About the Game

The game is set some five years into the Saints reign, and they are now something of a brand, with media contacts, products to be sold (both legal and not), and with some of the gang members now hailed as celebrities and nouveau cultural icons and influencers. However, this has left the gang open to attach, and the Syndicate, an international crime organisation, has not hesitated to move into Saints’ territories.

Also bothering the Saints are S.T.A.G. which is a quasi-military company that has been tasked with restoring law and order to the streets of Steelport. These twin missions: avoid S.T.A.G. and take down the Syndicate can be accomplished separately or in tandem, depending on how each mission plays out.

You must complete missions, perform feats that earn you both respect and money, such as daring driving, for example. Earnings can be spent on calling up NCPs to give you some backup, or upgrading your weapons so you can fight harder and faster – or sillier, with even more ridiculous weapons, including at least one that is definitely not suitable for work!

There is more than one ending, and all are worth playing through as they offer unique twist-in-the-tale finishes that will have you cheering happily, glad that you took the time.

The Nitty Gritty

All the gang members know each other and like old friends, they like to kick back and chill from time to time. The friendships are wholesome and they will banter, tease and show affection for each other in a realistic and heart-warming way. Perhaps the best moment is when they sing on the way to a job: if you slow down and pull over, they will finish the song, going all the way to the end for a genuinely feel-good moment.

The game is very much an open world, so you can please yourself in between missions, exploring, hanging out with your buds, and, of course, inflicting mayhem and chaos on anyone who looks at you funny! The game is filled with comic touches and definitely should not be taken too seriously.

The customisation tools for the characters are intensely detailed right from the beginning, and you can get right to your nefarious work, stealing cars, taking selfies with star-struck fans, and even taking off all your clothes and streaking down the street, if that is what you would like to do!

Accept missions from time to time to keep your bank balance full and progress a little further, but you can definitely choose to tailor your experience your own way.

As well as cash, you must keep your reputation topped up, and you do that by living dangerously and driving even more so. Money and reputation are what keep you popular and busy, and you will earn the respect of anyone you pass on the streets, even as you spend your cash on upgrades, bigger weapons and flashier cars: which, yes, earn you even more respect!

Modes of Play

There are several modes of play to enjoy in the game:

• Regular: story mode takes you through the gang’s fortunes, issues you with missions and quests and rewards you for achieving them

• Sandbox: ignore the missions for a while and just explore the city, having fun, seeing what and who is out there and generally seeing where everything is. Not only is this low-key fun on its own merits, but it also gives you the advantage of knowing the terrain later when you are in a running battle with enemies

• Mayhem: a times mode when you have unlimited weaponry and a short time and have to destroy as many buildings and streets as you can. Cathartically good fun, especially after a hard day!

• Insurance Fraud: the absolute opposite of real life recommendations – spend as much time as possible flinging yourself into harm’s way! Jump in front of cars, leap out of moving ones, and do your best to hurt yourself in the most spectacular way to score the biggest insurance pay out that you can!

Saints Row for PC is available for purchase on Instant Gaming for a fraction of its retail price. You will receive an official key and be able to play the game in seconds. Play smart. Pay less.