Santa Illeso’s picturesque cityscape sets the stage for a modernized Saints Row – Hands-off Preview

gamepur.com:

Saints Row is a series with two very different takes on the open-world crime genre. With the original Saints Row and its sequel, it was Volition’s take on Grand Theft Auto. It took place in a city named Stillwater, and it was grounded with a dose of grandiose flair sprinkled throughout. Then came Saints Row: The Third and IV. It became a different style of game, set in a metropolis named Steelport, run by over-the-top crime syndicates, and the Saints were criminal superstars that were more violent superheroes than lowly gang members.

As we saw in a hands-off preview, the new Saints Row aims to bridge the gap between the two diverging styles.

With the upcoming reboot, the developers at Volition are aiming to strike a balance between the two cities. Enter Santa Illeso, a sprawling Southwestern influenced region hoping to provide new grounds for the Saints to flourish. From my hands-off experience, the city’s design tries its best to represent that balance in numerous ways. The outskirts of this city are home to desert, trailer parks, and run-down shopping strips that have seen better days. The deeper you venture into the heart of Santa Illeso, this changes. Skyscrapers, neon lights, and the glamor of a bustling nightlife provide a stark juxtaposition to the run-down nature outside its borders.

The design of Santa Illeso is key to the creative approach that director Brian Traficante spoke of during the presentation. The developers wanted to create a feel nestled between Saints Row 2 and Saints Row: The Third and then have some wiggle room to establish its place in the pantheon. My experience with this franchise dates back to the original. I loved all four games, but something was lost when they