New Saints Row gameplay trailer shows characters, HQ, enemy factions, and more

Gameplay overview for Saints Row shows us what to expect in the game ahead of August 23rd release

Deep Silver and Volition released a new gameplay overview trailer for the upcoming Saints Row yesterday, August 10th. The trailer focuses on the enemy factions, lead cast, headquarters, and the open-world structure. There’s a lot to sink our teeth into, so let’s get started.

Enemy Factions

The Saints Row series has always been well-known for its eccentric enemy factions. From Saints Row 2‘s Brotherhood, Sons of Samedi and Ronin to Saints Row: The Third‘s Morningstar, Deckers and Luchadores. This upcoming entry is looking to be no different, with a handful of criminal gangs and paramilitary outfits to face off against.

First up is Los Panteros, a faction based around strength and physical power. Much like the Brotherhood and Luchadores of previous games. Next up is The Idols, a tech-and-EDM-based gang with all the neon colours and digital masks that would imply. Then, there’s Marshall, who look to be the police faction of the game. The standard grunts seem to wear standard military gear (albeit blue instead of camoflauged). Meanwhile, the higher-ups are rocking stetson hats and tech gear like some techno-cowboys.

The trailer’s narrator finishes talking about Marshall by saying “anyway, I don’t have to tell you this, ain’t they your former employers?” Which suggests some deeper connection with the main character. Finally, there’s one last faction “way, way out in the desert” that aren’t given a name. They look to be wastelanders, split into blue and red sides with the blue side looking, to put it kindly, slightly less intimidating.

Characters

Of course, no boss is an island, and much like previous games you’ll have a crew of varying talents to back you up. Eli is touted as a “strategic business associate”, who looks to handle the investing side of things. Likely he’ll be your go-to for property management and general upkeep. However, he also has a “thing for pump shotties”, so he’ll be around for aggressive negotiations as well. Next is Neenah, a natural at driving and fixing up cars. She’ll be your getaway driver and the place to go for all your vehicle touch-up and customization needs. As for the good times, there’s Kevin, a shirtless adrenaline junkie who also does DJ-ing and cooking on the side. He’ll be the one to indulge in your psychopathic tendencies with.

We’re also introduced to someone who looks like a primary antagonist that also wants to take over Santo Ileso. A hitman known as “The Liwali” who is described as a “wildcard” and will stand in the way of your town-dominating goals.

Headquarters

Harkening back to the old days of Saints Row 2, this game gives you a headquarters that starts unimpressive and run-down. Instead of 2’s earthquake-destroyed former hotel, this time you’ll have a dilapidated church to fix up. You can transform it from a ruined cathedral to a flashy mansion over the course of the game. And, of course, you can coat the place in royal purple, as is the style of the Saints. In time, you’ll run all your operations out of the place, with garages and armories to store all your cars and weapons. Of course, the base is only one facet of customization, with plenty others already shown off.

Story Structure

We also got a very varied look at the kinds of activities you’ll get up to in the campaign. Flying planes, shooting from the top of cars, and steadily taking over zones of the city are just a few of the things you’ll be getting up to. You’ll also need to complete challenges to unlock new perks, and complete missions for new gear.

And it wouldn’t be Saints Row without a smattering of odd weapons to play around with. From standard LMGs and dual-weilding revolvers to guitar case rocket launchers and umbrella machine guns, there’s a lot of ways to kill enemies. This also extends to the vehicles, where you can attach knives to the wheels for a good tyre-popping offensive. Or, just attach a massive weight to the back to give cars on your tail a hefty thwack.

Sounds good? Well you’ll be able to get your hands on it all when Saints Row releases later this month on August 23rd. You can watch the full trailer yourself down below:

Has the gameplay trailer got you hyped for Saints Row? Which parts of the game are you most looking forward to? Let us know down in the comments below! You can also hop over to our Discord to chat with us about all things gaming and entertainment!