Our first glimpse at the rebooted Saints Row franchise arrived today. A two-minute gameplay preview, published by developers Deep Silver, shows off the lush open world of Santo Ileso. Far from the concrete jungles of previous entries, this Saints Row open world is a desert paradise. The next-gen technology will also allow for some innovative open world features. Join us as we take a look at this exciting new Saints Row footage.
First Glimpse at Saints Row Open World Gameplay
Yes, this new gameplay snippet is the first time we’ve seen the new Saints Row in action. They stress that this is a pre-alpha build, but it’s visually and mechanically impressive, nonetheless.
The first element of note in this new footage is how intuitive and unique the open world feels. There aren’t any other video game open worlds quite like San Ileso. Sure, the Blaine County area in GTA 5 are similar, but this is a bona fide Las Vegas tribute. The gameplay opens by showing the verticality of the world. The player, riding in a dune buggy, leaps across caverns, destroying wildlife as they go. It’s proof of how the game will still hearken back to the game’s laid-back tone. Those first games always felt like a virtual playground, and this seems no different.
We also get to see glimpses at the game’s day-and-night cycle, which is equally notable. When the sun sets in San Ileso, the neon lights of store signs light up streets. The blinkered lights of police cars are a staple of San Ileso after dark – and no doubt, the player will help contribute to that.
Overall, San Ileso looks like the next step for the series’ formula. Gone are the bland cityscapes, ditched in favor of an open world brimming with color and character. To us, that’s the perfect fit for a franchise as openly wacky as Saints Row.
