaking though this sandbox is bursting with entertaining things to do, ideal for sharing with a partner in crime.	Read review
TheXboxHub	Neil Watton	4 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Which gang you fall into will be completely up to you. For us, we’ve always been on the side of the Third Street Saints and with the rebooted Saints Row, will continue to do so.	Read review
Too Much Gaming	Carlos Hernandez	8 / 10	08-22-2022	The new Saints Row isn’t making any bold statements here or pushing any limits. This release is Volition’s way of saying that the series is back and that they have not forgotten why they’ve been able to release four mainline titles with this amount of silliness in the past. The essence of the Saints Row series is intact with this reboot, just slightly altered to fit modern tastes. It’s just unfortunate to not see drastic changes to the game’s core systems like combat, which could have propelled the series to new heights.	Read review
TrueAchievements	Luke Albiges	3.5 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to — it’s a solid open-world adventure with loads going on, and one that is really only a good helping of polish away from sitting among the genre’s better games.	Read review
TrustedReviews	Ryan Jones	3 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row now feels like a mediocre open-world action game, becoming just like all of the games at which the series used to poke fun. Mission objectives are bland and repetitive, while the story is boring and lacks cohesion. Worst of all, the slapstick jokes rarely land and are arguably more cringeworthy than they are funny.	Read review
Twinfinite	Andrew McMahon	4 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Overall, anyone who was a fan of the franchise before this will likely still love Saints Row, as the comedy, goofiness, and chaotic gameplay is still at the game’s core. And while I wasn’t a fan of how they went about the story, there’s definetly some promise in regards to its more grounded focus, as it seems clear this reboot was made to push the series into an interesting new direction.	Read review
VG247	James Billcliffe	Not Recommended	08-22-2022	Outside of the super set-piece main missions, it’s easy to bounce off the more repetitive elements of the open-world.	Read review
VGC	Jordan Middler	2 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	It’s a below average open world game that’s stuffed to bursting with bugs, and the best thing we can say about it is that making our Tobias Fünke-inspired character crouch over and do the wanker gesture while he walked down the street made us laugh. Probably not quite worth the price of admission.	Read review
VideoGamer	Josh Wise	4 / 10	08-22-2022	Indeed, there remains about Saints Row the air of a slightly desperate brainstorming session.	Read review
WayTooManyGames	Leonardo Faria	8 / 10	08-22-2022	Saints Row is much better than its terrible reveal trailer made it look like, with some great controls, a ton of side content, a ludicrous character creator, and some truly amazing story missions, but its tone suffers from a proper lack of direction. At times, it resembles the ultra-imbecilic Saints Row we all know and love. Other times, it tries desperately to pander to a dab-appreciating, hashtag-tolerant, Twitter-addicted, Buzzfeed-consuming Gen Z generation that would never consider buying a game in this franchise to begin with. It’s a game that feels like it was written by two completely antagonistic committees. If you can ignore its tonal discrepancies, as well as some glitches, you’ll have a great time with yet another strong outing from Volition.	Read review
We Got This Covered	Shaan Joshi	3 / 5 stars	08-22-2022	Saints Row is ready and willing to leap back into the mainstream, though it’s unfortunately weighed down by a few odd design decisions and a handful of technical issues.	Read review
WellPlayed	Nathan Hennessy	5 / 10	08-23-2022	Unambitious, dated, and dreadfully lacking in polish, only series fans eager for more classic Saints gameplay need apply.	Read review
Xbox Achievements	Richard Walker	60 / 100	08-22-2022	As a new start for the eponymous gang, Saints Row ticks most of the boxes, but falls short in offering up anything fresh. A litany of technical and visual bugs also conspire to spoil the party, making for a solid enough, enjoyable, but ultimately uninspired, return for the series.	Read review

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Game Info

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Welcome to Santo Ileso, a vibrant fictional city in the American Southwest. In a world rife with crime, a group of young friends embark on their own criminal venture, as they rise to the top in their bid to become Self Made.

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