Saints Row returned to the gaming scene last month and its reception has let down Volition owner, Embrace Group. Saints Row is one of the most beloved franchises in gaming and has long been seen as a direct competitor to Grand Theft Auto. Of course, it doesn’t feature quite the same production value of Rockstar’s franchise, but it is the closest thing the series has to a rival. Saints Row made a name for itself by embracing a wacky tone and centering around an evolving gang known as the Saints. The series eventually took on the subject of things like superheroes and aliens, making it hard for a fifth game to ever release as there was no logical next step for the franchise.ย
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Earlier this year, the series returned with a reboot simply titled Saints Row. It was unfortunately slammed for its buggy release, lackluster story, and outdated gameplay that left fans longing for more. The team is still working to fix some bugs, but its legacy as been a bit tainted. When speaking to investors (via Stephen Totilo), Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors spoke about how the reception to the game saddened him and he had hoped for more from the title. He did express a somewhat positive outlook, noting that the game would make money, though not as much as the company had hoped for.
“Personally I had hoped for a greater reception of the game,” said Wingefors. “It’s been a very polarized view. […] There is a lot of things that could be said and details around it. I’m happy to see a lot of gamers and fans happy. At the same time I’m a bit sad to see also fans not happy. It’s difficult. I think we need to wait until the quarterly report in November to have more details.”
As of right now, it’s unclear what the future of Saints Rowย looks like? Will there be a sequel? Will Volition try and bring back the OG crew that fans love so much to try and course correct? It’s really unknown, but it’s hard to imagine that this is how such a big series dies.
What do you want to see from the future of Saints Row? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
