20 Stupid Decisions That Destroyed Their Franchise

However polarizing it became, the Saints Row series’ penchant for ridiculous characters, absurd plotlines, self-aware humor, and lovingly juvenile weaponry – including sex toys and guns that launch sharks and mollusks – was as inherent to its identity as its overt Grand Theft Auto inspirations.

Sure, the games probably got too mindless after 2011’s Saints Row: The Third, but there was still a decent amount of interest from the press and public in seeing the Third Street Saints’ future shenanigans.

Unfortunately, returning developer and publisher Volition and Deep Silver, respectively, screwed up royally with their 2022 reboot. 

How? By replacing Saints Row’s trademark brazen edginess and ludicrousness with a safer, blander, and more cringe-inducingly serious reimagining.

The game attempted to recall the shock and silliness of yesteryear, but it landed with the try-hard corniness of millennial aunts and uncles making “six-seven” references to their Gen Alpha nieces and nephews. Naturally, that performative lameness – coupled with bugs, dull missions, unlikable hipster protagonists, generic graphics, and narrative inconsistencies – resulted in an almost complete rejection of the experience.

As of this writing, Saints Row 2022 has a 3.3 user score on Metacritic, and with a huge hit to overseer Embracer Group’s stock price after its arrival, it’s fair to say that the Saints won’t come marching in again anytime soon.