10 Times Changing Protagonists Killed Video Games

The Saints Row series has never taken itself seriously. Whether it's ragdolling through traffic, spraying sewage on unsuspecting civilians, or going on killing sprees with an arsenal of ludicrous weaponry, its outlandish personality was what set the series apart from other open world titles.

At the core of all this chaos was its ensemble of larger-than-life characters. No matter how bizarre these games got, the familiar faces of Johnny Gatt, Shaundi, and Pierce remained at the heart of the series.

After Saints Row IV took these characters to an alien simulation, fans welcomed the announcement that developer Volition would be returning the series to its more grounded roots. However, the 2022 reboot that players received wasn't the classic Saints Row experience they remembered.

With no connection to the earlier titles, this Saints Row had a new cast of characters who lacked the enigmatic personalities of their predecessors. Relying too heavily on unfunny quips, the result was a game that felt like a pale imitation of what made this series work so well.

Alongside dated gameplay and a litany of bugs, the reboot's reception was so disastrous that it led to Volition permanently closing its doors almost a year after the reboot launched.