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New Saints Row trailer details the game’s new gang and setting

A new trailer for Saints Row gives players a good look at who the new Third Street Saints are, who they’ll be fighting, and what the backdrop for their aggressive criminal takeover will be.

SAINTS ROW Welcome to Santo Ileso Trailer

While the upcoming self-titled Saints Row game will be keeping some things the same, the reboot is set to introduce multiple changes to the franchise. A majority of those differences won’t be in gameplay, but rather the game’s setting and cast of characters.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Saints Row will take place in Santo Ileso, a city set in the American Southwest. In the trailer, developers working on the game stress that this new locale is extremely important, as it fits into the game’s overall theme (and weirdness). The game’s map will be the largest of any title in the Saints Row franchise, but it’s not clear how much of that terrain will belong to the city of Santo Ileso, and how much of it will be the surrounding desert. Regardless, Saints Row‘s new setting seems like a fair departure from the likes of Steelport, the city players romp through in Saints Row 3 and 4.

Along with a new setting, players will be greeted by a new cast of characters in the Saints Row reboot. Johnny Gat and Shaundi are nowhere to be seen and are instead replaced by Eli, a money-laundering genius; Nina, a talented getaway driver and gearhead; and Kevin, a wild gun nut with a passion for cooking. Naturally, players still fill the shoes of The Boss, who they can customize as much as they’d like.

In a preview for Saints Row, developer Volition confirmed that while much of the game would be new, it would still have the same Saints Row bones. The game will include the same wacky arsenal of weapons, stylish vehicles, and ways to make money, including mini-games like Insurance Fraud.

Saints Row is set to release on February 22, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
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